The annual Six Bridges Book Festival, hosted by the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), is taking place across Little Rock libraries next week.
This year’s program runs from September 22 through the 29th and features a range of events, such as writing and cooking workshops, author talks and social gatherings.
Tameka Lee is the director of communications for CALS. She’s excited for the upcoming festival, calling it “a celebration of the written word.”
“It really is overall a celebration of people who like to read, like to write, and everything in between.” Lee told Little Rock Public Radio.
While Lee is excited to celebrate authors and books alike, she emphasized the event is also a great time to socialize.
“There is something about having a sense of community that any of us can appreciate," Lee said, adding that knowing you’re not the only one interested in books or book festivals makes it “an experience”.
She’s also looking forward to the wide variety of authors in this year’s lineup.
According to Lee, over 50 authors will be in attendance. Local authors include Melissa Clark Bacon, Jason Pederson, and Eli Cranor. Pulitzer Prize winners Ilyon Woo and Isabel Wilkerson will also give talks during the festival.
The event is just as much for book fanatics as it is for non-readers, Lee said. She said several attendees, including herself, are drawn to books after learning more about them from the author.
“There are so many books I learned about because someone attended the festival,” Lee said. She shared an anecdote about her experience at last year’s festival when she heard from author Regina Black. After Black spoke about her book, The Art of Scandal, Lee was inspired to read the book herself.
“I read it like a few months later, loved the book, loved the book. You just never know what experience you’re going to have.”
You can find a full schedule of events at cals.org/six-bridges-book-festival.
