Event Stages & Schedule

The Decatur Book Festival is packed with exciting activities for the entire family. Find out where you want to be and when.

Stages

The AJC DBF programming will be held at several different stages in the downtown Decatur area.

Schedule

Friday Night, 8 p.m.: Keynote Speaker Kinky Friedman, Presser Hall, Agnes Scott College

Saturday Night, 8 p.m.: Keynote Speaker Charles Frazier,
Presser Hall, Agnes Scott College

Download a schedule of events (PDF) or click here for a printer-friendly version.

AJC Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical


Schedule of Events: Saturday September 1

  Decatur Presbyterian Stage presented by DeKalb Medical Old Courthouse Stage presented by Atlanta Listens to Audiobooks Decatur Conference Center Stage presented by Lenz Decatur Library Stage presented by Georgia Center for the Book Library Conference Room Decatur Conference Auditorium presented by Agnes Scott College City Hall Stage presented by Stone Mountain Eddie’s Attic Stage
10 a.m.   Georgia Authors of the Year Panel: Joshilyn Jackson, Hank Klibanoff, and Jim Elledge (Ralph Tejeda Wilson moderates.) Hal Runkel: Screamfree Parenting Diane Mott Davidson Jack Wilkinson and Abe Schear: Baseball and the Braves Sanford Horwitt and Frye Gaillard: Carter, Feingold, and the Democratic Party (Joe Crespino moderates) Sonny Brewer, Doug Crandell, and Man Martin  
11:15 a.m. Walter Reeves {GN} Chris Finan, Peter Kuper and Chris Staros: Comics, PATRIOTs, and the First Amendment Kwame Dawes and Anthony Winkler: My Jamaica Roy Blount, Jr. and George Singleton Renee Dodd Thomas Mullen and Liam Callanan: The Wars You Didn’t Know Sheri Joseph  
12:30 p.m. Terry Brooks {Env} Alan Weisman: The World Without Us David Fulmer, Cara Black, and Tasha Alexander: Mysteries of Time and Place (Michele Ross moderates.) Joseph Crespino, Matt Lassiter, and Kevin Kruse: New Approaches to Southern History (Brett Gadsden moderates.) Georgia Quilts: Anita Zaleski Weinraub Elise Leonard: Al’s World Da Chen and Elaine Orr: Where I’m From  
1:45 p.m. Dr. Rudy Crew and Mayor Shirley Franklin {P} Sherman Alexie, Patricia Smith, Chelsea Rathburn David Robbins and Joseph Finder Well Bless Your Heart: A Mary Kay Andrews Tent Meeting     Joshilyn Jackson and Frank Turner Hollon Bobby Braddock
3 p.m. Norman Pearlstine, with Julia Wallace: Anonymous Sources {P} Natasha Trethewey and Claudia Emerson (Pearl McHaney moderates.) Anna DeStefano, Wendy Wax, Carmen Green and Karen White: Georgia Romance Writers Panel Tina McElroy Ansa   Env} Josh Dorfman: The Lazy Environmentalist Carole Radziwill and Ann Sharpsteen: Lives Beside the Public Eye Billy Childish
4:15 p.m. Diana Gabaldon and Suzanne Brockmann: Love and Warfare Zakes Mda Con Lehane, Jaclyn Weldon White, and James O. Born: Mysterious Mark Winegardner and Tom Franklin: Literary Death Match   Jack Bass and Beverly Lowry: Writing the Whole Life of Harriet Tubman and Strom Thurmond Bill Osinski and Anderson Scott: The Nuwaubians Wesley Stace
