The Southwest Florida Reading Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St. This free event draws thousands of booklovers annually to meet dozens of internationally recognized authors of books for adults, teens and children. Every child and teen in attendance can choose a free book at the event. Ongoing entertainment will include author talks and book signings, library resource demos, youth writing awards, crafts, food and merchandise for purchase. Festival goers can plan their perfect day using the mobile app “SWFL Reads” to see the full schedule of authors, book signings and more! Many featured authors are participating in the Name a Character Raffle, a special festival fundraiser where fans can enter for a chance to name a character in an author’s upcoming book. More information is available at the festival website, readfest.org.
The Southwest Florida Reading Festival is presented by the Lee County Library System, which has 13 branches to serve Lee County residents. For more information about other library services and programs offered, visit www.leelibrary.net or call 239-479-4636.
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In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lee County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in its services, programs or activities. To request an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a reasonable modification to participate, contact Raphaela Morais-Peroba, 239-533-8782, Florida Relay Service 711, or rperoba@leegov.com. Accommodation will be provided at no cost to the requester. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance.
Avid readers and fans won’t have to wait for the Southwest Florida Reading Festival to enjoy author visits, books signings and other book-focused events. Pre-festival programs to celebrate the power of reading begin in late January and will be held throughout the Lee County Library System.
Authors visiting library branches ahead of the festival include Jennifer Coburn, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Jean Kwok and Terrie Farley Moran.
In addition:
- Readers can participate in festival-themed book discussions.
- Budding writers can join a live, virtual event on working with a literary agent.
- Children can join local artist Carolyn Gora who will present her picture books with a drawing lesson.
- And much more.
These special events, like all programs happening in the library branches, are free and open to the public. Visit leelibrary.net/events to explore and register for these programs or get more information about other activities offered at Lee County libraries, including our virtual author events.
Festival Preview Events List
Name a Character Raffle: Enter the Name a Character Raffle for a chance to name a character after yourself or a friend in an upcoming book.
January 2025
Online Author Event with Seth Fishman
1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28
Writing a book, or thinking about it, and wondering what happens next? Join us for an inside look into working with an agent and the beginning stages of the publishing process with Seth Fishman, Vice President and Literary Agent at The Gernert Company. Registration is required.
February 2025
Book Discussion: “The Mango Tree” by Annabelle Tometich
2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12
Location: Estero Recreation Center, Room 103B
The Mango Tree is a poignant and deceptively entertaining memoir of growing up as a mixed-race Filipina "nobody" in Fort Myers, Florida. Annabelle traces the roots of her upbringing, while reckoning with her father's untimely death, her fiery mother's bitter yearning for the country she left behind and her own journey in the pursuit of belonging. Registration required.
Meet the Author: Libby Fischer Hellmann
2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13
Lakes Regional Library
Join us for an engaging author presentation and book signing featuring Libby Fischer Hellmann. Copies of her latest novel "Max's War" will be sold at this event (credit card only). Registration is required.
Meet the Author: Terrie Farley Moran
2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14
Fort Myers Regional Library
Location: Meeting Room ABCD
Meet Terrie Farley Moran, the current co-author, with Jessica Fletcher, on the “Murder She Wrote” series as well as a co-author of Laura Childs’ “Scrapbooking Mystery” series. Learn more about being a mystery writer and the author's many works. Registration is required.
Meet the Author: Terrie Farley Moran
2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
East County Regional Library
Meet Terrie Farley Moran, the current co-author, with Jessica Fletcher, on the “Murder She Wrote” series as well as a co-author of Laura Childs’ “Scrapbooking Mystery” series. Learn more about being a mystery writer and the author's many works. Registration is required.
Reading Festival: Creation Stations
1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17
Northwest Regional Library
In preparation for the 26th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, we will be highlighting authors Kate Hannigan, Molly Idle and Kate Messner with writing and craft stations throughout the Youth Services area. All supplies provided.
Meet the Author: Jennifer Coburn
2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17
Cape Coral Lee County Public Library
Join us for an engaging author presentation and book signing featuring Jennifer Coburn. Copies of her latest novel “The Girls of the Glimmer Factory” will be sold at this event (credit card only). Registration is required.
Youth Author Visit and Art Lesson
4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18
East County Regional Library
Join artist and author Carolyn Gora as she presents her book "The Almost True Story of the Birds of Paradise." After the story, participants will receive a short art lesson. Supplies will be provided. Copies of Ms. Gora's books will be available for purchase.
Book Discussion: Reading Festival Edition
2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20
North Fort Myers Public Library
An open book discussion focused on the talented Reading Festival authors coming to Southwest Florida on March 1. Choose from any of the numerous children, young adult and adult authors. Share your thoughts on their works before attending the 26th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival to hear from the authors.
11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22
Pine Island Public Library
A special storytime celebrating favorite children and teen authors presenting at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. Enjoy stories and readings from the authors’ books, family games and crafts.
11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28
Location: Estero Recreation Center, Room 103B
Join us for an engrossing author presentation and book signing by Jean Kwok. Copies of her books will be sold at this event by the Friends of South County Regional Library. Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of “The Leftover Woman,” “Searching for Sylvie Lee,” “Girl in Translation” and “Mambo in Chinatown.” Registration is required.
