Book lovers and aspiring authors have a free digital destination this October as The BookFest returns with a packed two-day lineup, powered by a growing network of industry allies.
The BookFest continues to grow because of the support of organizations and brands that believe in books, authors, and the power of storytelling…”— Desireé Duffy
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The BookFest Adventure® is set to welcome a global audience of readers and writers for its Fall 2026 virtual literary event, scheduled for October 24 and 25, 2026. This season’s gathering brings together publishing professionals, author-focused organizations, and literary brands that help make the free online experience possible. With this year’s Corporate Bellwethers lending their backing, attendees can look forward to author conversations, book discoveries, and opportunities to engage with the wider literary community from anywhere in the world.
Desireé Duffy, Founder of The BookFest, says, “The BookFest continues to grow because of the support of organizations and brands that believe in books, authors, and the power of storytelling. Our Corporate Bellwethers help make it possible to create meaningful experiences for readers and writers everywhere, while strengthening the literary community in exciting and lasting ways.”
Corporate Bellwethers for Fall 2026 include:
- Abundantly Social
- Amy Vogel Publishing
- AMPlify Audiobooks
- Black Château Enterprises
- Book Award Pro
- Bookinfluencers.com
- Books That Make You
- Creative Edge
- Geek Girl Publishing
- Invouq
- Kauai Writers Conference
- LASFS
- Loscon
- Marla Albertie LLC
- Plottr
- ProBookLaunch
- Relatable Voice Magazine
- Truthseekers Journey
- Unite Against Book Bans
- Unofficial Book Club Podcast
- Wide for the Win
- Writers and Publishers Network
- WriterCon
These partners contribute more than just financial support—they bring expertise, visibility, and a shared commitment to enriching the literary ecosystem. Attendees are encouraged to explore each organization’s offerings through their Virtual Booths on The BookFest website.
The fall edition offers a dual-track program designed for both readers and writers, spanning two days of virtual sessions. Authors, publishing insiders, and literary voices will lead conversations aimed at informing, inspiring, and connecting the book community across genres and disciplines.
The full list of BookFest Fall 2026 speakers includes: Marla J. Albertie; Paula Banks; Debbie Bishop; Diann Floyd Boehm; Marie Brown; Tricia Copeland; Desiree Duffy; David Katz; Becky Parker Geist; Christian Hurst; Gerald Everett Jones; Kathleen Kaiser; Liisa Kovala; Joseph L. Licari; Sheila Lowe; Paul Levine; Devyn McDonald Sr.; Joshua Mohr; Adanna Moriarty; Denise Mullinex; Ehi Okoedion; Scott Ryan; Robert J. Sawyer; J.M. Shaw; Cameron Sutter; Jeniffer Thompson; Carran Waterfield; Mary Wyatt; Amy Vogel; Carrie West; Edward Willett; and Chester L. Richards.
The full schedule can be found on The BookFest Programming Page. Organizers urge attendees to check the Programming Page regularly for updates and changes, and to subscribe as BookFesters for email alerts and event news.
Beyond the corporate sponsors, The BookFest also acknowledges its Individual Bellwethers, whose contributions include judging The BookFest Awards and supporting the event’s ongoing success: Brian Bosch, Dave Duffy, Desireé Duffy, Beth Freely, Tina Hogan Grant, Hannah Jacobson, Kathleen Kaiser, Lisa Diane Kastner, Deborah Kobylt, Hollis McCollum, KJ Matthews, Lucia Matuonto, Dr Raye Mitchell, Mickey Mikkelson, donalee Moulton, Karla Olson, Stephanie Rabell, Aimee Ravichandran, Flo Selfman, CJ Sleeth, Bree Swider, and Amy Wolf.
Attendance is completely free. Anyone interested in joining the community can subscribe on The BookFest website to receive email alerts for the latest updates and news. Subscribers also receive the Virtual Gift Bag, delivered at the close of each BookFest.
The BookFest website serves as the hub for the livestream on event days. Winners of this season’s BookFest Awards will be announced on the website, with email notifications sent directly to recipients as well. The event streams via the Books That Make You channel on YouTube and across social media platforms. Hashtags #TheBookFest and #TheBookFestFall2026 can be followed for updates and conversation around the event.
The BookFest is produced by Black Château Enterprises and presented in part by Books That Make You.
About The BookFest Adventure®
The BookFest Adventure® is a free virtual celebration of books and the people who bring them to life. Held each spring and fall, The BookFest connects readers and writers through thoughtful programming about storytelling, publishing, and the ideas shaping the literary world. Since its founding in 2020, the pioneering, Webby-nominated event has welcomed notable speakers including Mitch Albom, Danny Trejo, Christina Baker Kline, S.A. Cosby, Peter James, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, and Mark Coker. The BookFest also presents The BookFest Awards, honoring outstanding books and helping authors gain greater visibility for their work. Presented by Books That Make You and produced by Black Château Enterprises, The BookFest is a registered trademark of Desireé Duffy, founder of all three. For more information, visit TheBookFest.com.
Desiree Duffy
Black Chateau
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Why it matters: With more than 30 speakers and two dozen supporting organizations, The BookFest continues to demonstrate that meaningful literary community-building can happen entirely online and free of charge. For independent authors and niche publishers, events like this offer rare visibility and direct access to engaged readers—an increasingly vital channel in a crowded publishing marketplace.
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