The Harbor Springs Festival of the Book, in stunning northern Michigan, is one of the largest literary festivals in the Midwest. The mission statement says it all – celebrating the culture of books in a beautiful part of the world.

This year’s festival will be held the weekend of September 29 – October 1 when the spectacular colors of autumn welcome you to this beautiful lakeside community.  With more than 50 authors in attendance, this book club feast is a buffet of talent that readers of all levels and interests will enjoy. Individual events will be held in several different venues throughout Harbor Springs and most will be free of charge. 

Last year’s inaugural Harbor Springs Festival of the Book proved not only successful, but wildly so, and promises to be even better this year.

A quick index of activities

Enjoy brunch and conversation with authors Ken Haedrich, (The Harvest Baker) and Robin Sloan (Sourdough). Cookbook fans will eat this up!

Presentations will take place on subjects ranging from: Chronicling our Natural World on the Page, When Research and Storytelling Collide, Writing a Strong Sense of Place, and more.

During Soup & Stories, drop in for a quick bite as authors rotate during lunch and read snippets of their books aloud. You’ll want to dish about this later. Don’t miss the all-author book signing and book trivia. Also, make sure you stop by the Festival Pop-Up Bookstore at Between the Covers Bookstore in Harbor Springs.

An array of genres

What type of books have the Festival authors written? Their works cover non-fiction and fiction, cookbooks to mysteries, children’s picture books to middle grade stories to young adult tales, and even poetry.

Check out the authors

We won’t give you the whole list here, but you can see it on the festival’s website. Odds are you will recognize several of the author’s names. The keynote speaker will be Denise Kiernan.

Shelve any plans you may have had for September 29 – October 1 and check out the Festival’s website for a complete schedule of events and pricing for the key ticketed events.  You’ll find lodging here, so book your stay today.

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About the author

Diane Dakins is passionate about all the lakeside communities that comprise the Petoskey Area of northern Michigan: Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor and Boyne City. As assistant director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, she has “been there – seen that” when it comes to virtually every area attraction. Her blogs give potential visitors the scoop on planning a northern Michigan vacation.