Columbus Book Festival returns July 13-14

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Metropolitan Library’s free two-day book festival returns this weekend.

From July 13-14 at the Main Library and Topiary Park, located in downtown Columbus, guests can interact with several authors, check out several local bookstores and get some food and drinks from the many food vendors.

The library held the first-ever Columbus Book Festival last year in honor of its 150th birthday. Due to its success, event organizers decided to hold the festival again this summer. About 34,000 people attended last year.

The headliners for the festival include authors Hanif Abdurraqib, Porochista Khakpour, Nick Petrie, Veronica Roth and Kennedy Ryan.

In addition to the five headliners, the festival will feature more than 200 national and local authors from a variety of genres who will participate in panel discussions and sign books sold through the Official Festival Bookstore.

More than 70 independent creators, small press writers and self-published authors will exhibit under the Indie Author Alley tent.

Local food and drinks, new and used books for sale, retail and nonprofit exhibitors featuring all things literary, will fill Topiary Park.

The Friends of the Library’s Big Book Sale will also be going on during the event.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.