CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Book Festival returns October 3–4, 2025, launching its second year with even more authors, family fun, and community impact.
The festival will kick off Friday, October 3, with a morning appearance by beloved children’s fantasy author Tui Sutherland at Capitol Center for the Arts. In an appearance subsidized by the festival, 1,300 elementary students will get to hear from and talk to Sutherland about her middle-grade fantasy series.
This is the second year of the New Hampshire Book Festival, following a huge first year that brought thousands of visitors, generated a major financial impact for downtown Concord, and quickly became the largest literary festival in New Hampshire’s history.
Opening Keynote: Walter Mosley in Conversation with Hank Phillippi Ryan
The Festival will welcome literary legend Walter Mosley as its 2025 Opening Keynote author, in a rare New England appearance. Mosley will be in conversation with fellow author Hank Phillippi Ryan on Friday, October 3, at 7:00 PM at the Capitol Center for the Arts.
“Walter Mosley is a groundbreaking mystery and noir author who’s had many of his books adapted for movies and TV,” said Festival Co-Founder Sarah McCraw Crow. “We’re thrilled to bring him to New Hampshire this fall–this will be a really fun conversation.”
Tickets are still available: Capitol Center for the Arts
A Weekend of Authors, Panels, and Community
On Saturday, October 4, the free, all-day festival starts with a children’s parade in costume as their favorite literary characters, gathering in front of Constantly Pizza at 9 AM — rain or shine. From there, downtown Concord will transform into a celebration of books, ideas, and community, featuring more than 50 nationally recognized authors and poets for panels, conversations, readings for all ages, family programming, and book signings.
This year’s festival brings together a diverse and acclaimed roster of authors and poets, including beloved authors like New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss, buzzy debut novelists like Rob Franklin and Sharon Kurtzman, Pulitzer-nominated poet Jennifer Chang, and Caldecott-winning picture book authors Aaron Becker and Jason Chin.
Families are in for a treat, too. The KidLit stage will feature exciting presentations, panel discussions, and readings with Tui Sutherland—New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series—alongside favorite picture-book, middle-grade, and YA authors.
Co-Founder Emilie Burack added: “This festival is about more than books — it’s about community. Last year proved how hungry people are for these conversations, and 2025 will be even bigger.” Inspired by other New England book festivals, Burack and Crow established the event to celebrate authors and readers, with Concord chosen as the ideal location for the statewide gathering.
About the New Hampshire Book Festival
The New Hampshire Book Festival is an annual statewide celebration with a mission to bring authors and readers together to highlight literacy, conversation, and community. With more than 60 nationally recognized authors, it has quickly become a premier cultural event for the Granite State. For full details and updates, visit www.nhbookfestival.org.