The BookFest® Spring 2025 Schedule Features Nicholas Delbanco, Peter James, and Dr. Raye Mitchell

The online bookish adventure returns April 5th–6th with Beth Freely, Chelle Honiker, Mark Leslie, Denise Mullinex, Nick Thacker, Cameron Sutter, and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ --  The BookFest Adventure^® returns for its 11th biannual virtual event on April 5th and 6th, 2025. The Spring 2025 edition features Nicholas Delbanco, acclaimed author of “The Years,” and “What Remains,” in conversation about his memoir, “Still Life at Eighty: A Memoir.” Peter James, internationally bestselling author of the “Roy Grace” series, will also join in conversation during this always-free-to-attend online event with programming for both the reading and writing communities.

Dr. Raye Mitchell will be celebrated with the Honorary Achievement BookFest Award for her significant contributions to the literary and creative communities, as well as to The BookFest as one of the pioneers who helped define and support the event from its inception. Plus, The BookFest Award winners for Spring 2025 will be announced during the presentation “A Salute to The BookFest Award Winners” at the end of the day on Sunday, April 6th. Winners will be posted on The BookFest website and notified by email, too.

Chelle Honiker, publisher of “Indie Author Magazine” and program director for Author Nation, will deliver the opening keynote on Day 1 of The BookFest, empowering attendees to explore how stories help readers validate their identities, expand their understanding, and build empathy across differences. Mark Leslie, author of “A Canadian Werewolf in New York,” will deliver the keynote on Day 2, sharing a message to writers about why the world needs them more than ever.

As always, the first day of The BookFest features programming geared toward readers, while the second day zeroes in on the writing community. The event features over 45 authors, literary experts, and speakers participating in BookFest Panels, Conversations, Special Segments, and the fan-favorite and often unpredictable Live Author Chats.

Saturday, April 5th, 2025, livestream programming is dedicated to readers. Listed in Pacific Time, the programming includes:

10:30am PT – Welcome Message from The BookFest Founder Desireé Duffy
10:35am PT – Opening Keynote – Chelle Honiker: Stories That Reflect and Reveal
10:45am PT – A Salute to Dr. Raye Mitchell – Winner of the Honorary Achievement BookFest Award
11:00am PT – A Conversation with Peter James: Crafting Crime and Captivating Readers
11:45am PT – Harnessing Horror: Turning Fear into Strength with Angela Yuriko Smith
12:00pm PT – Panel Discussion – Shelf Shuffle: A Mix of Must-Reads
12:45pm PT – The Lewis Chessmen in Fact and Fiction with Sara Winokur
1:00pm PT – Global Kids: Reading Around the World with Lynne Marie
1:30pm PT – Panel Discussion – David Lynch: Living the Art Life
2:30pm PT – BookFest Award Winner Spotlight: Twelve Steps for White America with William Watson
3:00pm PT – Live Author Chats hosted by Scott Ryan and Becca Moore
5:00pm PT – Winners of The BookFest Big Bundle of Books Giveaway and The BookFest Children’s Book Giveaway announced

Sunday, April 6th, 2025, livestream programming is dedicated to writers. Listed in Pacific Time, the programming includes:

10:30am PT – Welcome Back Message
10:35am PT – Keynote – Mark Leslie: Writer, The World Needs You
10:45am PT – How To Work With Beta Readers with Brandie June
11:00am PT – A Conversation with Nicholas Delbanco: A Life in Letters
11:45am PT – Galaxies and Kingdoms: Building Vibrant and Complex Story Worlds with Candace Kade
12:00pm PT – Direct Sales for Indie Authors, Kickstarter, Substack, Cons, and More with Amy Wolf
12:30pm PT – Preparing for Developmental Editing: Approach with Confidence with Beth Freely
12:45pm PT – Mastering Amazon Keywords: Boost Book Discoverability with Dale L. Roberts
1:15pm PT – Pros and Cons of Working with an Indie Press with Mary Vensel
1:30pm PT – Website Wizardry & Social Media Sorcery with Denise Mullinex
2:00pm PT – Draft2Digital Covering Book Covers with Nick Thacker, presented by Draft2Digital
2:45pm PT – Why You Should Pack Your Bags for the Kauai Writers Conference with David Katz
3:00pm PT – Build Book Bibles from Your Backlog with Cameron Sutter, presented by Plottr
3:15pm PT – A Salute to The BookFest Award Winners Spring 2025

Check the full schedule on The BookFest website’s Programming Page, where updates and changes will be posted.

