Past eventHeld October 18–25, 2026
Iowa City Book Festival 2026
Iowa City Book Festival is a literary event for readers, writers, and literary community members.
- Held
- October 18–25, 2026
- Location
- Iowa City, Iowa
TL;DR
- Iowa City Book Festival took place October 18–25, 2026, in Iowa City, Iowa.
- Most City of Literature events were billed as free to attend.
- The 2026 program was scheduled to include authors and presenters such as Marilynne Robinson, Yiyun Li, Nicholas Kristof, and Bonnie Jo Campbell.
About
The festival is organized by Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that manages the area's UNESCO City of Literature designation. The 2026 author and presenter roster was scheduled to include Marilynne Robinson, Yiyun Li, Nicholas Kristof, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Tisa Bryant, Harriet Clark, Melissa Febos, Christopher Merrill, Scott Heim, Darby Harn, and Michael McCarty. Most City of Literature events were billed as free to attend and supported by tax-deductible donations.
Who was in the room
Readers, writers, and literary community members
The organizer identifies readers, writers, and literary community members as the festival audience.
Featured speakers
7 listedDarby Harn
Author/Presenter
Scott Heim
Author/Presenter
Yiyun Li
Author and Professor of Creative Writing · Princeton University
Michael McCarty
Presenter
Marilynne Robinson
Author
Nicholas Kristof
Author/Journalist
Bonnie Jo Campbell
Author
Venue & travel
Venue
Iowa City Public LibraryQuestions people ask
6 answeredIowa City Book Festival 2026 took place October 18–25, 2026.
The festival is held in Iowa City, Iowa.
Most City of Literature events were billed as free to attend.
The organizer identifies readers, writers, and literary community members as the audience.
It was worth it for readers and writers in the Iowa City area, since most events were free and the lineup was scheduled to include Marilynne Robinson, Nicholas Kristof and Yiyun Li over an eight-day run. Publishing professionals hoping for deal-making, or anyone wanting a business networking event, would get less from a community literary festival organized by a nonprofit.
Attendees at library and literary festivals usually wear casual clothes, such as jeans and a sweater. Mid to late October in Iowa can be chilly, so layers and a jacket are practical.
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