(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The top literary event in the tri-state area, the Morristown Festival of Books returns Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11, 2025, in historic downtown Morristown with something for readers of all ages and tastes.
The Keynote Event kicks things off on Friday night, followed by the all-day, free Main Festival on Saturday featuring more than 100 best-selling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and children’s authors who will be speaking to audiences and signing their books.
The Festival begins on Friday night with a not-to-be-missed Keynote Event at MPAC theater: Rick Atkinson, two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, will discuss his latest best seller, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780. The Keynote will be held at the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) and tickets are on sale now at morristownbooks.org or by phone at 973-539-8008.
Saturday’s Main Festival events are free to the public, with no tickets or registration required, thanks to their generous sponsors and donors. The roster of 60+ authors includes some of today’s hottest names, such as novelists Lisa Scottoline (The Unraveling of Julia), Bruce Holsinger (Culpability), Jake Tapper (Race Against Terror), Robin Cook (Bellevue), Jeanine Cummins (Speak to Me of Home) and William Kent Krueger (Apostle's Cove); biographers Kostya Kennedy (The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America) and Jason Bailey (Gandolfini); memoirist Susan Orlean (Joyride); and nonfiction writers Carl Zimmer (Air-Borne), Gabe Henry (Enough is Enuf), Corinne Low (Having It All), and Jeff Hobbs (Seeking Shelter).
Young readers will enjoy the ever-popular KidFest featuring dozens of outstanding children’s authors and illustrators who will be present from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday (rain or shine) to meet visitors while selling and personally signing books. Victoria Kann, with her popular Pinkalicious series, and Rosemary Wells, author of the bestselling Max & Ruby series and new title Sharing, will be featured along with dozens of other amazing authors, including Colleen AF Venable (Junie B. Jones graphic novel), Patrick McDonnell (Mutts series), Brian Floca, Sarah Mlynowski, and more. Fun crafts, activities, and balloon art will round out the day.
The authors will speak and answer questions at several locales, all within walking distance of each other along South Street in historic Morristown, including St. Peter’s Church Sanctuary, Parish House, and lawn; The Church of the Redeemer; The Presbyterian Church Parish House; and the Morristown/Morris Township Library. Book sales and signings will occur at a tent on the grounds of the historic Vail Mansion.
The complete list of 2025 Morristown Festival of Books authors includes: André Aciman, Jason Bailey, Jeanine Cummins, Marcy Dermansky, Brian Goldstone, Hank Gola, Adam Haslett, Gabe Henry, Jeff Hobbs, Bruce Holsinger, Kostya Kennedy, Allison King, Genevieve Kingston, David Krell, William Kent Krueger, Sharon Kurtzman, Dr. Corrine Low, Vicky Nguyen, Susan Orlean, Chris Pavone, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Marie Rutkoski, Julie Satow, Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella, Emily Skillings, Jake Tapper, Amanda Vail, Jemimah Wei, Karen White, white, Lauren Willig, Randall K. Wilson, Alan A. Winter, Thomas Wolf, Wendy Xu, and Carl Zimmer. Click here for links to information about each author.
The Morristown Festival of Books is generously sponsored by The Family Wealth Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Their Keynote Event is co-sponsored by Delta Dental and the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, as well as Special Event Sponsor Valley Bank. KidFest is generously sponsored by Atlantic Health System/Morristown Medical Center. Proceeds from their annual fundraising Keynote Event and book sales throughout the Festival contribute to supporting literacy and education in our community. This revenue, along with the generosity of their sponsors, helps keep the Saturday book festival free and open to all.
The Morristown Festival of Books celebrates the power of the written word to challenge, transport, and transform us as individuals and to bring us together in conversation as a community.
Created by and for people who love books, the festival has become a destination event for authors and readers. Since its inception, it has established itself among the top book festivals nationwide, drawing thousands of annual attendees to enjoy: In-person talks by world-class authors; A diverse roster that has grown to more than 300 authors over the festival’s tenure; Multiple Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, Newbury and Caldecott medalists, and New York Times bestselling fiction and non-fiction luminaries along with emerging voices across all genres; Unique engagement opportunities between readers and writers; and Special events for children, teens, and YA fans of all ages.
