Letter From the Coordinator

This year marks the 22nd Six Bridges Book Festival, a celebration that has become both a Central Arkansas tradition and a gathering beloved by authors and readers alike. It also marks a special homecoming: after nearly two years of renovation, the Main Library once again becomes the heart of the festival. This year’s festival will be a week of celebration, beginning on Sunday, September 28th, and building toward our much-anticipated Kickoff Party in the newly reopened library on Friday, October 3rd, with many festival sessions to follow there on Saturday, October 4th.

While every year brings an impressive lineup, 2025 may be one of my favorites yet. I hope every member of our community finds a session that sparks excitement. Fiction lovers will enjoy a powerhouse slate: childhood favorite Louis Sachar in conversation with Ayana Gray; literary standouts Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Maggie Stiefvater, Milo Todd, and Jennifer Haigh; romance favorites Annabel Monaghan and Regina Black; a poetry panel featuring Maria Zoccola and Jehanne Dubrow; and a mystery panel with William Boyle and Lucas Schaefer; and a football panel with hometown favorite Eli Cranor and ESPN journalist Seth Wickersham—just to name a few.

For nonfiction readers, the spectrum ranges from profound to playful: Wright Thompson’s searing exploration of the murder of Emmett Till; A’Lelia Bundles sharing the history of her trailblazing great-grandmother A’Lelia Walker; Juanita Tolliver’s look at a pivotal night with Shirley Chisholm; Jennifer O’Brien and Peter Dunlap Shohl’s discussion on caregiving and living with lifelong illness; Liz Pelley’s investigation into Spotify; Viktoria Capek’s deep dive into Taylor Swift’s lyrics; and Carly York’s lessons in “silly” science. Food lovers will also enjoy Kat Robinson’s dive into Arkansas barbecue and Phillip Ashley Rix’s chocolate-making demonstration.

Beyond the author sessions, two of our proudest traditions continue: Writers in the Schools (WITS). This program connects nationally recognized authors with students across Central Arkansas, inspiring the next generation of readers and writers; and Little Readers Rock, our children’s program in partnership with the Junior League of Little Rock, returns this year with illustrators Shannon Wright and Maria Hoskins, alongside crafts, snacks, and games.

As always, nearly all of the festival remains free to the public. The exception is our annual fundraising event, and this year we’re thrilled to feature Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures, on Sunday, October 5th. If you love the festival and are able, I hope you’ll consider joining us—your support ensures the festival thrives for years to come.

The Six Bridges Book Festival would not be possible without the collective effort of so many. To our sponsors, thank you for your generosity. To our incredible volunteers—from the Talent Committee to the moderators to the festival guides—we appreciate your countless hours and commitment. To the CALS staff, you make magic happen every year. To our booksellers, Pyramid Art Books and WordsWorth Books, thank you for your partnership. To the authors, thank you for sharing your stories. And finally, to you, our attendees: your passion over the past twenty-two years makes this festival so vibrant and so much fun.

Here’s to another year of celebrating literature together.

Happy reading,
Drew Herget
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.