Free Bookish Fun for Readers of All Ages

Attention book lovers: Spend the day with 120+ local authors! Jacksonville Public Library's big annual book bash returns 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, featuring New York Times bestselling authors John Patrick Green, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Emma Straub.

Held annually at the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville, this free, one-day event invites readers of all ages to meet authors of local and national acclaim, attend free author talks, purchase books, and participate in other fun “bookish” activities.

Free activities include:

• face painting for the kids
• a robot maze inspired by Mango and Brash
• scavenger hunts (and prizes)
• a fun photo booth
• bookmark making and book bedazzling stations
• a DIY zine craft for teens
• poetry by LaVilla School of the Arts students
• and so much more!

It's a celebration of reading, local authorship, and the power of the written word. A complete list of featured authors and a full schedule of events will be added soon.

Special Guest Authors

Junior Lit Chat Author Talk

10 - 10:30 AM, Stage (2nd Floor)

John Patrick Green is the #1 New York Times bestselling writer and artist of the InvestiGators middle-grade graphic novel series as well as the early reader graphic novels Hippopotamister and the Kitten Construction Company duology. He co-writes the InvestiGators spin-off, Agents of S.U.I.T., with writer Christopher Hastings and artist Pat Lewis. A book signing will follow the presentation. Copies of his books will also be sold on-site by San Marco Books and More.

een Lit Chat Interview

12 - 1 PM, Auditorium (Conference Level)

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 acclaimed young-adult novels, including The Inheritance Games series, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was 19 and sold her first five books while still in college. A book signing will follow the Teen Lit Chat Interview, with books available for sale on-site from local book store San Marco Books and More.

Lit Chat Interview

3 - 4 PM, Auditorium (Conference Level)

Emma Straub is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books for adults: the novels American Fantasy, This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Emma and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York. A book signing will follow the Lit Chat Interview, with books available for sale on-site from local book store Happy Medium Books Café.

James Weldon Johnson Park

Food trucks serving from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sept. 19:

• Haylyn's Snack Station (Facebook/Instagram)
• Lasa Taste of Philippines (Facebook/Instagram)
• Rolling Fatty's (Facebook/Instagram)
• Scoop and Swirl (Facebook/Instagram)

A special thanks to the Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park.