- 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
2025 Festival Sessions
2025 Saratoga Book Festival Schedule
Saturday, September 20 (Pre-Festival)
7:00pm: Beyond the Book Event
The Saratoga Book Festival, in collaboration with Saratoga Arts and the 518 Film Network, presents the Saratoga debut screening of Merchant Ivory: The Documentary on Saturday, August 20th at 7:00 pm at the Scene One Wilton Mall Cinema. Stephen Soucy, the film’s director and producer, grew up in Ballston Lake and Saratoga Springs and is an alumni of University of Albany. Ryan Homsey, the composer of the film’s score, lives in Saratoga Springs. Both will attend the screening and participate in a talkback immediately following the film. Soucy will also discuss a narrative feature production that he plans to base in Upstate New York in 2026 with James Ivory executive producing.
Leading the discussion and audience Q&A will be Spencer Sherry, filmmaker, President of the 518 Film Network, and community outreach and grants coordinator for Saratoga Arts. Tickets are available at https://www.saratoga-arts.org/events.
Wednesday, October 1 (Pre-Festival)
11:00am (Special Event)
Representatives from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Mayor’s Office, the Saratoga Springs Public Library, the Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library, and the Saratoga Book Festival, and guests gather to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Saratoga Springs Public Library and the Fifth Anniversary of the Friends of the Saratoga Book Festival. All are welcome to attend.
Thursday, October 2
7:30pm (Beyond the Book Event)
Kick off the fifth annual Saratoga Book Festival with a thrilling performance by nineteen-time Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, jazz harp trailblazer Edmar Castañeda, and visionary drummer Antonio Sánchez. Immerse yourself in a genre-bending tapestry of music that blends jazz, classical, Latin, and world rhythms. This session is co-presented by Universal Preservation Hall and Saratoga Book Festival
Purchase tickets at the Universal Preservation Hall website HERE
Friday, October 3
Introducing an entire Friday of literary conversations capped off with the all-new Night Market and Local Author Showcase!
10:00am – 11:00am
Join Margaret Pearson for a fascinating look at the I-Ching, the world’s earliest-known divination system. Her book The Original I Ching: A Landmark Translation of The Book of Changes Based on Recent Discoveries, Pearson calls on recent archeological findings to present a far more accurate and authentic version of the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, one that removes the gender biases that were added by later Confucian commentators who operated in a heavily patriarchal society. Pearson taught Chinese history and thought, for over thirty years, at Skidmore College, the New School for Social Research, Pace University, State University of New York (Albany), and Marymount Manhattan College.
11:30am – 12:30pm
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Catherine J. Golden, professor of English and former Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters at Skidmore College, offers a fascinating tour of Austen sequels and prequels from Regency Era time-traveling fantasies and zombie and sea monster adaptations to Bollywood and Hollywood films, and all things Austen “merch.”
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Steve Stern, an award-winning author and longtime Writer-in-Residence at Skidmore College, is known for writing fiction that is deeply grounded in Yiddish folklore. He joins Melora Wolff, a prose writer and Director of Creative Writing at Skidmore College (Bequeath: Essays), in a conversation about the writing life and his new novel A Fool’s Kabbalah.
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Lauren Cobello, book coach and founder and CEO of Leverage with Media PR, and Abby Tegnelia, award-winning journalist, magazine executive, and co-founder of the Saratoga Dispatch, share valuable tips to help authors in all stages of their careers up their public relations game.
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Skidmore College Professor and Author Mason Stokes (All the Truth I Can Stand) joins Award-winning Graphic Novelist Marcus Kwame Anderson (Big Jim and the White Boy) in a session that explores how their recent novels aim to share a deeper and more complete understanding of personal as well as societal truths. Ellen Beal serves as interlocutor.
6:00pm – 9:00pm: SBF’s First-Ever Night Market and Local Author Showcase (Universal Preservation Hall)
Meet festival presenters and visit exhibits by more than 60 local authors, publishers, and artisans. Shop for books and other lit-themed items while enjoying a free night of music, light bites, beer and wine samplings, tarot readings, temp tattoos, and more. Cash bar. Admission is free for attendees. The Night Market is sponsored by Leverage with Media PR. Insiders’ Lounge is sponsored by Saratoga Living.
Saturday, October 4
10:00am – 11:00am
Award-winning authors Juliette Fay (The Harvey Girls) and Marjan Kamali (The Lion Women of Tehran) join author and Northshire Bookstore Bookseller Kim van Alkemade (Counting Lost Stars) in a discussion about their latest novels, the very different secrets that their characters carried, and the healing power of women’s friendships. Admission is free and includes a cup of Sense + SensibiliTea, a soothing blend featuring La Provençale herbs provided by Saratoga Tea & Honey.
