The 17th annual Iowa City Book Festival will be held Oct. 5-12, 2025, at locations throughout downtown and beyond. It will showcase a dynamic mix of original events and collaborative programs with partner organizations, all celebrating the power of the written word and the exchange of ideas.
While planning is under way for this year’s festival, some authors already have been booked to appear. They include Anna Barker, Carolyn Chalmers, Art Cullen, Johanna Drucker, Jennifer Fawcett, Donika Kelley, Jewell Parker Rhodes, John Scalzi, and Tatiana Scholote Bonne.
“Books – and the ideas and stories they contain – are more important than ever,” said City of Literature Executive Director John Kenyon. “The Book Festival is designed to make books accessible to all readers and to offer a platform where they can be discussed and debated.”
Funding for the Iowa City Book Festival comes from the City of Iowa City, the University of Iowa, the Iowa City Public Library, and Think Iowa City. Events at the festival are are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
The festival overlaps with FilmScene’s Refocus Film Festival, which will be held Oct. 9-12, and ICON 49.5, a celebration of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction, on Oct. 11.
The festival website, www.iowacitybookfestival.org, is the place to find the most up-to-date information about events.