5:30 p.m. Sherman Alexie Linda Berdoll {P} Barbara Hamby, Marjory Wentworth, Chad Davidson, and Jillian Weise Dr. Beverly Tatum   Phaedra Weldon and Mitchell Graham: Mysterious Fantasies Dennis Cass: Messing with the Mind  
Target Children’s Stage Cook’s Warehouse Stage 99X Music Stage Azul Book Market Stage JavaMonkey Local Authors Stage Fellowship Hall at Decatur Presbyterian
10 a.m.: Reading of “Where the Wild Things Are” 10:30 a.m.: Judy Schachner 10 a.m.: Rebecca Lang   10 a.m.: Lois Kelly (Wolf Creek Press) 10:30 a.m.: Karen Syed (Echelon Press) 10:15 a.m.–11 a.m.: Kodac Harrison, Perry Dilbeck 10 a.m.–11 a.m.:Signings: Democracy Restored, Anne Farrissee and Tim Crimmins, Ann Sharpsteen, Carole Radziwill
11 a.m.: Rob Cleveland 11:30 p.m.: Chris Raschka     11 a.m.: Tasheika Bowen 11:30 a.m.: Leigh Anne Couch and Dan Albergotti (The Sewanee Review/The Greensboro Review) 11 a.m.–12 p.m.: Debra Hiers, Robin Kemp, Lynn Alexander, Ruth Windham
 11 a.m.–12 p.m.:Signings: Dixie Divas Patricia Sprinkle, Julie Cannon, Jackie Miles, and Karin Gillespie
12:30 p.m.: Cece Bell 12 p.m.–1:15 p.m.: Scott Peacock 12:15 p.m.: Mike Killeen 12 p.m.: Jan Dahlin Geiger (The Oliver/Sorano Group)  12:30 p.m.: Debby Giusti (Georgia Romance Writers) 12 p.m.–1 p.m.: Cheryl Stiles, Lee Passarella, Dan Veach, Louise Runyon
 12 p.m.–1 p.m.:Signings: Diana Gabaldon, Zakes Mda, Con Lehane, William Rawson Smith, Josh Dorfman
1 p.m.: Sheila Moses. 1:30 p.m.: Rick Riordan   1:30 p.m.: Nathan Beaver 1 p.m.: Pamela Bauer Mueller (Pinata Publishing) 1:30 p.m.: Mary Louise Floyd (VanderWyk & Burnham Publishing) 1 p.m.–2 p.m.: Phillip Raines, Sharan Strange, Sylvia Cross, Ginger Murchison 1 p.m.–2 p.m.:Signings: Amanda Stern, Frye Gaillard, Sanford Horwitt, Suzanne Brockman
2:30 p.m.: Sam Riddleburger 2 p.m.: Max Nania 2:45 p.m.: The Brilliant Inventions 2 p.m.: Charles William Skillas, PhD (Skillas Atlanta, Inc.) 2:30 p.m.: Joann Dunn (DueWest Books) 2 p.m.–3 p.m.: Megan A. Volpert, Jessica Hand, James Sanders, Ashley Van Doom 2 p.m.–3 p.m.:Signings: Dennis Cass, Chris Raschka, Mitchell Graham, Jacqueline Decarlo, L.D. Russell
3:30 p.m.: Historical Fiction Panel: Lynn Cullen, Susan Rosson Spain, Alan Gratz     3 p.m.: Ruth King (Business Ventures Corp.) 3:30 p.m.: Deronte Smith (Infinity One Publishing) 3 p.m.–4 p.m.: Randy Prunty, Lori Emerson, Bruce Covey, Brigitte Byrd 3 p.m.–4 p.m.: Signings: Man Martin, Chris Finan, Doug Crandell, Da Chen, Ilona Meagher
4:30 p.m.: Da Chen 4 p.m.: Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart 4 p.m.: Matthew Kahler 4 p.m.: Stephen Corey (The Georgia Review) 4:30 p.m.: Megan Sexton (Five Points Journal/GA State University) 4 p.m.–5 p.m.: Jon Goode, Chris “Cocktails” Cornell, Jacqueline Decarlo, Ivy Le 4 p.m.–5 p.m.:Signings: Louise Shaffer, Jon Clinch, Wayne Caldwell, John Dorhauer, Sheldon Culver
5 p.m.: High School Literary Arts Competition Winners 5:30 p.m.: Youth Poetry Slam Finals     5 p.m.: Bob Lancer (GDG Publishing) 5 p.m.–6 p.m.: Lady Hardin, Khadijah Queen, Tania Rochelle, Laurel Snyder 5 p.m.–6 p.m.: Signings: George Singleton, Cece Bell, Susan Rosson Spain, Thomas Mullen

