Aspen Literary Festival 2026
Thursday, September 25 - Saturday, September 27
Pitkin County Library is proud to partner with Aspen Words for the 2026 Aspen Literary Festival!
Kick off the weekend with Locals Night! at the Library, then join the community September 25–27 for free author conversations, book signings, book clubs, programs for young readers and families, and more. Attendees can also find Library staff at Festival Headquarters throughout the weekend to discover books, digital resources, upcoming programs, and everything your Library offers.
What is the Aspen Literary Festival?
The Aspen Literary Festival is a three-day celebration of books, writers, and ideas that brings readers together with acclaimed, bestselling, and emerging authors in the heart of Aspen. Throughout the autumn weekend, venues across downtown come alive with author conversations, panel discussions, book signings, literary events, and opportunities to discover new writers and connect with fellow readers.
Festival programming spans genres and interests, with conversations featuring novelists, nonfiction writers, journalists, poets, and authors for young readers. Events invite audiences to go beyond the page and hear directly from writers about their books, creative processes, experiences, and the ideas that shape their work.
The Pitkin County Library is one of the Festival’s sponsors and community venues, hosting free author conversations and special programming throughout the weekend in partnership with Aspen Words. Festival events also take place at locations throughout downtown Aspen, making it easy to move between conversations and experience the festival alongside everything Aspen has to offer.
Most Aspen Literary Festival events are free with festival registration, giving attendees access to a wide range of author conversations and programs throughout the weekend. Seating at free events is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so registering is recommended. Select marquee programs at the Wheeler Opera House are separately ticketed and require advance purchase.
Whether you plan an entire weekend around your favorite writers, discover an author you’ve never read before, bring a young reader to be inspired by an author at a Next Gen workshop, or simply stop in for a conversation that catches your interest, the Aspen Literary Festival offers many ways to take part in a community-wide celebration of reading and storytelling.
Start the Festival at the Library
Locals Night!
Thursday, September 24 | 5:00pm–6:30pm | Pitkin County Library | All Ages
Aspen Literary Festival presents: Locals Night! Join us at the library as a “pre-game” to the 2026 Aspen Literary Festival. Mingle with local authors, gain early access to literary festival registration and merchandise, listen to live local music, and enter the raffle where you could win tickets to Laugh More Everyday (taking place at The Wheeler Opera House Thursday evening at 7:30pm). The evening will feature light bites by local vendors, and refreshments will be provided.
Author Conversations at the Library
Author conversations at Pitkin County Library are free with Aspen Literary Festival General Admission registration. Doors open 30 minutes before each program. Book signings follow select author conversations.
Alexander McCall Smith & Matt de la Peña: The Writing Life
Friday, September 25 | 12:30pm–1:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | All Ages
Doors open at 12:00pm · Book signing to follow
What compels a writer to return to the page, book after book? Two beloved and prolific storytellers dig into the habits, obsessions, and deeper sense of purpose that have sustained their remarkable careers. A conversation about creative longevity, the mysteries of inspiration, and the enduring belief that stories can illuminate our lives—and perhaps even change them.
Alexander McCall Smith is the internationally bestselling author of numerous books and series, including The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. His newest book is The Big Cats Dance Party.
Matt de la Peña is a Newbery Medal-winning author whose books for young readers include Last Stop on Market Street and Home.
Christina Baker Kline: The Foursome
Friday, September 25 | 2:30pm–3:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | All Ages
Doors open at 2:00pm · Book signing to follow
Two sisters. Two world-famous conjoined brothers. Twenty-one children. And a family history almost too astonishing to be true. This solo presentation brings to life the remarkable story behind “The Foursome:” Sarah and Adelaide Yates, who married Chang and Eng Bunker in 19th-century North Carolina—and who happen to be the novelist’s own distant relatives. An intimate journey into the history, research, and imagination behind a novel that explores marriage, family, identity, and what it means to live an ordinary life under extraordinary circumstances.
Christina Baker Kline is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Orphan Train, The Exiles, and The Foursome.
Book of the Month Presents: Sofia Montrone, Bobby Palmer & Ríoghnach Robinson
Saturday, September 26 | 2:30pm–3:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | All Ages
Doors open at 2:00pm · Book signing to follow
Join us for a special taping of the Book of the Month Live podcast, where we get authors out of the pages and into unexpected conversations. Authors Sofia Montrone, Bobby Palmer, and Ríoghnach Robinson will join podcast host and Book of the Month Editorial Director Brianna Goodman for a lively conversation at the Aspen Literary Festival.
Sofia Montrone is the author of Nymph.
Bobby Palmer is the author of Main Characters.
Ríoghnach Robinson is the author of Bad Words.
Moderated by Brianna Goodman
Pete McBride: Witness to Water
Sunday, September 27 | 2:00–3:00pm | Dunaway Community Room | All Ages
Doors open at 1:30pm · Book Signing to Follow
Breathtaking photography, film, and sound bring the Colorado River vividly to life in this immersive presentation. Following the river from its Rocky Mountain headwaters to its vanishing delta, this unforgettable journey captures its beauty, peril, and power—and the urgent fight to protect the lifeblood of the American West.
