Welcome to the 2026 Summerville Book Festival page! This year’s festival adds more panels, more fun, and an extra evening of thrills at the Flowertown Players Theatre!
FESTIVAL MAP/SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
MEET YOUR AUTHORS!
The Summerville Book Festival author stages include our Bestsellers Stage at the Flowertown Theatre (paid programming includes books signed by select authors Friday & Saturday and big discounts on all festival books); a free Children’s Stage (Sat. am) and Lowcountry Stars Stage (Sat, afternoon) on Hutchinson Square; the Authors Voice event at the Timrod; 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 day Saturday with romance, fantasy and southern fiction panels. Doors open noon Saturday, followed by signing/reception at Main Street Reads.
- VIP Tix include ALL programming at the Flowertown Players Theatre.
- PLUS: VIP ticket holders enjoy 10% off the purchase of ANY panel author’s book in the theatre bookstore or at Main Street Reads.
- VIP ticket holders will have exclusive admission to the Authors/VIP Reception at Main Street Reads at 6:00 p.m., following the festival.
- General admission tickets available w/out reception or discounts.
- Buy your tickets now – events will sell out before February 27th. Tickets are available HERE or in-store at Main Street Reads.
BESTSELLERS STAGE: THRILL IN THE ‘VILLE
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 favorite Alex Lettau, author of the chilling new release Night Plague, and acclaimed author and moderator Lorna Hollifield (Bright Little Girls).
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 discount.
Lorna Hollifield
Yasmin Angoe
Alex Lettau
BESTSELLERS STAGE: KISS & TELL ROMANCE
Rebecca Wrights
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Elaine Reed
BESTSELLERS STAGE: FABULOUS FANTASY
Yasmin Angoe
Dorothy McFalls
Denise Lee
BESTSELLERS STAGE: STRICTLY SOUTHERN
Kristen Ness
TI Lowe
Catherine Mann
TIMROD LIBRARY PROGRAMMING
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 tickets 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! FACULTY so far includes Brad Taylor, Lorna Hollifield, and Catherine Mann. Stay tuned for details and purchase link.
HEALTH & HEALING WITH WORDS:
STUDIO SALON & SIGNING
Join AUTHORS writing about personal challenges and how words can heal us all. This will be an open forum discussion and author books will be available for sale/signing at the event. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. to enjoy coffee and continental breakfast; workshop 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. This is a ticketed event – available HERE and at the door at 9 a.m.
Maria Cruz
Kristy Dominiak
Terri McCrea
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 – 12:30 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
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
Timrod Library chair 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. **All Hutchinson Square programming is free and open to ALL.
Karen Stokes
Wesley Moore III
Catherine Yael Serota
Donna Lynn Lito
Jewel Sweeney
Patrick Harwood
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**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 books, bookish-themed crafts, food, AND learn about Summerville’s awesome arts programs as a newly designated South Carolina Arts & Cultural District!
- 32 Degrees North
- A Wild Hare
- Book Girlie Creations
- Books of Distinction
- Carrie Harwoods LLC
- Casco’s Creations
- Dean’s Meaner Weiners (Food Truck)
- Evening Post Books
- Gorditas Locas (Food Truck)
- James Brown’s Famous Boiled Peanuts
- Lowcountry Romance Writers
- Main Street Reads
- Mary Goop and the Magic Words
- Moon & Back Books
- Public Works Arts Center
- Publishing Pros
- Pure Fluff Co. (Cotton Candy)
- Rebecca Wrights (Author)
- South Porch Artists Residency
- Spellbound Metaphysical & Wellness
- Summerville DREAM
- The Crafty M
- The Design Demon
- The Murder Lounge
- The Raine & Grace Co.
- The Timrod Library
- Timpo Associates
MEET OUR PARTNERS
It takes a village: When we all work together, it’s a win for you, for us, and for our entire community…
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.