The author will appear in Concord, NH, this October.
CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Book Festival announces that #1 New York Times–bestselling author Jodi Picoult will serve as the festival’s 2026 Keynote Author. Picoult will appear at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Friday, October 2, where she will discuss her forthcoming novel, Hollow Bones, scheduled for release in late September 2026.
A longtime New Hampshire resident and one of the state’s most prominent literary voices, Picoult has published twenty-nine novels and has an estimated 63.7 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her work is widely recognized for its rigorous research and exploration of complex ethical and emotional questions.
Hollow Bones centers on Molly Fitzgerald, whose mother was killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center when Molly was an infant. Raised by her father and stepmother, Molly grows up shaped by both love and an enduring awareness of catastrophe. As an adult, she leads the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, developing strategies to respond to crises ranging from natural disasters to public health emergencies.
When an unforeseen event disrupts her new marriage to Jesse, a police polygraph expert, both are forced to confront the narratives they have constructed about their pasts and their future. The novel moves between past and present, examining the bonds between mothers and daughters, the stories families tell, and the illusion of control in uncertain times.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome superstar author Jodi Picoult to the New Hampshire Book Festival,” said Festival co-founder Sarah McCraw Crow. “She’s not only a gifted novelist, but also a wonderful presenter and conversationalist, and her event will be one to remember.”
Founded to celebrate literacy, conversation, and community, the New Hampshire Book Festival offers a full day of free programming (Sat., Oct. 3) in downtown Concord, with select ticketed keynote events. The festival brings together nationally recognized authors, emerging writers, and book lovers of all ages for a day of panels, conversations, readings, book signings, and more.
Tickets for Picoult’s keynote event go on sale Tuesday, May 12. Given her broad readership and strong regional following, the October 2 event is expected to sell out. For more information, visit nhbookfestival.org.