Charleston Literary Festival Reveals First Sneak Peek of Speakers for November—Just in Time for Summer Reading Lists

Charleston Literary Festival is thrilled to announce today the first 17 of the 50+ acclaimed authors who will feature onstage at this year’s Charleston Literary Festival, set to take place from November 7–16, 2025. All Festival events will take place at the historic Dock Street Theatre in the heart of Downtown Charleston. 

Named “the best literary festival in the United States” (Richard Ford), and “the standard to which all literary festivals should be held” (Michele Norris), this year’s Charleston Literary Festival lineup is the most ambitious yet with more authors and events than ever before. These 17 authors are just a hint of what’s to come for the Festival in November—the full schedule will be announced on September 4.

First 17 Speakers for Charleston Literary Festival 2025

Kevin Sack with Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on "Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church," featuring a special performance by the Mother Emanuel Choir

Kevin Sack’s new book, "Mother Emanuel," on the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, has been called "a masterpiece" by The New York Times. This year marks 10 years since the brutal hate crime at Mother Emanuel in 2015 that shocked the nation.

Sack, a former reporter, has spent the past ten years writing the 200-year history of Mother Emanuel, calling it “the most historic Black church in the South’s most historic city.” His remarkable book tells the full story of this church that captured the world’s attention due to the grace of its congregation and their capacity for forgiveness in the face of a horrific attack.

At Charleston Literary Festival 2025, Sack will be in conversation with bestselling author Eddie S. Glaude Jr., professor of African American studies at Princeton University. On "Mother Emanuel," Glaude writes that “race, religion, and terror combine for an extraordinary story of America.” The event will be introduced by the Rev. Eric S. C. Manning, senior pastor at Mother Emanuel. 

Following the conversation, the Mother Emanuel Choir, under the musical direction of Dr. Wayne Singleton, will sing a choral program that reflects the 200-year history of the church. Combining an in-depth discussion of Kevin Sack’s book with Mother Emanuel Choir’s rich musical tradition, this community-focused event will be an unmissable occasion.

Joyce Carol Oates on "Fox"

Widely considered one of the greatest living writers in North America and five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Joyce Carol Oates will discuss her latest novel, "Fox," that centers on Francis Fox, a charming English teacher at an elite boarding school who goes missing. A hypnotic tale of crime and complicity, "Fox" illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche while asking moral questions about justice and the response that evil demands. A character as magnetically diabolical as Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley and Vladimir Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert, Francis Fox enchants and manipulates nearly everyone around him, until at last he meets someone he can’t outfox.

Max Boot on "Reagan: His Life and Legend"

Historian, bestselling author, and foreign-policy analyst, Max Boot, joins us to discuss his instant New York Times bestseller, "Reagan: His Life and Legend." Boot is the author of The Road Not Taken, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Reagan illuminates the untold story of Ronald Reagan—revealing the man behind the mythology. Drawing on interviews with over one hundred of the 40th president’s aides, friends, and family members, as well as thousands of newly available documents, Boot provides “the best biography of Ronald Reagan to date," according to Robert Mann.

Colum McCann on "Twist "

National Book Award Winning author of "Let The Great World Spin" (among other novels and nonfiction books), Colum McCann is the recipient of major literary awards including the Chevalier des arts et lettres by the French government. McCann is joining us to discuss his latest novel, "Twist." Called an “urgent [and] ingenious” by The New York Times Book Review, the book is a novel of rupture and repair in the digital age. Resoundingly simple and turbulent at the same time, "Twist" is a meditation on the nature of narrative and truth from one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, "To Save And To Destroy"

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of "The Sympathizer" comes an unflinchingly personal meditation on literary forms of otherness. Born in war-ravaged Vietnam, Viet Thanh Nguyen arrived in the United States as a child refugee in 1975. After his family moved to California, the author attended UC Berkeley in the aftermath of the shocking murder of Vincent Chin, which shaped the political sensibilities of a new generation of Asian Americans. Composed of six chapters, "To Save and To Destroy" moves through writers who have influenced Nguyen the most: namely, Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ralph Ellison, William Carlos Williams, and Maxine Hong Kingston. These essays, originally delivered as the prestigious Norton Lectures, proffer a new answer to a classic literary question of an outsider’s role in literature while positing a new question: What is a writer’s responsibility in a time of violence?

Glory Edim on "Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me"

Founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a nationwide literary movement created to highlight the richness and diversity of Black women in literature. Glory Edim’s works include "The Well-Read Black Girl Anthology," which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and named a Best Book of the Year in 2018 by Library Journal. At the Festival this year, Edim will discuss her latest book "Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me." Called a “dramatic [and] ingeniously crafted” by the Los Angeles Times, the book is a memoir of family, community, and resilience, and an ode to the power of books to help us understand ourselves.

