Summerville Book Festival 2026
Welcome to the 2026 Summerville Book Festival! This year’s festival adds more panels, more FUN, over 50 faculty, and an extra evening of thrills…
FESTIVAL MAP/SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
MEET YOUR AUTHORS!
Summerville Book Festival author stages include our Bestsellers Stage at the Flowertown Theatre (paid programming with books signed by select authors Friday & Saturday and 10% discounts on ALL festival books); a free Children’s Stage (Saturday am) and free Lowcountry Stars Stage (Saturday afternoon) on Hutchinson Square; the Authors Voice event at the Timrod Library; and a Healing w/Words Signing & Salon breakfast!
Bestsellers Stage at the
Flowertown Players Theatre
Bestsellers Stage Programming takes place at the Flowertown Players Theatre, including a “Thrill in the ‘Ville” panel Friday evening, and a festive Saturday with romance, fantasy and southern fiction panels. Doors open at 12:30, followed by 6 pm signing/reception at Main Street Reads.
- Your VIP All Access Pass includes ALL programming at the Flowertown Players Theatre (with included books!)
- PLUS: VIP ticket holders enjoy 10% off the purchase of ANY panel author’s book in the theatre bookstore or at Main Street Reads.
- All Access ticket holders will have exclusive admission to the Authors/VIP Reception at Main Street Reads at 6:00 p.m., following the festival.
- New this year: General Admission tickets are available for individual sessions (do not include the reception or 10% discounts on books).
- Grab your tickets NOW – most events will sell out before February 27th. Tickets are available HERE or in-store at Main Street Reads.
BESTSELLERS STAGE: THRILL IN THE ‘VILLE
DOORS OPEN 6 PM, TALK 6:30 – 7:30 PM, RECEPTION 7:30 PM
Kick off your fun-filled festival experience with a super-special Friday night opener devoted entirely to THRILLS at the Flowertown Players Theatre. This electrifying evening features Yasmin Angoe, celebrating her new hit thriller Behind These Four Walls, recently selected by the TODAY Show as a national February Must-Read.
Angoe will be in conversation with local favorites Alex Lettau and Bob Spearman, along with acclaimed author and this panel’s moderator, Lorna Hollifield (Bright Little Girls). Both VIP and GA tickets include a signed copy of Behind These Four Walls, plus an exclusive post-event “Wine & Sign” reception at Main Street Reads, where attendees can have books personalized by each of the featured authors — AND you can shop all of their titles at a special attendee-only 10% discount.
Lorna Hollifield
Yasmin Angoe
Alex Lettau
Bob Spearman
BESTSELLERS STAGE: KISS & TELL ROMANCE
DOORS OPEN 12:30 PM, TALK FROM 1-2 PM, SIGNING 2:30-3 PM
Get Ready for Romance! Saturday’s first Bestsellers Stage session is all romance, beginning at 1:00 pm (doors open at 12:30). Authors will sign books on-site for following the panel, moderated by Marissa Hale.
This is a festival special READERS CHOICE panel—BOTH General Admission and VIP All Access ticket holders will enjoy 20% off any participating author’s books… read on for selections!
Savannah Reed
Catherine Mann
Robin Hillyer-Miles
Addie Bealer
Elaine Reed
Marissa Hale
Rebecca Wrights
Kiss & Tell Romance
Including books by Savannah Reed, Marissa Hale, Catherine Mann, Elaine Reed, Rebecca Wrights and Addie Bealer. From cowboy to contemporary to regency to romantasy… sweet to steamy, there’s a Kiss & Tell selection (or why choose!) just waiting to be your book boyfriend this year!
BESTSELLERS STAGE: FABULOUS FANTASY
DOORS OPEN 2 PM, TALK FROM 2:30 – 3:30 PM, SIGNING 3:30-4 PM
Yasmin Angoe is on the Saturday stage with this highly anticipated FANTASY! Penguin Random House has given us special permission to release the book early (it actually releases March 3) so if you have a ticket to this session, you’ll get the very first signed first editions of She Drinks the Light!