Jennifer Fawcett (Keep This For Me), Cleyvis Natera (The Grand Paloma Resort) and Saratoga Schaefer (Serial Killer Support Group) join moderator Emily Layden (Once More From The Top) in a panel that explores their new novels, creating suspense, and writing about protagonists dealing with the aftermath of a crime against (or by a close family member).
10:30am – 11:30am: Family Keynote (TICKETS REQUIRED)
Renowned storyteller Kate DiCamillo is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Her many books for young readers include Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux and Flora and Ulysses. Lost Evangeline, DiCamillo’s newest collaboration with two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a magical middle-grade fairy tale about love, loss, and a tiny girl’s brave journey to find her family. Graced with exquisite black-and-white illustrations by Blackall, this timeless story of a girl and her father will make you believe in the impossible. This session is co-presented with Northshire Bookstore.
Tickets
- 1 seat / 1 book: $30: Admission for one to the event, one copy of Lost Evangeline
- 2 seats / 1 book: $35: Admission for two to the event, one copy of Lost Evangeline
- Family pack! 3 seats /1 book: $40: Admission for three to the event, one copy of Lost Evangeline
- Copies of The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall; Ferris by Kate DiCamillo; and If I Was a Horse by Sophie Blackall may also be purchased.
Please visit Family Keynote on Saratoga Book Festival to purchase tickets for this event and to review guidelines for photography and book signing.
11:30am – 12:30pm: Headline Event
Amity Gaige takes the stage at the Saratoga Music Hall to discuss her new instant national bestselling novel Heartwood, named as one of the best reads of 2025 by several leading publications and digital outlets, including the New York Times. The interlocutor is Halimah Marcus, Executive Director of Electric Literature and Editor of the anthology Horse Girls. Both Gaige and Marcus attended Yaddo.
11:30am – 12:30pm
The first of two back-to-back Fantasy panels features Allyson Dahlin, author of Cake Eater, in conversation with Katherine Harbour, whose most recent dark fantasy The Wild Dark released this Spring. Dahlin talks about what inspired her to write her debut novel, a decadent, thrilling, and romantic, Black Mirror-esque retelling of the reign of Marie Antoinette. Katherine Harbour talks about the Dark Fable series of heart-stopping seductive heist fantasies with themes of found families. Moderating the session is Lâle Davidson, a teacher, writer, and storyteller for over 30 years.
Fantasy lovers: We’ve got Rogues and Witches: A Fantasy Panel with Shannon Chakraborty, Mai Corland, and Sydney Shields coming in hot right after this session, same room, same vibe!
Join the Mayor of Saratoga Springs, and the Saratoga Springs Arts Commission to congratulate the newly named Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate. In addition, we will recognize and thank Dr. Joseph Bruchac who, after three years at the Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate, will complete his term at the end of 2025. Seats are limited. If you are interested in attending, please contact Steve Rosenblum.
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Shannon Chakraborty (The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: An Amina al-Sirafi Adventure Book I), Mai Corland (Volume 2 and 3 of The Broken Blades Series), and Sydney Shields (The Honey Witch) take the stage to chat about their latest novels, favorite characters, and what each of their books taught them about writing in a session moderated by SSPL’s top fantasy fan Caitlin Sheldon.
Authors Serena Burdick (A Promise to Arlette) and Jessica Shattuck (Last House) chat about their latest novels with Jack Rightmyer, an author (On Your Left), teacher, and Times Union freelance book reviewer. With the scope of a saga and the heart of a thriller, A Promise to Arlette is an evocative historical novel following a married couple whose idyllic 1950s suburban life is threatened by the promises they made during World War II. It’s a sweeping, unforgettable story about love and friendship, trust and betrayal, and how promises made, broken, and ultimately renewed, can determine our fate. Shattucks’s Last House is “a richly detailed, slow-burning family saga” (NYT) that digs deeply into questions of inheritance and what we owe each other—and captures to stunning effect the gravity of time, the double edge of progress, and the hubris of empire. This session is perfect for fans of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House.
2:30pm – 3:30pm
Drawing from firsthand accounts from locals; tabloid journalists; railroad Robber Barons and political bosses; psychic investigators; and even a mysterious hypnotist, Dr, Jerry C. Drake (Author of Hazel was a Good Girl) debunks the tabloid stories and reveals the truth about the killing of Hazel Drew, a young woman whose body was found in July 1908 in a mill pond in Sand Lake, New York (the basis for David Lynch’s Twin Peaks series).
Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, with clippings and photographs from local Troy and Albany newspapers from 1908, Drake parses out the facts in pursuit of Hazel Drew’s killer, in this engaging, historical investigation of a tragic American story.
Joining Drake on stage is Ronald Hughes, author of Who Killed Hazel Drew?: Unraveling Clues to the Tragic Murder of a Pretty Servant Girl. The two authors discuss their theories about who murdered Hazel, the nearly three-week investigation of the crime, and the clues that left detectives and the media stumped. Their session is perfect for readers who like True Crime and local history.
Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein, founders of the HGTV show and viral Instagram feed Cheap Old Houses, talk about their book of the same name and what drives them to restore historic houses to their former glory. The Finkelsteins started the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses in 2016 and have since grown the brand into a show on HGTV and a cultural movement that has helped thousands of people find and restore their own pieces of heaven.
They are joined on stage with TikTok favorites Chloe Barcelou and Brandon Batchelder, authors of Tales of a Not So Tiny House. The couple is known for their “shiphouse” on wheels, the building of which was featured on the second season of HGTV’s Tiny House Big Living.
Abby Tegnelia, award-winning journalist and co-founder of the Saratoga Dispatch, interviews both couples about how they created homes and found a sense of purpose in a time when home ownership seems out of reach to so many.
ADDED BONUS!! In an SBF first, festival attendees will be able to meet Chloe and Brandon and see their home’s unusual expanding design, flashy, pirate ship-inspired décor, and homemade Steampunk-like contraptions in person on Saturday, October 4th in the Ben & Jerry’s parking lot on the corner of Putnam and Phila Streets! Grab an ice cream and say hello to the home owners who are happy to chat with folks about living in their one-of-a-kind digs.
2:30pm – 4:00pm
To celebrate the anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, join Lit Night’s Kristina Kulin at the 2025 Saratoga Book Festival as she presents “Teatime at Pemberley: A Celebration of Jane Austen in Words and Music.” Enjoy an immersive exploration of Austen’s life and works. Sit back, listen to live Regency-era music, and enjoy Saratoga Tea & Honey’s Sense + SensibiliTea,” in Caffe Lena’s warm and welcoming setting while guest speakers read their favorite passages. (This is a 90-minute program that’s perfect for Jane Austen fans of all ages.) For more information about Lit Night’s monthly curated literary appreciation events, visit https://litnightsaratoga.com/.
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Moderated by Trevor Oakley, horror connoisseur and director of community outreach at SSSPL, this session features Paul Tremblay (Another),Victoria Dalpe (Selene Shade, Resurrectionist for Hire), Eric LaRocca (We Are Always Tender With Our Dead), and Michael J. Seidlinger (in a discussion about their latest books, what drew them to writing horror, their influences, and some thoughts on themes that interest them the most.
Join authors Nicolas DiDomizio (Nearlywed) and London Sperry (Passion Project), two authors with Saratoga connections, for a session spilling tea and perhaps even sipping a specialty romance-inspired cocktail or two, in a book chat answering the question: is it as fun to write romcoms as it is to read them? Also, they’ll tell us about their latest books and maybe what they are working on next (if you ask really nicely and promise not to tell anyone.)
5:30pm – 6:30pm (Beyond the Book Event)
Join us for a free film screening of the new TV Pilot “Books,” created by Tim Cahill and Kristina Libby. Filmed at Market Block Books in Troy, New York in late 2024, the sitcom pilot tells the story of a canceled author (played by Spencer Grammer) who buys her deceased father’s bookstore. The show has been described as “Cheers” if it were set in an indie bookstore and not a bar!
The 20-minute screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the pilot’s creators Cahill and Libby. Joining them onstage will be Nicole Ihasz (a filmmaker, writer, entrepreneur and co-owner of Northshire Bookstore and Matt Witten (scriptwriter who has written for many TV shows including House, Pretty Little Liars, CSI: Miami, and Law & Order and author of the novels The Necklace and Killer Story). Spencer Sherry moderates. This session is co-presented with the 518 Film Network.
The panelists will swap stories, share their views on adapting books to screen and writing for TV, their newest projects, and why they love independent bookstores!
7:00pm Living in the Present with John Prine by Tom Piazza (Caffè Lena) TICKETS REQUIRED
In the spring of 2018, author, writer (and Yaddo alumnus) Tom Piazza climbed into a 1977 Coupe de Ville with the great singer-songwriter John Prine to write an article for the Oxford American. Their Florida road trip ignited a deep friendship, full of tall tales over epic meals, long nights playing guitar and trading songs, and visits back and forth between their homes in Nashville and New Orleans.