Dalloway 100: Michael Cunningham

In celebration of 100 years since the publication of Virginia Woolf’s "Mrs. Dalloway," Charleston Literary Festival is presenting a special session featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Hours," Michael Cunningham, discussing the enduring power and relevance of Mrs. Dalloway. This event calls back to Charleston Literary Festival’s origins in the Charleston House in Sussex in the UK—which was the creative home of the Bloomsbury writers and thinkers, including Virgina Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell. Two of the co-founders of Charleston Literary Festival—Debo Gage and Diana Reich—are also the founders of the Charleston Festival in the UK, which has been running for over 30 years.

Katie Kitamura on "Audition"

Author of "Intimacies," which was named one of The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021, longlisted for the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, Katie Kitamura will join us to discuss her dazzling, destabilizing novel, "Audition." In this “tightly wound family drama that reads like a psychological thriller” (NPR), two competing narratives unspool, rewriting our understanding of the roles we play every day— partner, parent, creator, muse—and the truths every performance masks, especially from those who think they know us most intimately.

Bill McKibben, "Here Comes The Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization"

Environmentalist, activist, and author of the groundbreaking book "The End of Nature," Bill McKibben joins us to present his latest book, "Here Comes The Sun." The book shines a light on the rapid growth of affordable solar and wind power and how this innovation unlocks possibilities for positive environmental change. “No one has done more to raise the alarm about climate change or to address the problem than Bill McKibben. In 'Here Comes the Sun,' he shows that we all have the technologies we need to move forward. If any book could make a thinking person hopeful about the future, this is it,” said Elizabeth Kolbert.

Maggie Smith on "Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life"

New York Times bestselling poet and author of the much-loved poetry collection "Good Bones," Maggie Smith joins us to discuss creativity and the craft of writing in her newest book, "Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life." Drawing from her twenty years of teaching experience, Maggie Smith breaks down creativity into ten essential elements: attention, wonder, vision, play, surprise, vulnerability, restlessness, tenacity, connection, and hope. "Dear Writer" provides tools that artists of all experience levels can apply to their own creative practices and carry with them into all genres and all areas of life.

David Szalay on "Flesh"

Booker Prize finalist, Hungarian-English author David Szalay will be joining us at the Festival this year to discuss his propulsive and hypnotic new novel, "Flesh." Named “the shrewdest writer on contemporary masculinity we have” by Esquire, "Flesh" captures a collection of intimate moments over the course of decades—chronicling a man at odds with himself as he navigates a life not entirely under his own control and the roles he is asked to play.

Patricia Lockwood on "Will There Ever Be Another You"

Experimental poet and novelist and Booker Prize-shortlisted author, Patricia Lockwood, will be joining us to discuss her latest book "Will There Ever Be Another You." Amid a global pandemic, one young woman is trying to keep the pieces together—of her family, stunned by a devastating loss, and of her mind, left mangled and misfiring from a mystifying disease. She’s afraid of her own floorboards, and “WHAT IS LOVE? BABY DON’T HURT ME” plays over and over in her ears. She hates her friends, or more accurately, she doesn’t know who they are. The book has garnered huge acclaim from today’s most exciting fiction writers. Sally Rooney says, "I really admire and love this book.” David Sedaris writes, “I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book." Finally, Douglas Stuart calls the book “a rare wonder... I was left in bits.”

Stephen Greenblatt on "Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival"

From Pulitzer Prize-winning academic and author, Stephen Greenblatt comes "Dark Renaissance"—a book illuminating Christopher Marlowe’s times and the origins and significance of his work—from his erotic translations of Ovid to his portrayal of unfettered ambition in a triumphant "Tamburlaine to Doctor Faustus," his unforgettable masterpiece about making a pact with the devil in exchange for knowledge. Introducing us to Marlowe’s transgressive genius in the form of a thrilling page-turner, Greenblatt offers a penetrating understanding of the literary work to reveal the inner world of the author. Greenblatt brings to life a homosexual atheist who was tormented by his own compromises, who refused to toe the party line, and who was murdered just when he had found love.

Adam Haslett on "Mothers and Sons"

Award-winning author of "Imagine Me Gone," finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Adam Haslett joins the Festival this year to discuss his latest novel, "Mothers and Sons." A mother and son, estranged for years, must grapple with the shared secret that drove their lives apart in this enthralling story about family, forgiveness, and how a fleeting act of violence can change a life forever, by “one of the country’s most talented writers” (Wall Street Journal).

Chris Pavone on "The Doorman"

A thriller author who has appeared on the bestseller lists of USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and more, joins the festival to discuss his latest novel, "The Doorman," a “New York Times instant bestseller" that has garnered huge popular acclaim. “Chris Pavone has always been good, but this novel is way better than good," says Stephen King, "The kind of novel that wins book awards. Cynical, tender, sharp, dense, funny, and loaded with inside dope about how New York works (and how it doesn’t). 'The Doorman' is a 'Bonfire of the Vanities' for the 21st century. He gives it to both sides of the culture wars, and with both smoking barrels."

