Hundreds Attend 2024 Williamsburg Book Festival

WILLIAMSBURG — Several hundred people attended Saturday’s 2024 edition of The Williamsburg Book Festival at the Stryker Center and the Williamsburg Community Building.

The event featured authors, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. According to organizers, the festival’s mission is to promote and support the art of literary composition in the Williamsburg area and expose writers to the reading public. 

The event originated as part of the annual “An Occasion For the Arts” program in October, but due to a hurricane in 2022, was rescheduled as a standalone event, and has since flourished.

“I scrambled and I was able to get the two buildings in February, so we had the show in early February last year. It was the best attendance and best response we ever had so we decided to keep it there,” Peter Stipe, chairman of the Williamsburg Book Festival, said.

Event highlights included keynote speaker author Mollie Cox Brian, YA author Laura Elliott, a poets panel, as well as student writing contest participants whose winners received their certificates and prizes.

Stipe noted while it is hard to gauge an accurate total of attendees for the festival, a headcount at the door reported more 650 — 500 of which arrived before noon based on when tote bags ran out.

“My wish is for every author to have a good sales day, a positive energizing experience with no hassles, and for the reading public to feel that same energy and be thrilled by meeting so many good authors. I think that happened. Our two speakers, all well received as were our five poets,” said Stipe about the festival.

For more information about the Williamsburg Book Festival, visit its official webpage.