Get the whole family excited about reading at this year’s Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

Photo above by Jonas Jacobsson via Unsplash.

The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is a free annual event that celebrates the love of reading and the vibrant community of writers in our local area. Poets, authors and readers gather at the festival each year. 

This year, the festival takes place on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s main location in Oakland (4400 Forbes Ave). The day will include author talks and storytimes, along with other free activities for families.

A wide range of authors and poets will be appearing, including many who write children’s books, middle grade novels and YA fiction. Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Kaitlin Cavalancia, Kyla Zhao, Brittany J. Thurman, Phyllis Leyden-Alexander, Omar Tyree, Kelly Starling Lyons, Joy Givens, Daniel Errico, Katie Mazeika, F.T. Lukens and many more are scheduled for this year’s festival.

Registration isn’t required, but it can be helpful to sign up for a spot to see your favorite writers.

At the event, families can also pre-register for the Carnegie Library’s annual Summer Reading program, Flights of Imagination 2025, which encourages children and teens to read at least five books from June 1 through Aug. 10 and help combat the “summer slide” they may experience during the months out of school. The Library challenges readers of all ages to finish 80,000 books by the end of the program.

Adults can participate in the Summer Reading program, too, and there will be speakers at the event that grownups will love hearing from, including:

• Rachel Khong, author of “Goodbye, Vitamin,” will speak on her newest release and New York Times bestseller “Real Americans,” an exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family.
• Torrey Peters, award-winning author of “Detransition, Baby,” will speak on her forthcoming release, “Stag Dance.”
• Grammy Award-winning artist Judy Collins will read from her new poetry collection, “Sometimes, Its Heaven: Poems of Loss, Love and Redemption,” sponsored by The International Poetry Forum, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit which recently re-established its world-renowned influence on the art after a 14-year hiatus.
• Sharon G. Flake, a three-time Coretta Scott King award winner and author of the groundbreaking novel “The Skin I’m In,” will reflect on 25 years of transforming the landscape of young adult literature and discuss her latest novel, “The Family I’m In.”

Search here to see all of this year’s speakers and learn more about the festival. It’s a great way to kick off a summer of reading fun.

And though we don’t have details yet, we’re told the folks from CLP will be announcing a major initiative focused on literacy in the Pittsburgh area, reflecting a shared commitment with the community to give all readers the tools needed to unlock their full potential.

“Literacy is a launching point for thriving in school, at work, and in life,” said Andrew Medlar, President and Director, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. “At the Library, we’re creating more access to culturally relevant, awesome, and fun educational resources to help inspire a love of reading. The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is one of many ways the Library is working together with our community and taking action to close literacy gaps.”

Want to get your kids even more excited about reading this summer? Check out this advice from Pittsburgh authors on helping kids discover the magic of books.