Aria Aber on "Good Girl"

Raised in Germany speaking both Farsi and German, Aria Aber writes in her third language, English. Her debut poetry collection, "Hard Damage," won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and the Whiting Award. Aber joins the Festival this year to discuss her first novel "Good Girl." In Berlin’s artistic underground, where techno and drugs fill warehouses still pockmarked from the wars of the twentieth century, nineteen-year-old Nila at last finds her tribe. Born in Germany to Afghan parents, raised in public housing graffitied with swastikas, drawn to philosophy, photography, and sex, Nila has spent her adolescence disappointing her family while searching for her voice as a young woman and artist.“[An] exhilarating debut novel... Aber has published astonishing poems I’ve read dozens of times. It’s thrilling to see her turn major poetic gifts toward the sweep of this Künstlerroman," said R. O. Kwon, The New York Times Book Review.

“It’s a thrill to reveal the first 17 extraordinary authors joining us in Charleston for the Festival this year. From debut novelists to literary icons, this list reflects the depth and vibrancy of the literary landscape and the ambitions of our Festival,” says Sarah Moriarty, executive director of Charleston Literary Festival. “These writers are sparking conversations that matter—and Charleston Literary Festival is a place to dive into them—to be moved, challenged, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.”

Deeply Rooted in the Charleston Community 

This year marks Charleston Literary Festival’s ninth year of providing a platform for people to come together to experience the transformative power of books and ideas. This mission is supported and propped up by strategic partnerships within the Charleston community.

The Festival announces the College of Charleston (CofC) as the Festival’s official academic partner again this year. CofC’s enduring commitment to academic distinction makes it a wellspring for creative collaboration with the Festival. Charleston Literary Festival offers discounted tickets to the Festival to CofC staff, faculty, students, and alumni. CofC students will have the opportunity to intern at the Festival, volunteer, and attend the programs. Charleston Literary Festival also works closely with CofC faculty to arrange special meet and greets between students and visiting authors.

Charleston Literary Festival is proud to renew its partnership with Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) this year. With a shared commitment to promote a thriving literary community in Charleston, the Festival works closely with CCPL during the festival to increase access to Festival books, audiobooks, and Festival programs through ticket giveaways and live streaming sessions. Festival books will be available to the community at library branches and in ebook and audiobook formats on the Libby app.

Charleston Literary Festival is delighted to partner with the International African American Museum (IAAM) on programming for the third year to bring exceptional authors to the Festival. The collaboration between Charleston Literary Festival and IAAM shows great alignment between complementary missions illuminating untold stories of the African American experience.

New This Year

Exclusive VIP Literary Weekend Experiences Putting Charleston on the Map as an Unmissable Literary Destination 

Festival VIP guests experience Charleston like the Charleston literati! After a very successful soft launch in 2024, Charleston Literary Festival is officially launching its VIP Literary Weekend Experience this year. Offered over two weekends (Friday, November 7 to Sunday, November 9 and again Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16), our VIP guests receive an introduction to the Charleston Literary Festival and to Charleston like no other with private tours, exclusive access to historic homes, and more. "I absolutely loved it! I’m not sure another city (even New York!) could compare,” said Cynthia Davison, a VIP visitor from Atlanta, GA, who participated in the pilot VIP Literary Weekend Experience in 2024.

Link to VIP Literary Weekend Experience: https://www.charlestonliteraryfestival.com/vip

Free Book Club Concierge Service to Support Our Bookish Friends

Charleston Literary Festival is offering a brand new free service to our book club friends. Introducing the Charleston Literary Festival Book Club Concierge service. This service offers book clubs guidance and advice on travel, accommodation, scheduling, restaurants, and more. Having soft-launched at the end of May, over 60 book clubs from all over the country have already reached out to our Book Club Concierge inquiring about attending the Festival in November.

“Book clubs are the heartbeat of literary communities—they shop bookstores, review books, share their readerly opinions on social media, support local libraries, and attend literary festivals. When a book club chooses Charleston Literary Festival to immerse themselves in a literary experience, we want to welcome them with stellar programming and our own brand of radical Charleston hospitality,” said Andrea Jasmin, marketing manager at Charleston Literary Festival. 

Learn more about our free Book Club Concierge service: https://www.charlestonliteraryfestival.com/book-concierge

Tickets and Information

Please note: This preliminary announcement features only 17 of the 50+ authors who will appear at Charleston Literary Festival in November.

Mark your calendars for these three important dates

• July 10: Festival Insider passes go on sale
• September 4: The full schedule will be released and all tickets will go on sale on September 4. The full list of 40+ authors will be announced, and all individual session tickets will go on sale starting September 4.
• November 7–16: The dates of the Festival at Dock Street Theatre this year are November 7–16—that’s 10 days of nonstop programming!

What can you do right now?

• Stay in the know: Make sure you stay up-to-date on all announcements and updates by signing up for our newsletter at CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com/newsletter and following us on Instagram @charlestonlitfest.
• Outside Charleston? Opt-in for a VIP Literary Weekend Experience (or share the details of the VIP Literary Weekend Experience with your friends so they can experience the glamour of literary Charleston!). Learn more at CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com/VIP
• Sign up for our free Book Club Concierge service: Plan your book club’s trip to Charleston Literary Festival. Learn more at CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com/Book-Concierge