An Evening with the Authors, the reading festival’s premier fundraiser, takes place Friday evening, Feb. 28. This ticketed event gives attendees a chance to meet and mingle with the authors as part of an unforgettable dining experience at the Burroughs Home and Gardens. The evening includes a silent auction with proceeds supporting the festival and gives guests the chance to snag spring training baseball game tickets, weekend getaway hotel packages and more. Tickets are available on the festival website through midnight Thursday, Jan. 30 or until the event sells out.
Southwest Florida Reading Festival author list and short biographies are below.
ADULT AUTHORS
Tracy Clark is the acclaimed author of the “Detective Harriet Foster” series and “Cass Raines Chicago Mystery” series. Clark draws on real-life people, places, and experiences while crafting her award-winning narratives.
Reed Farrel Coleman is The New York Times bestselling author more than 30 novels, including six in the “Jesse Stone” series for the estate of the late Robert B. Parker. The former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Coleman lives with his wife on Long Island.
Jenny Colgan is The New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including “The Christmas Bookshop,” “The Bookshop on the Corner” and “Little Beach Street Bakery.” Jenny and her family live in a genuine castle in Scotland.
Eli Cranor is a nationally bestselling, Edgar-Award-winning author who writes from the banks of Lake Dardanelle where he lives with his family. Eli also pens a weekly column for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and serves as the Writer in Residence at Arkansas Tech University.
Alison Gaylin is the USA Today bestselling author of 15 books, including “The Collective,” the Edgar-Award-winning “If I Die Tonight” and the “Brenna Spector” series.
Lisa Genova is The New York Times bestselling author of “Still Alice,” “Left Neglected” and “Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting.” “Still Alice” was adapted into an Oscar-winning film and her TED talks on Alzheimer’s disease and memory have been viewed over 11 million times.
Ali Hazelwood is a New York Times bestselling author of several romance novels including “The Love Hypothesis.” With a background in neuroscience, much of her work features women in STEM fields and academia.
R.J. Jacobs, a practicing psychologist, has presented at numerous conferences and routinely performs PTSD evaluations for veterans. His latest novel is “This Is How We End Things.”
Steven Mack Jones is a published poet, award-winning playwright and winner of the Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellowship. His “August Snow” crime/thriller series won the 2018 Nero Award.
Jean Kwok, the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of “The Leftover Woman,” “Girl in Translation” and “Mambo in Chinatown,” has had her work published in more than 20 countries. All her novels are in development for film and television.
Elinor Lipman is the award-winning author of 16 books of fiction and nonfiction, including “The Inn at Lake Devine,” “Isabel’s Bed,” and “I Can’t Complain: (All Too) Personal Essays.” Her first novel, “Then She Found Me,” was adapted into a film directed by and starring Helen Hunt.
Sarah MacLean is The New York Times bestselling author of 19 novels that have been translated into more than 25 languages. Co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, “Fated Mates,” she is a leading advocate for the romance genre.
Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Macomber has also published cookbooks, inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Viola Shipman is the pen name of Wade Rouse, the bestselling author of 17 books, which have been selected as Indie Next and Michigan Notables. He writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction.
Julie Soto is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright and actress. Her musical “Generation Me” won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script.
Annabelle Tometich went from medical school reject to line cook to journalist to author. She spent 18 years as a local food writer, editor and restaurant critic for The News-Press. Her first book, “The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony” was heralded by The New York Times.
CHILDREN’S AUTHORS
Kate Hannigan loves to find interesting people from history and share them with young readers. Her titles include the historical novel “The Detective’s Assistant,” graphic novels like “The Great Chicago Fire,” and nonfiction picture book biographies like “Blips on a Screen” about the invention of video gaming.
Molly Idle is the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of the picture book “Flora and the Flamingo.” Her most recent picture books are “Witch Hazel” and “I Don’t Care,” written by Julie Fogliano and co-illustrated with her best friend Juana Martinez-Neal.
Kate Messner is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 60 books for curious kids. Messner writes award-winning picture books, chapter books, novels and the popular “History Smashers” series.
TEEN AUTHORS
Renée Ahdieh is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of “The Wrath & the Dawn” series, the “Flame in the Mist” series and “The Beautiful” quartet. “Emilio Sloth’s Modern Manners” is her debut children’s picture book.
Kristy Boyce played her first role-playing game in high school and is now the nationally bestselling author of “Dungeons and Drama.” Other titles by Boyce include “Hot British Boyfriend” and “Hot Dutch Daydream.”
Karen M. McManus is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work, which has been translated into 42 languages, includes the “One of Us Is Lying” series, “Two Can Keep a Secret” and “Such Charming Liars.”
Angela Montoya has been obsessed with the magic of storytelling since she was a little girl. Her debut novel, “Sinner’s Isle,” received multiple starred reviews and her newest title, “A Cruel Thirst” is scheduled to be released Dec. 17, 2024.
Ginny Myers Sain is the author of “Dark and Shallow Lies,” a New York Times bestseller. Other titles of hers include “Secrets So Deep,” “One Last Breath” and “When the Bones Sing,” slated to be released in March 2025.
