KENTUCKY BOOK FESTIVAL 2025
Join us for a full day celebrating books, ideas, and community at the Kentucky Book Festival — the Commonwealth’s premier literary event.
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY
Meet your favorite authors, discover new voices, and explore stories that connect us all. From panels and signings to hands-on activities and bookish shopping, there’s something for every reader.
More details coming soon — stay tuned for the full author lineup, schedule, and special programming. For more information about events in the week leading up to, and festival weekend, visit our Events page.
Presented by Kentucky Humanities
The Kentucky Book Festival is proudly presented by Kentucky Humanities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the people and communities of Kentucky together through stories, ideas, and lifelong learning.
Founded as the Kentucky Book Fair by journalist Carl West in 1981, the Kentucky Book Festival has long been dedicated to connecting writers and readers in meaningful ways. Originally held in Frankfort for more than 30 years, West’s vision of a statewide celebration of books and authors continues to thrive. As the Kentucky Book Festival expanded and rebranded, it became a beloved program of Kentucky Humanities.
About Kentucky Humanities
Kentucky Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. Kentucky Humanities is supported by the National Endowment and by private contributions. We are not a state agency, but are proud partners with Kentucky’s cultural, heritage, arts, and tourism agencies. Kentucky Humanities is dedicated to Telling Kentucky’s Story through programs and services that create a legacy of pride in the wealth of Kentucky culture, building civic engagement and supporting local humanities programs and events. We strive to enable all Kentuckians to take part in learning, sharing, and teaching each other about Kentucky’s rich heritage. We are committed to providing leadership and developing resources that support the needs of Kentuckians to examine our values, understand our common heritage, and build stronger Kentucky communities based on the knowledge, insight, and respect inherent in the humanities. Learn more at kyhumanities.org.
Sponsor or Donate to the Kentucky Book Festival
Donate
Community support for the Kentucky Book Festival helps us host great authors and present programming at no cost to attendees while contributing to the proud literary heritage of our Commonwealth. All donations to the Kentucky Book Festival are listed in Kentucky Humanities Report to the People, published in the spring issue of Kentucky Humanities magazine unless otherwise requested.
Become a Sponsor
Join in supporting one of the longest-standing literary traditions in not only Kentucky, but also the country. This beloved celebration connects thousands of book lovers and authors in a one-of-a-kind experience. Throughout its 44 years, the Festival has attracted national literary stars, politicians, scholars, journalists, celebrities, and athletes to the Commonwealth, in addition to celebrating the works of Kentuckians.
Sponsor opportunities vary widely, and associated coverage begins in the summer, with hundreds of thousands of media impressions possible. The Kentucky Book Festival catalog is published in the October edition of Kentucky Monthly magazine (36,000 print run, with readership of 126,000). Get in touch to learn about the benefits of sponsorship and see which opportunities might be a good fit for your organization.
Please contact the Kentucky Book Festival Director at (859) 257-4317 or jay.mccoy@uky.edu for more information.
To give your tax-deductible gift, click the button below and choose Kentucky Book Festival.
Mail a check to:
Kentucky Humanities
ATTN: Kentucky Book Festival
206 E. Maxwell St.
Lexington, KY 40508
Anti-Harassment Policy
Kentucky Humanities has implemented a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, sex (including transgender status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, political affiliation, or status as a parent. The Kentucky Book Festival has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind, whether in person or via email/social media/other electronic means, including but not limited to: Stalking or intimidation; Offensive verbal comments; Physical assault and/or battery; Harassing or non-consensual photography or recordings; Bathroom policing; Inappropriate, unwelcome, or uninvited contact or attention.
Should someone engage in any of these harassing behaviors, Kentucky Humanities staff will alert security, who will take immediate action in whatever form they deem appropriate, including expulsion from the event. This policy applies in all venues and areas of the Festival, to all who participate: staff, volunteers, authors, exhibitors, attendees, guests, vendors, press, and others.If you have been made uncomfortable by someone’s harassing behavior, or if you see harassing behavior happening to anyone else, please contact us.