AJC Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical

Schedule of Events: Sunday September 2

  Decatur Presbyterian Stage presented by DeKalb Medical Old Courthouse Stage presented by Atlanta Listens to Audiobooks Decatur Conference Center Stage presented by Lenz Decatur Library Stage presented by Georgia Center for the Book Library Conference Room Decatur Conference Auditorium presented by Agnes Scott College City Hall Stage presented by Stone Mountain Eddie’s Attic Stage
12 p.m.   Edmund White {P} David Kirby, Stuart Dischell, Kathryn Stripling Byer, and Travis Denton. Ferrol Sams Lynn Coulter Michael Tisserand and Chris Rose: New Orleans (and New Orleanians) After Katrina Ilona Meagher: PTSD and America’s Returning Troops  
1:15 p.m.   Robert Olen Butler David M. Friedman: The Quest to Live Forever Lillian Smith Award Presentation   Annabelle Robertson:Survival Tips for Men, Marriage, Manners, and the South Karen Abbott and Matthew O’Brien: Chicago and Las Vegas From Below Louise Shaffer
2:30 p.m. Phyllis Tickle Kathy Reichs L.A. Banks, Jeanne C. Stein, and Fiona Zedde: Vampires! And Huntresses! Chuck Klosterman, Interviewed by Josh Jackson   Rosemary Daniell Hank Klibanoff: Reporting on Race Tommy Womack
3:45 p.m. Melissa Fay Greene Diana Gabaldon Hollis Gillespie and Patti Callahan Henry Julie Cannon, Karin Gillespie, J.L. Miles, and Patricia Sprinkle: The Dixie Divas L.D. Russell: Racing Is My Religion {P} Greg Fraser, Gail Wronsky, and Katie Chaple Jon Clinch and Wayne Caldwell Peter Case
5 p.m.   Atlanta Writers Club Presents a Critique Group Success Story: Darnell Arnoult, Pamela Duncan, Lynn York, Virginia Boyd Vernon Burton and Michael White: The End Days of Slavery {GN} Peter Kuper and Chris Staros: Graphic Novels Ascendant William Rawson Smith Rev. John Dorhauer and Sheldon Culver: Reclaiming Religion of the Middle Chuck Rosenthal and Aaron Petrovich: Writers on the Edge  
Target Children’s Stage Cook’s Warehouse Stage 99X Music Stage Azul Book Market Stage JavaMonkey Local Authors Stage Fellowship Hall at Decatur Presbyterian
12 p.m.: Melinda Long 12 p.m.: Carolyn Quick Tillery 12:30 p.m.: Emily Kate Boyd 11:30 a.m.: Kimberly Mills (Source Route Publishing) 12 p.m.: Melissa Galt (Publishing by Design) 12:30 p.m.: Alice Moon (Peachmoon Publishing) 12 p.m.–1 p.m.: Kodac Harrison, Susan D. Liverpool, Dave Kaufman, Phillip Depoy 12 p.m.–1 p.m.: Signings: Jillian Weise, Bill Osinski, David L. Robbins
1 p.m.: Illustrators Panel: Chris Raschka, Judy Schachner, Mark Braught, and Laura Knor   1:45 p.m.: Caroline Herring 1 p.m.: Russel A. Vassallo (Krazy Duck Productions) 1:30 p.m.: Karen Kennedy (Sisters in Crime) 1 p.m.–2 p.m.: Jack C. Riggs, Julius Thompson, Bryan Patillo, Jonida (Gypsee Yo) Beqo 1 p.m.–2 p.m.: Signings: Linda Berdoll, Roy Blount Jr., Hollis Gillespie
2 p.m.: Wren’s Nest Storytelling 2 p.m.: Marvin Woods   2 p.m.: Pat Patterson (Promagic Promotions) 2:30 p.m.: Ray McManus (University of South Carolina Press) 2 p.m.–3 p.m.: Robert Wood, Damon Waring, JC Reilly, Blake Leland 2 p.m.–3 p.m.: Signings: Robert Venditti, Marjory Wentworth, Michael White, Vernon Burton
3 p.m.: Holly Black: Spiderwick   3 p.m.: Geoff Achison 3 p.m.: Francina L. Temple (Strokeful Imagery) 3:30 p.m.: Tracye Faulkner Stormes (Sistah on a Budget Productions) 3 p.m.–4 p.m.: David Matthew Barnes, Karen Head, Rupert Fike, Collin Kelley 3 p.m.–4 p.m.: Signings: Lynn York, Pamela Duncan, Virginia Boyd, Darnell Arnoult
4 p.m.: Peter Kuper 4 p.m.: Sandor Katz 4:15 p.m.: Adrianne 4 p.m.: Judith Kolberg (Get Organized!) 4:30 p.m.: Pamela Cooper (Cooper Global Group, LLC) 4 p.m.–5 p.m.: Theresa Davis, Karen G, Lisa Allender, Mike Dockins 4 p.m.–5 p.m.: Signings: Max Nania, Ferrol Sams
4:30 p.m.: Holly Black: Valiant     5 p.m.: Bill Balzer and Mike Cain (Theatrical Outfit) 5 p.m.–6 p.m.: Travis Denton, Alice Lovelace, Franklin Abbott, Beth Gylys 5 p.m.–6 p.m.: Signings: Sam Riddleburger, Phyllis Tickle