Also featured in this talent-laden panel, beginning at 2:30 pm at the Flowertown Players Theatre, are author and panel moderator Dorothy McFalls, AND local favorites AF Winter, EM Etheridge and Denise Lee with their newest fantasy installments, PLUS Georgia-based Allen Lyle with his dark epic fantasy meets sci-fi novel. All six authors have new releases and VIP ticket holders get 10% off their books at the theatre bookshop set up for this event! This promises to be one fantasy-fueled event! Authors will sign their works following the discussion.
Yasmin Angoe
Dorothy McFalls
Allen Lyle
Denise Lee
Crystal Michel
E.M. Etheridge
A.F. Winter
Dorothy McFalls – Moderator
BESTSELLERS STAGE: STRICTLY SOUTHERN
DOORS OPEN 3:30 PM, TALK FROM 3:30 – 4:30 PM, SIGNING 4:30 – 5 PM
We all love great southern fiction, and this panel will highlight what makes a southern story sing. Featuring TI Lowe (tickets include signed early-release first editions of her newest work, South of Somewhere), and moderated by At Loggerheads author Kristen Ness.
This panel will also highlight southern fiction authors Catherine Mann (Lightning in a Mason Jar), Gervais Hagerty (In Polite Company), Carolyn Hooker (Leaving Edgefield) and Dan Leach (Junah at the End of the World). This final session on the Bestsellers stage begins at 4 pm, followed by signing, and then the VIP author reception at Main Street Reads at 6 pm.
TI Lowe
Catherine Mann
Kristen Ness
Gervais Hagerty
Carolyn Hooker
Dan Leach
HEALTH & HEALING WITH WORDS:
STUDIO SALON & SIGNING
An intimate salon featuring authors who write bravely about personal challenge, healing, and hope. Together, we’ll explore how words can shape understanding, foster connection, and offer real comfort—sometimes when we need it most. This is an open-forum discussion with audience participation encouraged.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. Doors open 9:30 a.m. at Flowertown Players’ Blackbox Studio (Journal Alley) with coffee and continental breakfast. Salon: 10:00–11:30 a.m.
Ticketed event — available HERE, at Main Street Reads, OR included with VIP All Access and VIP Saturday Passes.
Robert Dorchak, Jr
Kristy Dominiak
Maria Cruz
Terri McCrea
Sarah Marie
Henley Carr
TIMROD LIBRARY SPECIAL EVENT:
This ticketed event features a moderated authors panel and light breakfast at the historic Timrod Library. Running from 9 a.m. until noon, you’ll meet well-known authors talking about their craft and the writing life. Grab your tix at the Timrod Library or on their website. Tickets are $50 member/$75 non-member. Proceeds benefit the Timrod. Space IS limited to just 30 attendees!
Dr. Scott Yarbrough of Charleston Southern University will moderate the panel of authors that includes Brad Taylor, Catherine Mann and Lorna Hollfield. Dr. Yarbrough is the vice president for academic compliance and accreditation at Charleston Southern. A tenured professor of English, he served as chair for CSU’s English Department for fourteen years.
FREE EVENTS ALL DAY SATURDAY
Get Creative at PWAC: 11:30 am – 1 pm
Book Repair: Chat and Share!
Summerville’s Public Works Arts Center is offering a fun, free activity: From 11:30 am – 1 pm you can learn about the fine art of bookbinding! Come and see Summerville’s own bookbinders, Kimber and Charlene of Scribblescale’s Bindery, talk about book repairs. (For a chance to have your book discussed at no charge, drop off one or more books at the Public Works Arts Center before 5:00 on Friday, February 27th.)
Children’s Stage on Hutchinson Square:
FREE STORIES ON THE SQUARE KIDS STAGE: 11:00 am – NOON
(*Percentage of proceeds benefit the Timrod Library)
The Children’s Stage will once again be emcee’d by Main Street Reads’ favorite visiting storyteller, Auntie Leslie! Free and open to ALL.
