About the Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Paristown
A program of Kentucky Humanities, the Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition is the newest chapter in the Kentucky Book Festival tradition! A vibrant celebration of reading, writing, and creativity, this exciting event is an expansion of the renowned Kentucky Book Festival, which takes place each fall in Lexington. For the first time ever, we’re brining a part of the this dynamic festival to Louisville this summer!
Thank You to Our Partners.
We’re grateful to Carmichael’s Bookstore and Paristown for helping bring the Louisville Edition of the Kentucky Book Festival to life.
Schedule & Programming
Start planning your day with a full lineup of author panels, signings, storytimes, and more! Whether you’re looking to discover new books, listen to inspiring conversations, or bring the kids for some literary fun, there’s something for everyone at the Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition.
Author Gallery (Opens at 10:00 AM)
Kick off your festival experience by exploring the Author Gallery, where 30+ authors and illustrators will be signing books and meeting readers throughout the day. Discover new voices, connect with your favorite writers, and pick up your next great read—brought to you by our bookselling partner, Carmichael’s Bookstore.
KCTCS Stage Schedule
A full day of conversations and panels featuring celebrated authors, poets, journalists, and more.
10:00 AM – Festival Welcome & Introductions
10:15 AM – Amy Larocca in conversation with Lynnell Edwards
11:15 AM – Young Readers Book Panel
Featuring Alex Willan, Brittany J. Thurman, Shannon Stocker, and Shawn Pryor
12:00 PM – Nonfiction Panel
Featuring Linda LaPinta, Brigid Kaelin, Michael Jones, and Bob Hill
1:00 PM – Michael Tackett in conversation with former Congressman John Yarmuth
2:00 PM – Fiction Panel
Featuring Lee Martin, Sarah Landenwich, Julie Hensley, and Wes Browne
3:00 PM – Kentucky Poets Laureate Kathleen Driskell & Crystal Wilkinson in conversation
4:00 PM – Wesley Houp, James Baker Hall Foundation First Book Prize winner, in conversation with Larry Pemble
4:45 PM – Festival Closing & Salutations
Storytime on the Steps
Perfect for young readers and their grown-ups! Enjoy author-led storytimes, creativity, and illustration fun.
10:30 AM – Brittany J. Thurman
11:30 AM – Andrew Shaffer – Illustration Fun
12:30 PM – Shannon Stocker
2:30 PM – Alex Willan
Free Writing Workshop
1:00 PM – Led by Georgia Green Stamper
Join us for a special writing workshop inspired by our 2025 Kentucky Reads selection, Savory Memories. Learn how to capture meaningful stories from your own life—especially those centered around food, family, and memory—in a welcoming, informal setting.
Featured Authors
Explore the full list of authors participating in the festival, along with their featured titles:
Fiction
David Arnold – I Loved You in Another Life
Wes Blake – Pineville Trace
Gwenda Bond – The Frame-Up
Wes Browne – They All Fall the Same
Julie Hensley – Five Oaks
Sarah Landenwich – The Fire Concerto
J.H. Markert – Sleep Tight
Lee Martin – The Evening Shades
Ellen Birkett Morris – Beware the Tall Grass
Meg Shaffer – The Lost Story
Emma Talbott – Not Far From Freedom
Nonfiction & Memoir
Ken Clay & Michael Jones – The Soulful Sounds of Derbytown
Deedee Cummings – How to Dream
Elias Eells – Cocktails & Consoles
Daniel Gifford – Benefactors of Posterity
Bob Hill – Out Here
Brigid Kaelin – Lakeside
Linda LaPinta – Savory Memories
Amy Larocca – How to Be Well
Michael Tackett – The Price of Power
Georgia Green Stamper – Small Acreages
Steve Wilson & Laura Lee Brown – Hermitage Farm
Poetry & Hybrid Works
Kathleen Driskell – Goat-Footed Gods
Lynnell Edwards – The Bearable Slant of Light
Wesley Houp – Strung Out Along the Endless Branch
Dwain W. Lee – Plausible Deception
upfromsumdirt – Second Stop is Jupiter
Pat Williams Owen – The Crossroad
Books for Young Readers
Shawn Pryor – The Great Explorer of Mammoth Cave
Andrew Shaffer – Literary Cats Coloring Book
Shannon Stocker – Stronger at the Seams
Brittany J. Thurman – Opal Watson: Private Eye
Alex Willan – Mermaids Are the Worst!
What Can I Expect at Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville?
- Meet Authors and Illustrators: Interact with 30-40 regional and national authors, editors, and illustrators, discover new voices, and engage in conversations about literature and creativity.
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Buy Books from a Favorite Kentucky Independent Bookstore: Our bookselling partner, Carmichael’s Bookstore will have a diverse selection of books across a wide range of genres for you to browse and add to your collection.
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Enjoy Inspiring Events and Interesting Discussions: While the kids participate in some fun activities and storytime, the adults can listen in to talks led by authors and industry professionals.
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Family-Friendly Fun: There will be activities and programs for book lovers of all ages – perfect for a day out with family and friends. Children under 14 years of age will receive one free book of their choice from participating children’s and young adult authors.
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Free and Open to the Public: Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition is completely free, with no invitations or tickets required to attend.
How Is This Event Different from the Kentucky Book Festival in Lexington?
Building upon the celebrated 44 year tradition of the Kentucky Book Festival, the Louisville Edition will bring a fresh, new experience to the Commonwealth. It will complement our flagship event in Lexington on Saturday, November 1, 2025. Here’s what makes the Louisville Edition unique:
- Location: The Louisville Edition takes place in the vibrant Paristown, offering a lively urban setting perfect for a summer festival. The Kentucky Book Festival will still happen this fall in Lexington.
- Timing: The Louisville Edition occurs in June. The Kentucky Book Festival will take place on Saturday, November 1.
- Focus: The Louisville Edition offers a similar experience to the Lexington flagship festival, but is tailored specifically for the Louisville community, with programming and author features unique to the Louisville Edition.
- Smaller Scale with Big Impact: While the Kentucky Book Festival in Lexington draws thousands of attendees and features over 150 authors and illustrators, the Louisville Edition focuses on creating an intimate and engaging environment with a curated selection of authors and illustrators.
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.
This year, we’re excited to bring the Kentucky Book Festival experience to Louisville with the Louisville Edition, a vibrant new chapter in the festival’s legacy. While the Louisville Edition is a unique event, it is fueled by the same passion for literature that Carl West established so many years ago.
The Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition is your chance to celebrate reading, writing, and publishing in a dynamic new setting. Bring your friends and family, explore exciting books, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Stay tuned for more details about programming and author announcements!
Thank you!
Thank you to our partners and sponsors for the 2025 Kentucky Book Festival: Louisville Edition.
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.