The BookFest brings the literary festival onto the screen
Two free streaming days separate programming for readers from sessions devoted to writing.
The BookFest Fall 2026 once again chose a digital format to connect book communities across different locations. The free livestream on 24 and 25 October, available through the event website and YouTube, was organised around two paths: the first day primarily for readers, the second for authors and people interested in the craft and business of writing. Panels, conversations, live author chats and segments for discovering books created a programme that could be followed without travel. Day one began at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time with a welcome from founder Desireé Duffy. Rather than trying to reproduce a physical festival exactly, the format tests another kind of presence, using livestreaming and shared chat spaces to build an international literary community around a common schedule.