Frequently Asked Questions

Ideally, yes – and please come with some good questions for the speakers. Some participants prefer to read or re-read the book after the program, guided by the talks they’ve heard. It’s up to you – there’s no exam!

Our initial approach was for a two-day event: Friday evening and most of Saturday. It soon became obvious, however, that BookFest should be experienced as more than just one intensive weekend. There is too much to talk about! Starting in 2023, we re-thought the BookFest experience to be something that starts in mid-winter and builds up to the weekend.

You can find the schedule of events on this website. All events require registration, as seats are limited. Most events have no charge. All events at Rogers Free Library have no charge.

We are fortunate to enjoy a close working relationship with the Rogers Free Library and are especially grateful for the generosity of the charitable foundation Friends of Rogers Free Library. We’re also thankful for the continuing support of the other sponsors you will find listed on this website.

No, we aim to make these programs as multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary as possible. That means actors, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, scientists, cartographers, culinary experts – whatever the book that year suggests. For example, our keynote address for “Frankenstein” was delivered by an emergency room doctor; our Spotlight for “Fahrenheit 451” featured Brown University graduate students and Boston Dynamics’ robotic dog; the “Mrs. Dalloway” weekend will feature the Rhode Island Youth Poetry Ambassadors and a curator from New York Public Library. Additionally we have presented Nathaniel Philbrick for “Moby Dick” and performances by Aurea Ensemble including one in 2026.

The Friday evening keynote at the Colt Memorial School Auditorium is open to the public free of charge (as is the reception at the Library afterwards if you register in advance.) Saturday’s program in the Linden Place Ballroom costs $45, payable online starting January 1. Students can attend free of charge (but must register), and we offer scholarships for anyone whose resources are limited.

There will be modestly priced box lunches available, bookable in advance. But you are free to bring a lunch or visit downtown Bristol restaurants. Coffee and tea will be available gratis throughout the day.

At present we are not authorized to grant such credits. But we are happy to write a letter acknowledging attendance and describing the program if that would be helpful.

The BBF Committee recommends two: The Folger Shakespeare Library, "The Tempest" (304 pp; yellow cover) or Norton Critical Edition, "The Tempest" (400 pp, 390 of which are background essays; black and gray cover with striking artwork of a bird’s skull in Renaissance white lace ruff collar). See more recommendations here.

Ink Fish Books on Main Street in Warren offers BookFest attendees a 10 percent discount. Rogers Free Library will have multiple copies for lending, including in some cases audiotapes and graphic novel versions. Inkfish’s pop-up bookshop at the April 2-3 weekend will offer a range of relevant titles, including books by our speakers.

We have responded to participants’ request for discussion on the weekends with the inauguration of our Conversation Parlor during “Fahrenheit 451.” It’s a sort of parlor game in which participants meet in small groups with a deck of cards especially designed to generate focused conversation regarding the annual BookFest weekend and selection. We also encourage people to read the book and attend a multiweek reading seminar at the Rogers Free Library. See the Bristol BookFest Events page and Roger Free Library's websites for detail.

The Steering Committee collects recommendations from throughout the community over the year and narrows them down to a short list vetted by a subcommittee. Up to five works of fiction are submitted to the whole Committee, with supporting materials, for a vote in early summer.

Criteria for selection include name recognition, the existence of a body of scholarship about the book and author, and the availability of suitable speakers, preferably in New England. While contemporary concerns influence the choice, the central focus is on proven literary excellence. There is no restriction as to age of the book or country of origin.

Co-Chairs: Beverly Larson & Kim Petta

Steering Committee: Joan Abrams, Cheryl Allen, Gail Burmeister, Steven Calvert, Robin Crocker, Mare Davis, Travis DeLong, Elizabeth Hanson, Kasey Kennedy, Lydia Prendergast, Renee Soto, and Ann Kathrin Weldy

We look for distinguished scholars who are also gifted teachers, willing to share their knowledge with a general audience. They are found by personal recommendations, YouTube appearances, teaching awards, and the kind of courses they teach to undergraduates. Our speakers have proven extraordinarily generous with their time in the middle of a challenging academic year. Part of our appeal is that they know Bristol is a beautiful, historic seaport town; part is that they love talking to post-collegiate audiences who are there by choice, not because they have to be!