Our volunteers are essential to our success. Consider helping out! Volunteer The Williamsburg Book Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating authors, books, and the joy of reading. Our festival thrives because of the dedication and generosity of our volunteers, whose time and talents make this event possible each year. From planning and setup to welcoming guests and supporting authors, our volunteers play an essential role in creating a memorable experience for everyone who attends. Please click on the below if you are interested in volunteering with us! Fill out this form

Our sponsors help our festival happen! Sponsor us and help support the Williamsburg literary community. Let’s Foster Literacy Together Sponsorship is the heartbeat of the Festival. Your partnership helps us keep the festival free and accessible to the community while creating meaningful opportunities for authors to connect with readers. Together, we celebrate literature, encourage lifelong learning, and strengthen our community through the shared love of books. Promotion & Visibility Our sponsors are featured in our festival promotional materials, our website & ads placed in local publications.The festival poster and handout will promote sponsors to event attendees. Posters will be displayed at local businesses in addition to the festival location. Contact Us

The Williamsburg Book Festival's mission is to promote and support the art of literary composition in the Williamsburg area and expose writers to the reading public. Our free event includes authors from various genres, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. The Williamsburg Book Festival Join us on February 27th, 2027! Our annual family-friendly event brings together a dynamic mix of authors, poets, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. Apply to exhibit starting August 1st. Learn more Our Mission At the Williamsburg Book Festival, our mission is to celebrate and support the art of literary composition while connecting authors with the reading public. Exhibit Share your stories in a vibrant literary community Experience Connect with passionate readers and uncover exciting new creative voices Support Empower authors and readers: contribute to help support the love of reading What to Expect The Williamsburg Book Festival features a diverse lineup of authors, engaging speakers, and Virginia's Poet Laureate, along with our annual Student Writing Contest that celebrates the next generation of writers. Authors, Speakers, Poets, Workshops, Student Writing Contest Festival Flashbacks 1/1 Bookmark this! The Williamsburg Book Festival has been one of my favorite events for many years. It’s the place real book-people go to mingle, learn, and read from the best Williamsburg has to offer. Perhaps what makes this festival one of the greatest is that the community comes out to support the authors and festival with warmth and energy that brings me back year after year. —Tj O’Connor, award winning author of The Hemingway Deception and The Dead Detective Casefiles We Are authors readers publishers writers dreamers creatives book lovers poets students ...

< Back Sally Stiles Sally Stiles has called four continents, six countries, nine states and a small trawler home. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has taught and published non-fiction, fiction and poetry. A former editor of national magazines, her work includes eight published books and hundreds of magazine articles. Locally, she has served on the executive board of An Occasion for the Arts and The Williamsburg Book Festival. Next

< Back Christy Landers Tallamy Christy Landers Tallamy is a writer whose work explores the beauty and complexity of ordinary lives. Her style is often compared to Italian novelist Elena Ferrante. Her poetry and essays appear in several creative writing anthologies, and she has also worked as a ghostwriter, blogger, and essayist, earning small but meaningful accolades for her work. Her debut historical novel, Sugarcane Saint—the first in a planned trilogy—draws on her Southern roots to examine family loyalty, faith, and the legacies that shape who we become. Next

< Back Randy Ellefson Author and world building strategist Randy Ellefson has been world building since the 1980s, having worked on a single world (Llurien) for decades, while also building separate worlds for other projects. Rand has won honorable mention three times in the prestigious Writers of the Future contest and publishes fantasy novels, novellas, and short stories. His series, The Art of World Building, has reached the Top 10 on Amazon's Bestseller lists. He's also host of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Summit. Between selling at conventions, he also appears on podcasts for writers. He holds a Bachelors of Music, Magna cum Laude, in classical guitar, and runs his own record label, which has released five of his albums (three instrumental rock, one instrumental acoustic, and one classical guitar album). His metal band, Black Halo, is releasing its debut album in 2026, with Rand as guitarist, main songwriter/lyricist, and band manager. Rand works as a professional software architect/project manager in the Washington, D.C. area and has worked for the State Department, White House, and NASA among others. When not creating, he's playing with his son and daughter, golfing, skiing, or swimming. Next

< Back Karen Marginot Karen Marginot is an author, a recovery coach, and an integrative coach with over four decades of literary experience. Her published memoir, The Bad Girls Club: Promises of a Spirituality-Based Recovery, explores transformation and recovery from trauma and addiction. With a background spanning publishing, content development leadership, and senior positions at Salesforce and Dell, Karen brings unique insight to writers at all stages. Her innovative workshops blend classical storytelling techniques with transformative approaches to narrative development, helping writers discover their authentic voice and craft impactful stories. Specializing in guiding those in the wisdom phase of life, Karen creates supportive environments where participants develop both technical skills and narrative gifts. A graduate of Co-Active Training Institute, Karen is currently working on her next two book projects while helping others discover the stories only they can tell. Her teaching philosophy centers on her conviction that a single story can change everything—transforming both author and audience. Next

