recap of greensboro bound book festival 2026

Written By Katherine Crawford

I hated to say goodbye to Greensboro, North Carolina, and my time at the 2026 Greensboro Bound Book Festival. I pulled into my driveway after the weekend still buzzing with all the wonderful connections made and time shared with authors, readers, and festival organizers. It was soulful, intimate, and fun—such a powerful testament to books and book people. And the panels truly fit the theme of “American Kaleidoscope”!

A quick recap:

  • Loved listening to debut novelist Alice Martin talk about Westward Women with author interviewer Laura Beth Vietor at Scuppernong Books on Friday night.

  • Libby Buck, Ben Yagoda, and I may go on the road. We had a ball at our panel on fiction and history; I felt like I’d known them for years.

  • The author green room was outfitted with delicious treats and gorgeous table centerpieces (and the sign to lead us there was the Great and Powerful Oz).

  • The lovely booksellers from Scuppernong Books did a wonderful job selling our all books.

  • I did not get nearly enough time to visit with my fellow authors, but I loved meeting Terah Harris and so many others!

  • I fully expected to be blown away by Imani Perry, and I was: Her conversation with Dr. Lalenja Harrington about her newest book, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People, and her generosity in the book signing line, made my history nerd (and huge fan)’s heart swell. It’s always a beautiful thing when the folks you admire turn out to be authentic and kind.

Angel Rippy, Executive Director of Greensboro Bound, rocked this festival! It was an utter delight. So many thanks to the festival board and to the donors who continue to make this world class literary event free and open to the public. Mark your calendars for next year’s festival on April 10, 2027!

P.S. I started my weekend with a pop in to a fabulous new (to me) bookstore in historic Statesville, NC: Wandering Crow Bookshop. Y’all be sure to add this one-of-a-kind indie bookstore and its warm and welcoming booksellers to your next bookish roadtrip!



Katherine Crawford
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