SBF COUNTDOWN
ABOUT the
SAVANNAH BOOK FESTIVAL
The Savannah Book Festival is a 4-day event with a ticketed opening address on Thursday evening, a ticketed keynote address on Friday evening, a full day of free author talks on Festival Saturday, and a ticketed closing address on Sunday afternoon.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Every year, the Savannah Book Festival seeks to showcase over 40 nationally recognized and award-winning authors in the historic city of Savannah. Authors with a book published within a calendar year of the Festival are invited to give 30-minute solo presentations and host book signings.
FESTIVAL INFO
The 2026 Savannah Book Festival takes place February 5–8 in Savannah’s Historic District. Each year, more than 9,000 people attend three ticketed Headliner Address events and our free Festival Saturday. Festival Saturday showcases nationally recognized authors across genres in Savannah’s historic squares, with 30-minute talks, Q&A, and book signings. Headliner Addresses are held at the Historic Lucas Theater, featuring 45-minute presentations followed by Q&A and signings.
DONATE
Please consider a one-time gift today or join our community of committed supporters by making a recurring monthly donation. Your sustained support provides us with a reliable foundation, allowing us to plan for the future and expand our mission in Savannah.
VOLUNTEER
Be part of our success story. Our four-day literary celebration brings together some of the finest authors and most passionate readers in the country. This event is made possible by the dedication of over 200 volunteers. We can’t do it without you. This is your opportunity to connect with fellow book lovers, authors, and community leaders. Join our team and make a lasting impact on our Festival and our city.
NEWS & UPDATES
Closing Headliner Leigh Bardugo Book Signing Guidelines
Author Update: Tom Piazza Appearance Canceled
Headliner Tickets Drop Tomorrow, January 9!
FOLLOW US @savbookfestival
Free Festival Saturday is underway! We hope to see you there! 📚🤩
We encourage you to download our SBF app if you haven’t already; that way, you can receive notifications when venues are reaching capacity and stay in the loop about all things Book Festival. Thank you!
#sbf #savannahbookfestival #authortalk #exploresavannah #bookstagram
Taking the crowd by storm! Brad Thor and Ward Larsen shared their genius, process, and talent with us last night for the Headlining Keynote Address of the 2026 Savannah Book Festival. Talk about a dynamic duo, and what a treat it was to hear about this thrilling tale before the official release of the book, Cold Zero! Thank you, Brad and Ward, for sharing your talent and passion with us. That was a night to never forget! ✈️🌨️
#sbf #savannahbookfestival #exploresavannah #authortalk #bookstagram
What a hit! Sean Dietrich kicked us off with the Opening Address for the 2026 Savannah Book Festival, and it’s safe to say he had the whole house laughing, inspired, and in love with him. Sean, you are a star. Thank you for sharing your gift with us! 🎻📖
#sbf #savannahbookfestival #exploresavannah #authortalk #bookstagram
Spotted: our Opening Address author’s name shining bright on the billboard sign at SCAD’s Trustees Theater! ✨✨✨
Get ready for Thursday, February 5th, where Sean Dietrich will be lighting the way and kicking off our 2026 Festival with a spectacular Opening event. We can hardly wait!
Tickets for Sean Dietrich are selling fast! Who’s going to be in attendance?
#savavannahbookfestival #sbf #authortalk #seandietrich #bookstagram
Who’s excited to meet our 2026 Headliners? We know that we are! We can’t wait to see you all there. 📚✍️🗣️
#savannahbookfestival #sbf #exploresavannah #authortalk #bookstagram
And last but certainly not least, we cannot wait to have Kate Fagan, author of The Three Lives of Cate Kay, here at our Free Festival Saturday on February 7th, 2026! In this propulsive, dual-timeline novel, main character Cate Kay is a famous author who has spent her life running under different aliases after a tragic incident in her youth. The story follows her journey from her troubled past to her current hidden life as a literary sensation where she finally attempts to confront the truth and reclaim her identity. Don’t miss this conversation with author, Kate Fagan! 🪪💁♀️
#KateFagan #TheThreeLivesOfCateKay #Fiction #AuthorTalk #ExploreSavannah SBF Books Author SavannahBookFestival bookstagram
Only one more week until we welcome Christopher C. Gorham on Free Festival Saturday! He’s bringing his book, Matisse at War, which is about Henri Matisse’s life during WWII. Despite illness and family turmoil, Matisse stayed, producing revolutionary paper cut-outs as a form of defiance. The book reveals how he and his family—including his resistance-active daughter Marguerite—resisted the Nazi occupation through art and clandestine actions. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation next weekend! 🖼️📝
#ChristopherCGorham #MatisseAtWar #SBF #Books #AuthorTalk ExploreSavannah SavannahBookFestival Bookstagram
A little over a week until we’ll be welcoming Anthony Vinci, author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution, to the 2026 Savannah Book Festival! Join us on February 7th for Free Festival Saturday to hear about Dr. Vinci’s expertise in the field of AI and national security, as well as his process in writing his book. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution reveals how the swashbuckling adventures of World War II, the spy-versus-spy confrontations of the Cold War, and the “find-fix-and-finish” counterterrorism missions after 9/11 have given way to the most dangerous period of espionage yet. 🤖💻
#AnthonyVinci #TheFourthIntelligenceRevolution #SBF #AuthorTalk #Books #Author #SavannahBookFestival #ExploreSavannah #bookstagram