Mesa Book Festival: Books, Fun, and More!

Children listen to a story by the tree at the 2022 Mesa Book FestivalPhoto bySuzy Jacobson Cherry

On Saturday, December 16, the Mesa Book Festival (MBF) returns to Benedictine University in Mesa. Since 2017, MBF has hosted local authors and a wide range of panels and discussions at this free fun family event. If you love reading, MBF is a great way to engage with the literary arts. Meet local authors, publishers, and City dignitaries. Come take part in the various programs and take a stroll through over fifty local author and publishing booths. You’ll find something in every genre here. Be prepared to buy books!

MBF Holiday Tree Reading

The beautiful holiday tree in the front lobby of Benedictine University is a wonderful place for the sharing of stories. The MBF tradition is to invite City of Mesa officials to read books to the children. Among the readers this year are Mesa City Councilmember Julie Spilsbury, Mayor John Giles, City Councilmember Alicia Goforth, City Councilmember Mark Freeman, and City Councilmember Jennifer Duff.

Feature Programs

Featured authors and others will be located in Benedictine University’s Gillett Hall. Interested attendees are invited to hear authors Lisa & Matt MacMann discuss their lives as writers with moderator Sharon Skinner. Award-winning author Natalie Wright will discuss her work with Duncan Rittschof. Other programs include a showcase by East Valley Children’s Theater; the Arizona Renaissance Festival; and two award ceremonies. The 2023 Black and White Awards, hosted by MBF Director Bob Nelson, will present the winners of the 2023 Alan Black award for Fiction and the 2023 Priscilla White Award for Poetry.

Panel Discussions

Like every year, MBF has put together a fascinating collection of panels for writers, readers, and everyone else who wants to know what’s going on in the literary world.

Readers can look forward to discussions about What Should We Be Reading in comics; What Fantasy Should Be on Your To Be Read list; Great Books on Business; Compelling Books of the People that Influence Our Culture; Best Reads of 2023, and cool spaces in the Valley that book lovers should know about.

Writers are invited to learn about How Writing Can be a Sustainable Career Financially; Writing Across Genres; the Impact of Technology on Publishing; and Book Banning and its Impact to Culture.

Other panel discussions will be presented by the Poets of the Arizona State Poetry Society; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Independent Authors; Mesa Public Library; Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Published and Listed (PAL) Authors; and SCBWI Illustrator Jim Paillot.

Kids Need to Read Room

Mesa nonprofit Kids Need to Read will be providing a room full of children's programming all day long. In the Kids Need to Read Room, children are invited to do fun art activities and presentations throughout the day. The room will feature children’s authors Kailie Pew, Eboni`e Fields, William Hart, and Katie Evans, as well as open art spaces.

The Publisher's Room

Authors looking for a publisher will have the opportunity to meet with one in Panel Room 5. Each publisher will be managing their own process for seeing prospective authors. Further information will be provided.

Music and Food

For a little respite and entertainment, attendees will be able to relax a while at the Main Street Patio/The Ben-U Nest, where they will find delicious options for sale by the El Multi Tacos & Tortas Food Truck, the Beanchain Coffee Cart, and the Holly Chaffle table.

Live music will be provided throughout the day by Roger Weidabach, Mark Greenawalt, and Eddie Unplugged.

What you need to know

• Who: Mesa Book Festival
• When: Saturday, December 16, 2023 from 10 am to 5pm
• Where: Benedictine University, 225 E Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
• Cost: All events, Panels and Entertainment are FREE. Just bring money for food, drinks, and BOOKS!
• Transportation and Parking: Downtown Mesa Association Map of Parking Options
• Off-Site Food Availability: Downtown Mesa Association Shop & Dine