Letter From the Coordinator

Our festival will continue to feature beloved programs such as Little Readers Rock, the festival’s signature youth program, in partnership with the Junior League; the always-popular Pie Contest at The Root Cafe; our Writers in the Schools (WITS) program; and an array of writing and cooking workshops. And, of course, we hope you’ll make plans to come to the party on Friday, September 27th, and welcome many of our visiting authors to Little Rock!

This year, we’re also introducing exciting new events. Don’t miss Signing Sunday on September 22nd, where we’ll spotlight eight talented local authors. Additionally, join us for a gardening workshop with master gardener Lana Williams and discover special events hosted at our local branches, including Terry Library, Fletcher Library, Williams Library, Thompson Library, and Nixon Library. To cap it all off, we will conclude this year’s festival with a fundraiser featuring beloved talents Ann Patchett and Robin Preiss Glasser.

We hope every reader will find something that inspires them at this year’s festival, which showcases three Pulitzer Prize winners: Toluse Olorunnipa (Sept. 23.), Isabel Wilkerson (Sept. 25), and Ilyon Woo (Sept. 28). Other featured presenters include a shark scientist, distinguished history professors, talented cookbook authors, a National Book Award-winning graphic novelist, and many more. You’ll hear fascinating stories about Willie Nelson, learn how to be a better friend, get lost in fantasy realms, and perhaps even master the art of making Praise-song biscuits. From author talks on education reform to deep dives on compelling historical figures, from romance panels to conversations with suspense novelists, the roster offers a fascinating mix of programs.

For families, Sunday’s Little Readers Rock promises to be a highlight, featuring outdoor games, crafts, snacks, and giveaways that young readers will love – including an opportunity to meet author/illustrator Vanessa Brantley- Newton, whose artwork will also be on view in an exhibit at Hearne Fine Art.

The Six Bridges Book Festival would not be possible without the collective effort of many at our library and in our community. To our sponsors, thank you for your generous support of this program. To our incredible volunteers, from the Talent Committee to the WITS team to the panel moderators to the Festival guides, we appreciate your dedication and countless hours of hard work. To the CALS staff, you make magic happen every year, and we are grateful.  To the authors, thank you for sharing your stories and making this event so special. And finally, to you, to our attendees: Your passion for this festival over the past twenty-one years is what makes it unique and so much fun. Here’s to another fantastic year of celebrating literature.

Happy reading,

Drew Herget
2024 Six Bridges Book Festival Coordinator

The Festival

Named for the six bridges that connect the downtowns in Little Rock and North Little Rock, the Festival bridges communities and brings people together. CALS actively solicits input from a variety of demographic groups with the goal of offering a diverse, inclusive, and widely appealing festival.

The event celebrates reading, literacy, stories, and wordsmithing. Scores of nationally known authors converge on the city to offer panels on a wide variety of topics, from cooking demonstrations to award-winning comedy. Authors also venture into the community for efforts such as Writers in the Schools (WITS), bringing the joy of writing to hundreds of students in central Arkansas.

Since inception, the Festival has been an important showcase for nationally and internationally writers known writers, as well as locally-based talent.

Presenters from past festivals include Ann Patchett, John Waters, Sebastian Junger, Jacqueline Woodson, David Sedaris, Kiese Laymon, Tim O’Brien, Congressman John Lewis, Issa Rae, Mary Roach, Charles Yu, Jericho Brown, Vashti Harrison, TJ Klune, Sandra Cisneros, James Beard Award winners Dorie Greenspan and Vishwesh Bhatt,  and critically acclaimed Arkansas authors such as Kevin Brockmeier and Trenton Lee Stewart.

For more information about the Six Bridges Book Festival, contact sixbridgesbookfest@cals.org. To volunteer at the Festival, contact Polly Deems at pdeems@cals.org.