< Back T.S. Arther Arther is a nonfiction writer straight out of Newport News Virginia by way of Milwaukee Wisconsin. She’s a three time graduate of Saint Leo University and has a masters in Creative Writing. Arther served ten years in the Army. She is married to a witty cable guy and has four boys. When she is not writing, she loves to compete in pageants, travel, and craft. Next

Important information for anyone wishing to exhibit as an author or publisher at the Williamsburg Book Festival. Exhibit at the Festival As an exhibitor, you'll have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of passionate readers, showcase your books, and engage with a community that loves discovering new stories. Meet fellow authors and publishers, build meaningful connections, and enjoy a welcoming, celebratory atmosphere dedicated to the joy of books and reading. Application Window & Submission Requirements 01 Mail a book and complete an application Applications will be posted starting August 1st. All applicants must submit a copy of at least one book for review by the selection committee. Books will either be donated to charity following the jurying process or returned to authors if they are accepted for the festival. There will be no exceptions. Please mail books to Williamsburg Book Festival, PO Box 114, Williamsburg, VA, 23187 02 Author & Publisher Invites Invitations to participate will be sent via email after the application review process is complete. If you are not selected this year, we encourage you not to be discouraged and to apply again next year. Selection is based not only on the quality of submissions, but also on creating a balanced, multi-genre festival. For example, if we receive a large number of applications in a particular genre such as science fiction, children's books, or historical fiction the competition within that category may be greater. Because we do not know the final mix of submissions until the application period closes, a decision not to invite an author is not a reflection of their work, but rather our commitment to offering attendees a diverse range of books and authors. 03 Registration Payments If accepted as an exhibitor, the participation fees are $70 for a full table, which includes one full table and one chair and is recommended for authors exhibiting more than one book; $45 for a half table, which includes half a table and one chair and cannot be shared between co-authors; and $125 for publishers. The payment deadline and payment link will be announced after authors and publishers have been notified via email of their selection to exhibit at the festival. Book Sales Authors and publishers are responsible for bringing their own inventory, selling their books, and collecting and remitting any applicable sales tax. Many exhibitors find it convenient to accept credit card payments using smartphone or tablet payment services such as PayPal, Square, or Intuit. For more information about collecting and reporting Virginia sales tax, please refer to Virginia Tax's sales and use tax resources. If you have questions about your sales tax obligations, we recommend consulting your accountant or tax professional, including any requirements related to **Form ST-50A**.

< Back L.E. DeLano L.E. DeLano lives in Amish Country, Pennsylvania where she eats too much refined sugar and tries to thwart her cat’s plans for world domination. L.E.’s 2021 novel, BLUE, received six literary awards including the SPARK Award from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and a Gold Medal in Young Adult Fiction in the 2022 Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards. Her debut novel, TRAVELER, was a Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) Secondary Book Awards Finalist for 2018-2019. Next

< Back Plot Twists and Persistence: A Thriller Author’s Journey and Lessons Learned From Northern Virginia roots to an optioned debut, Yasmin Angoe shares a road‑to‑publication story with the momentum of a thriller. She maps the rejections, rewrites, and lucky breaks behind the Nena Knight series, then shows how her process evolved—protecting voice, building discipline, and balancing ambition with life. Energizing, candid, and packed with actionable advice for aspiring and published writers. About Yasmin: Yasmin Angoe is an Anthony Award–nominated author of the Nena Knight action‑thriller series, which begins with Her Name Is Knight, and the domestic psychological suspense novel Not What She Seems. Her work has been optioned for film and television and featured in the New York Times, Oprah Daily, the Guardian, and PopSugar. A finalist for the Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award and a 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee, she serves on the Sisters in Crime board. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, she lives in South Carolina. Previous Next

< Back Dead Broke, Deeply Weird, and Still Iconic: Why Poe Endures Edgar Allan Poe suffered a lifetime of tragedies, then died broke and misunderstood—but he's become one of the most enduring literary brands of all time. In this funny, myth-busting talk, Catherine Baab uncovers the real Poe: his Virginia roots, the craft choices that make his work unforgettable, and the life choices packed with lessons more timely than ever. Come for the juicy lore; leave with some surprisingly useful takeaways. About Catherine: Catherine Baab is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Slate, CNBC, and NBC News. She is the author of Poe for Your Problems: Uncommon Advice from History’s Least Likely Self-Help Guru (Hachette, 2021), a finalist for the Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award and a Barnes & Noble Holiday Catalog pick. A frequent guest on NPR, she lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she writes the Substack newsletter “Poe Can Save Your Life” and is at work on her next book. Previous Next