Carmel Book Festival returning for second year

CARMEL – Several hundred local authors and readers are expected to attend Saturday’s Carmel Book Festival, a revival of last year's Author Faire that the Carmel Chamber of Commerce plans to host annually.

The festival is free to attend, and will take place at Carmel Plaza from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Attendees will rub elbows with award-winning authors – including over 30 participating in an official capacity – browse curated selections of books for sale from participating authors and have chances to win gift cards to local businesses through hourly raffles.

"Bringing it back, we really just wanted to support our local authors," said Kimberlie Guerrieri, vice president of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, about the festival. "We wanted to give them a place where they could meet face to face with their readers … and we wanted to give people who love reading books, collecting books, and meeting new authors a chance to do that."

The now-annual festival was first conceptualized by local children's author Kirsten Tarman, who organized the Author Faire last summer. That event followed a similar format to this year's festival, according to Guerrieri, although the new iteration features more authors and a more dynamic schedule.

One new addition this year is a panel with local authors Meredith May, Lisa Crawford Watson and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jane Smiley, moderated by journalist and author Alison van Diggelen. With the tagline "Stories That Stay With You," the panel will explore the unique perspectives of each author through the lens of their work – which, according to the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, is rooted in "the complexities of family, identity, resilience and the ties that shape our lives."

The book festival will also celebrate the unveiling of "Hearts of Carmel 2026," another anticipated highlight, at the end of the afternoon. An art installation consisting of 12 heart-shaped sculptures installed throughout Carmel, "Hearts of Carmel" will be on exhibit through Sept. 8.

"Part of (Carmel's) roots are Bohemian…our musicians and artists and writers and painters," said Guerrieri. "And so we always look for a chance at the Chamber to support that in our community and keep it going."

The festival comes at a relatively busy time in Carmel this summer. The 89-year-old Carmel Bach Festival began its latest season on July 11, bringing with it music and art connoisseurs from near and far. The Carmel Heritage Society's 32nd Annual Carmel House Tour, which celebrates architecture and history while touring eight local homes, will also overlap with the Book Festival on Saturday afternoon.

"They all kind of go together," said Guerrieri of this summer's events. "We know that a lot of people will come to town…so it'll be a beautiful Saturday in Carmel to go to one event and then stop by another."

For more information visit, https://members.carmelchamber.org/events/details/carmel-by-the-sea-book-festival-61893

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