SBF Presents: Our SCAD Intern Graduates

This month, the Savannah Book Festival celebrates the graduation of our SCAD Intern, Riley Heath. Riley is a senior writing major who contributed to our graphics and organic social media. She will be attending Columbia to pursue a master’s in Narrative Medicine.

SBF: Tell me about your previous Festival experience as an attendee. What was it like to join the Festival and experience things behind the scenes?

Riley: In 2025, I attended an SBF event moderated by my professor, Jonathan Rabb. I came right from a half marathon, sitting with full body chills, yet I couldn’t help but be entranced. It went so smoothly, really, that there was nothing that made me think of all the work behind the scenes. When I joined the Festival, I really got to see and experience all of those moving parts. For our group of five to put on such a large event and receive little to no negative feedback, it’s really amazing. We all put our blood sweat and tears into the event and it was such an honor to be a part of it. 

SBF: Can you tell us more about SCAD’s internship process?

Riley: It all happened very fast. I was in class with Rob Griffith, the liaison between SCAD and the Savannah Book Festival, and he asked to speak with me. Believe it or not, I was worried I was in trouble! As it turned out, my name had come up among several professors as a recommendation for the internship role here at SBF. It was a pretty quick process after that and I really think I have my professors to thank. To me, it starts the moment you begin, the day I began my time at SCAD. I always try to make a good impression, doing my best and raising the bar for myself. Taking the time to connect personally with my professors helped me earn the interview which led to my great role here at the Festival. 

SBF: Communication with authors is a large part of our work here at SBF. Do you feel your experience expanded your knowledge of the industry? How?

Riley: Working with the Festival, communicating with authors, really helped me understand that they’re just a group of experienced, trustworthy people. It takes the industry from something that seems impossible to something tangible. 

SBF: This year’s Festival featured 30+ authors from a variety of genres. Who in particular served as inspiration to you? What connections did you make which felt valuable? 

Riley: I got to make so many connections that didn’t seem at all possible in the beginning. Certainly, I didn’t expect to step away with such personal relationships. Sean Dietrich and I really hit it off. We both share an interest in music and he’s got a story that just, really, blew me away. He was so gracious and encouraging. It’s so odd to speak to someone with the label of a headliner, a big entity drawing so many people to the Festival, and to have them conversate with you like an equal. It meant so much to see him take real interest in what I was saying. That connection was wonderful and completely unexpected. Even those who I wasn’t able to speak with, such as Tista S. Ghosh, serve as such an inspiration to me. In Sarah Penner’s talk, she joked about never expecting to speak to a crowd from a pew. She spoke about always reaching one rung ahead, then reaching back to help those behind you, which is something I believe in. I’m so grateful for this job and all the great people who have pulled me up along the way.