Oakland Book Festival

One day – Seven Hours – 145 Writers – 70 Events

Inside City Hall, more than 100 novelists, poets, historians, philosophers, journalists, and activists will engage event-goers in panels, interviews, and open debate. This year’s Festival will feature (among many others) Dave Eggers, Mary Roach, Frank Chin, Elaine Brown, Fred Moten, Ellen Pao, Emily Raboteau, Victor LaValle, Larissa MacFarquhar, Pico Iyer, Arlie Hochschild, and Greil Marcus. Join us for conversations about labor movements, immigration, drug trafficking, altruism, censorship, prisons, restorative justice, labors of love, the dignity of work, and the future of the family. A full list of activities and speakers can be found at oaklandbookfestival.org.


Children’s Area – Music – Booksellers – Food

The outdoor portion of the festival, on Frank Ogawa Plaza, includes a dedicated children’s area with performances from Children’s Fairyland, “favorite-stories” read by librarians from the Oakland Public Library, and book-making projects courtesy of the Museum of Children’s Arts. There will be live music and readings on the amphitheater all day. Booksellers, magazine publishers, and local literary organizations will have booths on the plaza; food trucks will provide nourishment.