One For the Books: Decatur Book Festival Celebrates 20 Years

In the heart of the city of Decatur, board members, neighbors, book lovers, and authors alike are preparing for one of the community’s biggest events of the year: The Decatur Book Festival.

The Decatur Book Festival (DBF) is an annual independent book festival that brings together authors and enthusiasts from across the literary community. The 2025 DBF will take place on Oct. 3-4, marking the festival’s 20th anniversary. 

Decatur Book Festival Book Booth I Photo courtesy of DBF

The event will begin on Friday with Keynote and “Kidnote” celebrations from authors Saeed Jones and Angie Thomas. On Saturday, attendees can engage in a wide variety of activities, including author panels, live entertainment, a children’s parade, a culinary village, and even a literary tour of Decatur Cemetery. According to Leslie Wingate, the Executive Director of the DBF, “What makes the festival so special is its incredible range — there truly is something for everyone.”

This year’s festival will host over 100 authors and poets. Similar to the events, the list of authors includes something for all book lovers. The lineup ranges from justice-centered thriller authors such as Stacey Abrams, to romantic fantasy authors like Rebecca Ross, to up-and-coming student writers. 

Decatur Book Festival Entertainment Stage I Photo courtesy of DBF

The festival aims to foster connections within the community and inspire a love of storytelling in people of all ages. “In an era when so much of our time is spent behind screens, our festival offers something increasingly rare: real, in-person connection. That sense of shared experience is vital for building a strong and thriving community,” said Wingate.

The first DBF took place over Labor Day weekend 2006 and quickly flourished into one of the largest independent book festivals in the country. According to Decaturish, the event drew 90,000 attendees in 2009 alone. The festival has also hosted hundreds of authors. Previous keynote speakers include but are not limited to Roxane Gay, Sonia Sotomayor, Jericho Brown, and Joyce Carol Oates.

The journey to the 20-year milestone was not without setbacks. Like many other local events, the festival struggled to stay afloat after the COVID-19 pandemic. In September of 2020, the event debuted a virtual format, hosting a variety of online panels over the course of a month. 

Decatur Book Festival Exhibitor I Photo courtesy of DBF

The DBF returned to its in-person roots the following year; however, in 2023, the organizers announced that the festival would be going on a brief hiatus. In a blog post on their website, the DBF team stated that they would “take a step back and reevaluate short- and long-term festival planning and operations to solidify our ability to deliver stellar programming.” 

The festival successfully returned last October, and according to their website, garnered over 10,000 guests. Despite the challenges, the DBF is back and remains focused on creating an inclusive environment and celebrating new books and ideas. “After our comeback year in 2024, we’re here to stay — stronger, bigger, and more community-centered than ever,” said Wingate.

The scope of the community benefiting from the festival includes Oglethorpe, which is roughly a 25-minute drive from downtown Decatur. Oglethorpe third-year Elizabeth Parker plans on attending this year’s DBF. “I love to read and am interested in working in publishing, so it’s exciting to get to connect with other readers and hear from experienced authors,” said Parker. 

Oglethorpe has seen its own increase in community book events with the development of Oglethorpe’s student book club, the Petrel Page Turners. The club hosts weekly meetings and larger community events, like last year’s Gatsby Gala. 

According to Kaelyn McKinley, president and founding member of the Petrel Page Turners, events like the Gatsby Gala and the DBF are essential for communities because they foster social connections with literature. “Reading is how we participate in our society. It’s how we decide to receive knowledge, not from just what someone is telling us, but from what we’ve learned for ourselves through the literature we engage with,” said McKinley.

Decatur Book Festival Natasha Trethewey Session I Photo courtesy of DBF

This idea of creating new connections and promoting creativity and critical thinking is also the heart of the DBF. “Festivals like the Decatur Book Festival remind us that stories are what connect people. They give neighbors, students, and families the chance to meet authors face-to-face, discover new voices, and engage in conversations that spark curiosity and understanding,” said Wingate.

Students can learn how to attend or be a part of this year’s festival here.