The Montclair Literary Festival celebrates its 10th year next month with a jam-packed lineup of more than 60 authors and 30 events.
Bestselling authors include New Jersey’s Tom Perrotta, who wrote Election and The Leftovers, speaking about his new novel, Ghost Town, and Princeton’s Joyce Carol Oates, who will talk about her latest book, Double Trouble. Also featured is Colm Tóibín, who wrote Brooklyn, which was made into the 2015 film starring Saoirse Ronan.
Adriana Trigiani, a bestselling author from New Jersey, will appear on May 6 for the paperback release of her book The View from Lake Como, as will Christina Baker Kline, who lived in Montclair for many years, speaking about her new book, The Foursome.
The festival will take place from May 2-11; most of the events will be free. It kicks off in downtown Montclair on Saturday, May 2, beginning with the popular Poetry Café. Featured authors on opening day include Eugene Robinson, John Fugelsang and Tóibín.
Events include conversations about getting published, debut fiction, biographies of music icons with Jim Windolf, Daniel Okrent and Warren Zanes; and contemporary and historical fiction with Amy Jo Burns, Emily Nemens and Valerie Wilson Wesley. Past and present female journalists will also speak.
“We’re thrilled to launch our 10th anniversary festival with such a spectacular lineup,” says festival chair Marcia Marley. “I am particularly looking forward to hearing Eugene Robinson and John Fugelsang discuss how their family histories reflect and are relevant to the present political landscape. It’s also a pleasure to welcome back Tom Perrotta and Colm Tóibín as they share their latest works of fiction […].”
Festival programming continues through the week with standout events including Kathryn Stockett, author of the global bestseller-turned-film The Help, celebrating the launch of her new novel The Calamity Club on May 5; and Pitchapalooza on May 7, offering aspiring writers the chance to present their work for possible introduction to a literary agent or publisher.
On Saturday, May 9, all events will take place at Montclair State University, with free parking available at the Red Hawk parking deck for all attendees. Ticketed highlights are Maria Semple, bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, returning with her new novel, Go Gentle; and Pulitzer Prize finalist Xochitl Gonzalez discussing her highly anticipated Last Night in Brooklyn.
Additional festival highlights include Francine Prose’s new novel exploring the relationship between Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen; Luke Barr and Sylvie Bigar talking French cooking and chef anecdotes; and memoirists Siri Hustvedt and Rachel Eliza Griffiths in conversation on love and grief. Not to be missed is New Yorker writer Anand Gopal’s powerful account of six Syrians who fought tyranny, which The New York Times Book Review called a “masterpiece.”
The program also features discussions on AI, thrillers, poetry and more.
Also on May 9, Montclair State University will host Express Yourself!—a series of hands-on workshops in writing, visual art, music, dance, photography and theater. All workshops are free and open to the public.
The festival concludes on Monday, May 11, with a special early-release event for The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline in conversation with fellow local author Alice Elliott Dark.
The festival is supported by Montclair State University, Watchung Booksellers and the Montclair Public Library, alongside a generous network of community supporters whose contributions help keep most events free and accessible.
The Montclair Literary Festival is a special project of Succeed2gether, a Montclair-based nonprofit that provides free tutoring to underserved children in Montclair and Essex County. Proceeds from the festival directly support this critical initiative, especially vital as students and their families face educational funding challenges throughout New Jersey.
Tickets, the full event schedule and additional festival details are available here. Printed festival guides are available at Watchung Booksellers and other local venues.
