19th Annual Newburyport Literary Festival

The 19th annual Newburyport Literary Festival (NLF) will take place April 26-28, 2024. This year the festival will honor local Newburyport historians Bethany Groff Dorau, Dyke Hendrickson and Ghlee E. Woodworth. "We're proud to honor three local historians at this year’s festival," said Vicki Hendrickson, festival founder and director. "We are excited to celebrate the people and landscape of our coastal community and surrounding towns with stories that are rich and engaging.
 
The festival’s opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport. Our honorees will be in conversation, moderated by former Newburyport Daily News editor Richard K. Lodge. A light supper with cash bar will immediately follow at The Grog Restaurant, 13 Middle Street, Newburyport. Tickets for the supper are $25/person, available online at newburyportliteraryfestival.org or by check, made out to the Newburyport Literary Association, Box 268, Newburyport, MA 01950.
 
On Saturday, April 27, events will begin at 8:30 a.m. with Breakfast with the Poets. During the day, a wide range of distinguished biographers, poets, novelists, and journalists will read from and discuss their work. Participating authors and poets include Michael Cunningham (“Day”), Andre Dubus III (“Ghost Dogs On Killers and Kin”), Ann Hood (“The Stolen Child"), Julia Glass (“Vigil Harbor”), Matt Miller (“Tender the River”), January Gill O’Neil (“Glitter Road”), Adrienne Brodeur (“Little Monsters”), and Daisy Florin (“My Last Innocent Year”).
 
New this year is Kate’s Place, featuring author Kate Bolick (“Spinster”) in conversation with authors Nicholson Baker (“Finding a Likeness: How I Got Somewhat Better at Art”), Lucy Sante (“I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition”), Oline Eaton (“Finding Jackie: A Life Reinvented”) and Annie Weatherwax (“Monster In a Dress - a Kinetic short story”). Kate’s Place will convene on Saturday, 3 p.m., at The Dance Place, located in the Tannery Marketplace, downtown Newburyport. 

Saturday evening’s events will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Firehouse with a performance by musical duo Green Heron. Journalist James Sullivan will moderate a conversation between Rounder Records founders Marian Levy and Ken Irwin and David Manconi, author of “Oh Didn’t They Ramble - Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music”.
 
Sunday, April 28’s virtual events run from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. In addition, weather permitting, festival honorees will conduct walking tours of Newburyport’s historical landmarks. Featured authors for the virtual event include novelists Kathleen Rooney (“From Dust to Stardust”) and Toni Reavis (“Bishia & Isham: The Countess & the P.O.W.”). Terri Trespicio (“Unfollow Your Passion”) and novelist Florin will lead a writing workshop inspired by the Gateless Method, and Hannah Harlow and Sam Pfeifle, co-owners of The Bookshop at Beverly Farms, will do a special edition of their podcast, “John Updike’s Ghost” with Jami Attenberg (“1000 Words”).
 
Official bookstores of the event are Jabberwocky Bookshop and The Book Shop of Beverly Farms. Prior to and during the Festival, The Book Shop of Beverly Farms will donate 10% of the proceeds from sales of featured authors’ books to BINC (Book Industry Charitable Foundation). To purchase a book, please visit https://bookshopofbeverlyfarms.com.
 
All festival events are free except Friday evening’s supper. Registration is required for Sunday’s virtual events. For a schedule, list of authors and to register for virtual events, please visit newburyportliteraryfestival.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X.