Solo Audiovisual Presentation
Pete McBride is the author of Witness to Water.
Aspen Literary Festival Next Gen at the Library
New in 2026, Aspen Literary Festival Next Gen is a series of free programs for young readers and families. Young people accompanied by an adult chaperone can meet bestselling authors, discover new books, and take part in engaging literary conversations and creative activities. Presented in partnership with the Pitkin County Library and schools throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, Next Gen brings a diverse range of enriching literary programs to local families, creating meaningful opportunities for young people to read, write, and grow.
Featured authors of young people’s literature at the 2026 festival include: Matt de la Peña (Home, Last Stop on Market Street), Kelly Yang (the Front Desk series), twin authors Paul A. Reynolds (The Sydney and Simon series) and Peter H. Reynolds (The Dot).
Adult chaperones can follow the Free General Admission registration pathway to register young readers.
Next Gen is made possible through the generous support of Arny and Anne Porath.
Matt de la Peña: Stories are Everywhere
Saturday, September 26 | 9:30am–10:30am | Dunaway Community Room | PreK–2nd Grade
Doors open at 9:00am · Book signing to follow
How can an ordinary bus ride, a subway journey, or a single wish open up an entire world? Through picture books filled with curiosity, compassion, and wonder, young readers are invited to look beyond first impressions and discover the extraordinary in everyday life. A joyful celebration of stories—and the many ways they help us see ourselves and one another more clearly—geared toward children ages four to eight.
Matt de la Peña is a Newbery Medal-winning author whose books for young readers include Last Stop on Market Street and Home.
Kelly Yang: Finding Your Voice
Sunday, September 27 | 9:30am–10:30am | Dunaway Community Room | 3rd–7th Grade
Doors open at 9:00am · Book signing to follow
Notice: Please use the Galena Plaza entrance for the Kelly Yang program, as the main Library does not open until 12:00pm.
Step behind the desk of the Calivista Motel and into the world of the bestselling Front Desk series. Inspired by the author’s own childhood helping her parents manage motels, these books follow Mia Tang as she navigates family, friendship, school, and the challenges of finding her place in a new country. An inspiring conversation for middle-grade readers about courage, community, finding your voice, and standing up for what matters.
Kelly Yang is the author of The Take.
Read the Festival at the Library
Books + Brews Book Club: Go Gentle by Maria Semple
Wednesday, September 2 | 5:30pm-6:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | Adults
In Go Gentle, bestselling author Maria Semple brings her signature wit to a story about family, reinvention, and navigating the unexpected. Read the novel with Books + Brews before Maria Semple visits Aspen for this year's Literary Festival. Email [email protected] to learn more.
Train Dreams Book Club: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Thursday, September 17 | 5:30pm-6:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | Adults
Inspired by the life of an 18th-century midwife, Ariel Lawhon's The Frozen River blends history and mystery in a story of justice, secrets, and one woman's determination to uncover the truth. Discuss the novel before Lawhon appears at the Aspen Literary Festival later this month to celebrate her new novel, The Pirate Queen. Email [email protected] to learn more.
Nonfiction Book Club: The Way of Water by Pete McBride
Monday, October 12 | 5:30pm-6:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | Adults
In The Way of Water, Colorado photographer, filmmaker, and writer Pete McBride explores the beauty, importance, and uncertain future of the Colorado River. McBride visits the Pitkin County Library during the Aspen Literary Festival in September; then, continue exploring his work at our October Nonfiction Book Club. Email [email protected] to learn more.
Fantasy Book Club: The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
Wednesday, October 28 | 5:30pm-6:30pm | Dunaway Community Room | Adults
From award-winning fantasy author Fonda Lee, The Last Contract of Isako follows a legendary assassin confronting one final mission. See Lee during the Aspen Literary Festival in September, then dive deeper into her work with fellow fantasy readers at the Library in October. Email [email protected] to learn more.
Read From the Library's Stacks
Meet this year's writers on the page before you see them on stage.
Explore books by 2026 Aspen Literary Festival authors in the Pitkin County Library collection. Place a hold, discover a new writer, or catch up on an old favorite before festival weekend.
Find the Library at Festival Headquarters
Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27
10:00am–2:00pm | Red Brick Center for the Arts | All Ages
We're taking the Library outside our walls!
Stop by the Pitkin County Library tent at Festival Headquarters throughout the weekend. Meet Library staff, visit the book bike, discover digital resources, explore upcoming programs and collections, and learn more about getting a Library card.
Already have a card? Stop by and say hello—we'd love to hear what you're reading.
Explore the Full Festival
The Library is just one stop during a weekend filled with books and ideas.
The 2026 Aspen Literary Festival brings dozens of writers to downtown Aspen for three days of author conversations, panels, book signings, food, parties, youth programming, and more.
Explore the full Aspen Literary Festival schedule to find additional free programs, workshops, parties, and ticketed Wheeler Opera House events.
