San Jose Book Festival

The San Jose Book Festival, an inaugural, free, and family-friendly event, will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Eastridge Center in San Jose. Its primary goal is to connect local readers with a diverse array of authors, indie publishers, and literary groups, with over 100 participants expected, primarily from the Bay Area. The festival is supported by the San Jose Public Library, BookSmart, and the office of San Jose City Councilman Domingo Candelas.

Throughout the day, attendees can engage directly with authors for discussions and book signings. A highlight of the festival is the keynote address by Karen Joy Fowler, author of bestsellers like “The Jane Austen Book Club,” scheduled for 11 a.m. at the mall’s center court. Panel discussions will take place at BookSmart on the second level, covering topics such as “How to Turn Ideas into Books,” “Why Fantasy Resonates at Every Age,” and exploring the appeal of “Unconventional, Brazen and Morally Gray Characters.”

The festival also offers entertainment for younger attendees, including story time and photo opportunities with Pete the Cat at noon and 3 p.m. For a more dynamic experience, sword-fighting demonstrations are set for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Various literary organizations, including the Mystery Writers of America NorCal Chapter, Northern California Sisters in Crime, Paper Lantern Writers, Poetry Center San Jose, Bay Area Queer Writers Association, South Bay Writers, Small Publishing in a Big Universe, and Writers Grotto, are slated to participate.