The full list of BookFest Spring 2025 speakers includes: Diann Floyd Boehm, Zane Carson Carruth, Taran Collis, J. Gordon Curtis, Nicholas Delbanco, Craig DiLouie, Dave Duffy, Desiree Duffy, Beth Freely, Mick Heyman, Chelle Honiker, Bill Hulseman, Tony Jacobsen, Peter James, Brandie June, Candace Kade, David Katz, Mark Leslie, Willow Maclay, Lynne Marie, Emily (Em) Marinelli, K. McCoy, Sarah McDavis, Candace McPhie, Dr. Raye Mitchell, Becca Moore, Denise Mullinex, Kelly O'Hearn, Daniel Okrent, Charly Palmer, Atousa Raissyan, Aimee Ravichandran, Dale L. Roberts, Scott Ryan, Brent Simon, Angela Yuriko Smith, Courtenay Stallings, Cameron Sutter, Nick Thacker, Newton Vanriel, Mary Vensel White, William Watson, Sara Winokur, Denise Woods, and Amy Wolf.

Desireé Duffy, Founder of The BookFest, says, “Celebrating the 11th BookFest is a testament to the power of stories and the communities they create. This Spring’s lineup showcases voices that inspire, challenge, and transform. We’re excited to bring readers and writers together for another unforgettable bookish adventure.”

The BookFest is made possible with support from Corporate Bellwethers, including the presenting sponsor Bookinfluencers.com. The list of backers this season include: Book Award Pro, Books That Make You, Bookshop Fundraising, Draft2Digital, Geek Girl Publishing, Indie Author Magazine, Kauai Writers Conference, Loscon, Plottr, Relatable Voice Magazine, The Muses Funhouse, WriterCon and Writers and Publishers Network. Find them on The BookFest website and visit their Virtual Booths.

The BookFest features its signature Big Bundle of Books Giveaway, Children’s Book Giveaway, and Writers Giveaway. Attendees can enter for chances to win exclusive books and prizes from Black Château, Books That Make You, Plottr, WriterCon and more. People are encouraged to enter for chances to win on the Giveaway Page.

The BookFest attendees can browse the Books Page showcasing books from participants. The BookFest organizers encourage attendees to browse books and support the authors and brands who help bring this free-to-attend event to readers and writers around the globe.

The event’s hub is the website TheBookFest.com, where visitors can find the livestream link on the day of the event. Also, it will stream through the Books That Make You Channel on YouTube and The BookFest Facebook Page. Hashtags #TheBookFest and #TheBookFestSpring2025 are used to spread the word.

People can become a BookFester by signing up for email alerts to receive news delivered directly to their inbox. They’ll also receive the Virtual Gift Bag, sent at the end of each BookFest, which includes downloadable items and special offers and deep discounts from many Corporate Bellwethers and backers.

The BookFest is produced by Black Château Enterprises and presented in part by Books That Make You.

About The BookFest Adventure^®

The BookFest is the leader in virtual literary events, producing vital conversations on the world’s stage for those who love to read and those who love to write. It launched in May 2020, at a time when many live events were canceled. Free to attend, the biannual event takes place in the spring and fall, streaming panel discussions, conversations, and live interactive sessions. As an award-winning event, The BookFest has received recognition from the Webby Awards with a nomination in 2021, a gold award from the Muse Creative Awards in 2020, and a silver award from the w3 Awards in 2020. The BookFest features an array of literary speakers, experts, and authors, including: Mitch Albom; Kevin J. Anderson; Angela Bole; Mark Coker; James Dashner; Robert G. Diforio; Dr. Michael Greger; Cheryl Willis Hudson; Wade Hudson; Sarah Kendzior; Jonathan Maberry; Josh Malerman; Lisa Morton; Karla Olson; Deborah M. Pratt; James Rollins; Connie Schultz; Michael Shermer; Mark K. Shriver; Danny Trejo; Helene Wecker; Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and many others. The BookFest is presented by Books That Make You and produced by Black Château Enterprises. The BookFest is a registered trademark of Desireé Duffy, founder of all three. For more information, visit The BookFest website.

Desiree Duffy
Black Chateau
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