Along the way, John invited Tom to work with him to write a memoir, with John telling sprawling, often hilarious stories of his youth and family in Chicago and Kentucky, his breakthrough into the national spotlight, his riotous early years in the Nashville country scene, and much more. When John died suddenly of COVID in April 2020, that unfinished memoir evolved into Living in the Present with John Prine, an unforgettable portrait of the musician in his late glory.
With a warm stage presence, Tom shares stories about John, their trip together, and how his book came to be. He’ll also play a few of the songs from John’s repertoire. Copies of Living in the Present with John Prine books will also be available for purchase.A book signing will follow the event. For more about author Tom Piazza and Living in the Present with John Prine, please see https://saratogabookfestival.org/2025-festival-authors/.
Don’t miss this joyful evening at Caffè Lena, a warm and intimate setting to celebrate the beloved icon.
Click here for TICKETS at the Caffè Lena website.
Sunday, October 5
11:00am – 12:00pm: Headline Event (TICKETS REQUIRED)
Bestselling author and culinary luminary Ruth Reichl will discuss her latest book, The Paris Novel, with Tiina Loite, a former photo editor of the New York Times. Reichl, recipient of the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s LIfetime Achievement Award in 2024, has been honored with six other James Beard awards in recognition of her storied career as a chef, food writer, restaurant critic, and author of many culinary-themed books, including the novel Delicious, and the memoir Save Me the Plums. The Paris Novel was released in paperback this year. The interview with Ruth will be followed by a book signing. Guests are encouraged to purchase copies of Reichl’s books when they order tickets on the Universal Preservation Hall website HERE. Tickets include French-inspired pastries, provided by the Franklin Square Market. A book signing will follow her event.
11:00am - 12:00pm
Robert Lippman, a partner at the Lemery Greisler law firm, leads a session that explores the risks and benefits of using AI for writers, artists, and other creatives and what new technology means for the arts and humanities. Joining Lippman will be Professor Mason Stokes (All the Truth I Can Stand), Class of 1948 Chair for Excellence in Teaching, and Professor Sarah Sweeney, the Ella Van Dyke Tuthill ’32 Chair in Studio Art. Stokes has taught classes in “Writing with AI” and Sweeney uses AI in her art practice.
The Saratoga Book Festival and the Tang Teaching Museum team up to present a delightful family workshop with Mk Smith Despres, author of numerous illustrated books for children, including There’s That Sun Again and Night Song. Despres is an experienced educator and is known for delivering dynamic, interactive workshops for children of all ages. Ages 4-8
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Headline Event
Chris Bohjalian, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five books will talk about his newest historical fiction novel, The Jackal’s Mistress, with WMAC Radio’s Joe Donahue. The Jackal’s Mistress is a heart-stopping love story, based on a largely unknown piece of American Civil War history. In this Civil War tale, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger.
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Sam Rad (Samantha Radocchia) is a futurist, anthropologist, and creative technologist; a four-time technology entrepreneur; and the founder of the meta-media storytelling studio Radical Next. She has shared stories of radical change with global audiences on stages across five continents–empowering individuals, leaders, and organizations not only to survive but to thrive amid radical and accelerating change.
Her work has led to advisory roles with the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and the Federal Reserve, among others.She has served in multiple founding executive roles across the C-Suite, including co-founder of NYOUM, a London-based generative AI communication platform, and Chronicled, a San Francisco-based blockchain company bringing trust to global commerce. Prior to Chronicled, Sam founded two companies leveraging AI to map personal aesthetics and taste.
Her session offers an intriguing take on the man-vs-machine debate that is sure to spark lively conversations about what it means to be human in a world where technology is changing every facet of life at warp speed.
1:00pm – 4:00pm KidZone (Saratoga Springs Public Library)
Details coming soon…
Sponsored by Saratoga Springs Publishing
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Gary Rivlin, a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and author of AI Valley, will talk about the latest breakthroughs of generative AI, the high-tech titans competing for dominance, and developments that are changing the way we live and work with Matthew Lucas, Professor of Business, the Vice Chair of AI Strategy at Skidmore College, and a noted AI speaker.
With the pace of change accelerating rapidly, Rivlin and Lucas share their thoughts on what you need to know now about the most promising and the most problematic applications, and where guardrails have to be put in place to minimize harm. Whether you are a business owner or leader trying to stay abreast of the rapid changes AI has already caused, or a person concerned about what emerging technologies mean for your or your children’s future employment, or someone who needs a baseline understanding about AI, this session will help you cut through the noise and prepare yourself for what comes next.
This event is co-sponsored by the Lemery Greisler law firm.
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