The annual Montclair Literary Festival is back for 2024 at multiple venues in the area, from Montclair State University to Montclair Public Library. With a history that dates back to 2016, Montclair-based nonprofit Succeed2gether will host the Montclair Literary Festival from April 27th to May 4th. Attendees can anticipate a series of 40+ events with 90+ authors. Read on to learn more about the upcoming 2024 Montclair Literary Festival, its events, and the participating authors.
About the Event
The Montclair Literary Festival was launched in 2016 by the Montclair-based nonprofit, Succeed2gether. Since then, the event has endorsed literacy and reading for all, and to celebrate reading, literature, and Montclair’s diverse literary scene. The festival as a whole raises funds and awareness for Succeed2gether.
Read More: Essex County’s New + Incoming Businesses | Spring 2024
Over 90 local, national, and international authors will take part in the series of events set to take place from April 27th to May 4th. A majority of these events will be free. “We’re excited to share our complete line-up with over 40 book talks, panel discussions, and children’s events. There really is something of interest for everyone!” said Marcia Marley, the festival’s chairperson.
The Montclair Literary Festival events will be held in person at Montclair State University, the Montclair Public Library, the First Congregational Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Montclair. To kick off the festival on April 27th, several authors will appear at Montclair State University. Confirmed authors include David Baldacci, Christina Cooke, Annell López, Mariah Stovall, Carlos Lozada, Barbara McQuade, Richie Hofmann, Deborah Landau, Nicole Sealey, Heather Clark, Vinson Cunningham, Boo Trundle, Anastasia Rubis, Shannon McKenna Schmidt, and more.
Throughout the week of the Montclair Literary Festival, events include:
- April 30th — Viet Thanh Nguyen’s A Man with Two Faces with AAPI Montclair
- May 1st — Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel, co-sponsored with the Glenridge Book Club
- May 2nd — Montclair Story Salon Event
- May 3rd — Frank Bruni’s The Age of Grievance
To wrap up the festival’s weekend on May 4th, confirmed authors will appear at different locations in downtown Montclair. Featured authors making appearances are: Jason Patterson, Alliah Agostini, Tracey Baptiste, John J. Trause, Christine Adams, Donald Zirilli, Frank Rubino, Alicia Cook, Marcia LeBeau, Joanne Ashe, Nell Irvin Painter, Emily Raboteau, Leslie Jamison, Amitava Kumar, Claire Messud, Caroline Leavitt, Elle Evans, Zibby Owens, Charlee Dyroff, Eskor David Johnson, Jiaming Tang, Rosey Lee, Sandra Newman, Luppe B. Luppen, Lauren Grodstein, Vanessa Chan, Judith Lindbergh, Clare Beams, Carrie Mullins, Melissa Rivero, Gina Chung, Nina Sharma, Jonathan Santlofer, Joyce Carol Oates, Betty Cayouette, Abraham Chang, Annabel Monaghan, Karen Valby, George Musser, Hilke Schellmann, Ruha Benjamin, Rachel Khong, Candy Cooper, Judge Pratt, Ann Napolitano, and more.
Beyond the end of the Montclair Literary Festival, Succeed2gether is hosting other confirmed authors on the following dates:
- May 14th — Harlan Coben’s Think Twice
- June 11th — Erik Larson’s The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
- September 5th — Garth Risk Hallberg’s The Second Coming
- September 25th — Nicholas D. Kristof’s Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life with the Montclair Public Library Open Book Open Mind
All other details surrounding the festival are being finalized and will be posted on the festival website soon here.
See More: A Visit to WORD Bookstore’s Jersey City Location in Hamilton Park
About Succeed2gether
Montclair-based Succeed2gether launched S2G’s Montclair Literary Festival in 2016 to promote literacy and reading for all, and to celebrate reading, literature, and Montclair’s diverse literary scene. S2G’s Montclair Literary Festival raises funds and awareness for the work of Succeed2gether. The organization operates as a non-profit whose mission is to advocate for unequal access to educational resources. S2G does this by providing free enrichment and academic programs, and a post-high-school pathway to children in need from Montclair and Essex County, New Jersey.
To stay in the know with all the Montclair and North Jersey happenings, follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, and sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
