Decatur Book Festival Announces 2026 Lineup for Festival, Featuring Over 80 Authors

The first glimpse of the 2026 DBF lineup includes Pulitzer Prize winners, bestselling authors, a U.S. Poet Laureate, and beloved children's writers

DECATUR, GA. — August 21, 2026 — The Decatur Book Festival (DBF) proudly announces its full lineup for its 21st annual festival, taking place October 2–3 in downtown Decatur. Free and open to all, the festival takes place Saturday, from 10 AM to 5 PM in locations throughout downtown Decatur, including the new downtown Decatur Square Stage. 

DBF will feature everything you have come to love about one of the country’s most cherished literary festivals, with readings, conversations, and signings with more than 80 national, regional, and local authors. DBF presents new authors as well as established writers, introducing attendees to debut literary talents and connecting them to their favorite authors. 

“The Decatur Book Festival is free and open to all readers–voracious readers and reluctant readers, those who are new to reading, and those who have been reading for decades. There’s a session for everyone, of all ages at the Decatur Book Festival,” said Bailee Yarbrough. “As DBF enters its third decade, we remain committed to the idea that books build strong communities and reflect the complexity of the world around us. We’re proud to present a Book Festival that will inspire, educate, and entertain.” 

DBF is thrilled to welcome award-winning and bestselling authors. This year’s full list of authors can be found here. The lineup showcases acclaimed voices across genres, including literary fiction, picture books, romance and romantasy, nonfiction, science fiction, poetry, horror, memoir, chapter books and graphic novels for young readers, young adult, and many, many more. Pulitzer Winner Brian Goldstone (There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America) will open the festival on Friday evening at 7:00 PM for DBF’s Keynote session, in conversation with Brea Baker. The session is free although advanced registration is encouraged. 

The remaining sessions will run Saturday from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, including: 

• Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book, as DBF’s “Kidnote.” 

• Tomi Adeyemi, The Siren

• Marcia Chatelain, How Bright The Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington

• Ryan Douglass, Night of Madness

• Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made

• Celeste Headlee, Freedom’s Daughter’s: How a Generation of Black Women Resisted Oppression Through Literacy and Education  

• Silas House, The Tulip Poplars 

• Meherwan Irani, No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India

• Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson, What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time

• Tayari Jones, Kin

• Patricia Lockwood, Agate Head / Stone Soup

• Madeline Martin, A Time of Witches

• Pedro Martín, Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir 

• J.Tom Morgan, A Rainy Night in Georgia

• Lynn Painter, Trust Fall

• Steven Raichlen, Man on Fire: Of Life, Love, Literature, and Really Good Barbecue

• Chelsea Rathburn, Broken Houses: Poems 

• Roopika Risam, Data Empire: The Power of Information to Organize, Control, and Dominate 

• Eliot Schrefer, Fatal Glitch: Let's Play a Game

• Arthur Sze, Transient Worlds: On Translating Poetry

• Aiden Thomas, Cemetery Boys: Espíritu

• Colleen AF Venable and Honie Beam, Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying: The Graphic Novel

• Nghi Vo, The Scarlet Ball

• Michelle A. Williams, The Cure for Everything: The Epic Struggle for Public Health and a Radical Vision for Human Thriving

On Saturday, October 3 (10 AM - 5 PM), downtown Decatur will transform into a lively street fair featuring more than 125 exhibitors: authors, poets, publishers, booksellers, artists, and local businesses and nonprofit organizations, alongside food trucks and Decatur buskers. 

Family-friendly programming for DBF’s youngest attendees (ages 0 - 5) includes storytimes and performances with Alliance Theatre; Atlanta History Center; and Music Together of Decatur.  

In addition, for 2026 we are excited to bring the following offerings to the community:

• An audiobook walk through Decatur on Saturday morning before the festival; 

• Sessions partnered with Georgia Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; 

• A celebration of the Lillian Smith Book Awards, in partnership with the Southern Regional Council, University of Georgia Libraries, and DeKalb County Public Library/Georgia Center for the Book; 

• A Sharpie Showdown—an ultimate sketch-off between renowned illustrators; 

• A meeting of the Silent Book Club on the Decatur Square lawn to conclude the day 

The Emerging Student Writers at the Decatur Library will showcase readings by students from the following nine universities:  

• Agnes Scott College

• Emory University

• Georgia College and State University

• Georgia State University

• Mercer University

• Morehouse College

• SCAD Atlanta

• Spelman College

• University of Georgia 

The full author lineup is available on our website, decaturbookfestival.com. The schedule of sessions will be announced in September. Please plan to spend the weekend with us in Decatur! 

DBF is proud to partner with Brave + Kind Bookshop, Charis Books & More, Eagle Eye Books, and Little Shop of Stories as this year’s featured booksellers. 

The Decatur Book Festival is presented by the City of Decatur, Visit Decatur, Decatur Downtown Development Authority, DeKalb County, LuluMa Foundation, Rough Draft Atlanta, DeKalb County Public Library, DeKalb Library Foundation, Georgia Center for the Book, Atlanta Writers Club, First Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, Agnes Scott College, Balloons Over Atlanta & Event Visions, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Delta Community Credit Union, Georgia’s Own Credit Union, SouthState Bank, Chicory Wealth, the Task Force for Global Health, and Woodward Academy.

As a nonprofit organization, DBF welcomes financial and in-kind supporters at every level. For sponsorship and partnership inquiries, please contact sponsors@decaturbookfestival.com.

About the Decatur Book Festival

The Decatur Book Festival has grown into one of the most beloved independent book festivals in the country, bringing together literary enthusiasts for an inclusive celebration of books and ideas every fall in Atlanta’s eastside gem of Decatur, Georgia. The 2026 Festival will take place on October 2–3, featuring award-winning and bestselling national, regional, and local authors; book signings; an expansive street fair; and children’s programs that are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit decaturbookfestival.com.