Martha Jawarowski
Kem Welch
Ashley Belote
The Yagecic Family
Marybeth Wishart
Mark Beasley
LOWCOUNTRY STARS STAGE:
MEET AUTHORS on HUTCHINSON SQUARE FROM 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Leslie Koller and storyteller Tim Lowry will emcee an afternoon of amazing books and authors in a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Signed books will be for sale at the festival tent near the stage. **Hutchinson Square programming is free and open to ALL and a percentage of all book proceeds benefit the Timrod Library!
Leslie Koller launched her career in the book world as a copy editor with Loyola Press in Chicago, Illinois. She later moved to the Carolinas and obtained a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina. She currently works as a Branch Manager for the Dorchester County Library System. She also serves on the board of the Timrod Library in Summerville. Leslie is an aspiring author with permanent writer’s block.
When Tim Lowry isn’t delighting audiences across the United States with performances at storytelling festivals, schools, and libraries, he enjoys spending time in his hometown of Summerville, SC with his wife and two daughters, tending to the tomato plants in his garden, and reading from the Old Farmer’s Almanac while sipping sweet tea. He is the author of Southern Fried Circus.
Karen Stokes
Wesley Moore III
Catherine Yael Serota
Donna Lynn Lito
Jewel Sweeney
Patrick Harwood
George Brewington
Janet Howle
Tim Routch
Lindsay Street
Carolyn Hooker
Emelia Timpo
Robert Dorchak Jr
Kristy Dominiak
Terri McCrea
**We have a limited number of chairs at the outdoor stage; feel free to bring a lawn chair. While you’re there, enjoy Summerville’s local eateries and all the creative food and craft vendors at the festival!
MEET YOUR VENDORS!
Shop for all the books, book-themed crafts, food, AND learn about Summerville’s awesome arts programs as a newly designated South Carolina Cultural District! (Need a booth? VISIT THIS LINK to apply!)
MEET OUR PARTNERS
It takes a village: When we work together, it’s a win for ALL of us!
DREAM works with small businesses, orgs and specialty vendors around town to encourage economic vitality, entertainment, and community outreach, including the Farmers Market, Sweet Tea Festival, Third Thursdays, Christmas Parade and now the Summerville Book Festival! DREAM celebrates the shop local approach. Community Partners are recognized as trusted advisors who embrace “I am because we are” — together we all succeed.
The Mission of The Flowertown Players, Inc. is to produce and present quality community theatre, to encourage and promote educational and literary performing arts projects for all segments of the tri-county population, and to provide a venue for thespians, artists, techs, writers and other creatives to practice their crafts. Through the arts, we help provide an enriching experience in our Summervlle community.
We bring the news of each community to the readers of our print editions with a strong emphasis on local content and local writers. Our newspapers are an integral part of the communities they represent. The Summerville Journal Scene, founded in 1940, is published every Wednesday and delivered weekly to nearly 25,000 households in Dorchester County and parts of Berkeley County. For more info, call 843-873-9424.
The Timrod Library began in 1897, when a group of young Summerville women, inspired by the Chautauqua literary movement, formed a reading circle. In 1908, it was chartered as the Timrod Literary and Library Association. The Timrod continues to serve as a hub of literary events. Board members, employees and volunteers continue their literary mission: serving the community and caring for the historic building.
HOST HOTEL: HILTON GARDEN INN
The official hotel of the Summerville Book Festival is the Hilton Garden Inn (406 Sigma Dr, Summerville, SC 29486).
This is a stunning and peaceful property less than three miles from historic downtown Summerville.
CLICK HERE for the special rate of $139, OR call (843) 832-1304 and press “0” to speak with a guest service agent on property. You must reference the group code “901”. Reservations need to be made by February 19th, 2026 to receive the group rate.
Questions on any festival matters? Email: shelfcare@mainstreetreads.com