Author Events All Banned Books Week 2026 on EveryLibrary Live
Join EveryLibrary Live! for Banned Books Week 2026, a four-day virtual celebration of authors, books, readers, and the freedom to read. Throughout the week, authors and guests will come together for live conversations about books, censorship, creativity, and the importance of protecting access to stories and ideas.
With sincere thanks to our publishing and organizational partners: Levine Querido, City Lights, Blackstone Publishing, Mission Point Press, Hachette Book Group, Kensington Books, Workhouse Editions, Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, New Gondor Creation, Lerner Books, Chronicle Books, City Owl Press, Simon & Schuster, Silver Sprocket, Authors Against Book Bans, the Kurt Vonnegut Estate, and Amnesty International.
24 Live Conversations • 40+ Authors, Creators & Guests
Each day features live conversations designed for readers, librarians, educators, authors, and everyone who believes in the freedom to read.
The Freedom to Read
The freedom to read protects the space where disagreement, curiosity, discovery, and understanding are possible.
Banned Books Week brings readers and authors together to talk about the books that have been challenged, the stories that matter, and the importance of keeping books accessible to everyone.
Guest Moderators
We are grateful to our wonderful moderators Kekla Magoon, Susan McCulloch, Gigi Howard, and Kathleen McEvoy, who will lead conversations throughout the week with authors and guests.
Featured Author Panels
Monday, October 5
1:00 PM EDT — Mark Vonnegut
Few writers understood the power of words like Kurt Vonnegut. In this special Banned Books Week conversation, Mark Vonnegut discusses his father's fight against censorship, his unwavering support for libraries and librarians, and the enduring belief that telling the truth through literature is one of the most powerful acts of freedom.
3:00 PM EDT — Kasey Lansdale & Brian Asman hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library
A cold case. A masked killer. A trail of secrets that won’t stay buried. Join Kasey Lansdale and Brian Asman for a thrilling conversation about crime, horror, and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of everyday life. From small-town mysteries to deadly desert pursuits, these authors explore what happens when ordinary people are pushed to their limits, and why readers can’t get enough of the chase.
5:00 PM EDT — Adam Nelson
What happens when you take Huckleberry Finn, one of the most frequently challenged books in American history, out of the classroom and onto the road? Author, actor, filmmaker, and professor Adam Nelson joins us to talk about Huckleberry Jim, his darkly funny debut novel inspired by his own experience touring a two-man stage adaptation of the classic to middle schools across upstate New York and Appalachia. Set in 1991, the novel puts race, performance, censorship, and America’s complicated relationship with its own history under the spotlight, and asks what happens when there’s no script left to hide behind.
6:00 PM EDT — Patricia McCormick hosted by Kathleen McEvoy
Patricia McCormick doesn’t shy away from the stories that matter. From Sold to Never Fall Down and I Am Malala, she tackles difficult subjects with honesty, compassion, and courage. McCormick talks about chasing the stories that demand to be told, writing for young readers, and why access to challenging books matters more than ever.
7:00 PM EDT — Jennifer Graeser Dornbush & Erin Bledsoe hosted by Susan McCulloch
What makes a woman dangerous? The secrets she uncovers, the rules she breaks, or the power she refuses to surrender. Join Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, author of Walking on White, and Erin Bledsoe, author of Mob Queen, for a conversation about women who push past the roles others have written for them. Dornbush and Bledsoe join us to talk about writing women who are allowed to be difficult, driven, compromised, angry, resilient, and sometimes dangerous, and why crime fiction remains such a potent place to explore the truths communities would rather keep hidden.
8:00 PM EDT — Ben Ehrenreich
What happens when writing becomes a way to find your way through grief? In Hold Still, Ben Ehrenreich turns the months following his mother’s death into a deeply personal, genre-bending exploration of storytelling, memory, parenthood, and the strange, surprising ways we find our way back to life. Join Ehrenreich for a conversation about grief, creativity, and the freedom to tell the stories that help us make sense of the world.
Tuesday, October 6
1:00 PM EDT — MariNaomi & Steven Prouse hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library and sponsored by Authors Against Book Bans
MariNaomi and Steven Prouse join us for a lively conversation about their work, creative process, and the stories that inspire them. From graphic memoir and comics to speculative fiction, they’ll take us behind the scenes of their creative work and share what keeps them writing, drawing, and telling stories. As members and supporters of Authors Against Book Bans, they’ll also talk about why protecting the freedom to create, read, and share diverse stories matters.
3:00 PM EDT — John A. Jenkins & Michael Gerhard
What happens when powerful people decide which stories, ideas, and histories belong on the shelf, and which don’t? Award-winning journalist John A. Jenkins and constitutional scholar Michael J. Gerhardt join us for a lively conversation about presidential power, the rule of law, impeachment, and the forces that can shape what Americans are allowed to read, question, and know. From the turbulent summer of 1971 to today, they’ll explore the history behind the headlines and why understanding our democracy matters.
5:00 PM EDT — Sian Gilbert & Nicole Brooks hosted by Kathleen McEvoy
Two thrillers. Two authors. A whole lot of trouble. Nicole Brooks (No Higher Ground) and Sian Gilbert (The Five of Us) talk about writing the kind of stories that keep you reading way past bedtime, from deadly secrets and complicated friendships to families pushed to the brink. Come for the suspense, stay for the secrets behind creating a seriously unputdownable thriller.
6:00 PM EDT — Jess Turner & J.J. Cagney hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library
Romance, murder, secrets, survival, and some seriously bad decisions. Join Jess Turner and J.J. Cagney as they talk about creating irresistible stories, unforgettable characters, and the kind of trouble readers love to get into. One thing is guaranteed: whether it’s love or a killer on the loose, getting out unscathed isn’t easy.
7:00 PM EDT — D.M. Pulley & Zoje Stage hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library
Join bestselling authors Zoje Stage and D. M. Pulley for a chilling discussion of their latest novels, Something of a Calling and Stone Mad. From unexplained murders and unsettling transformations to haunted mansions, missing girls, and long-buried secrets, these gripping stories explore what happens when ordinary lives collide with the terrifying unknown. Together, Stage and Pulley will discuss crafting suspense, building unforgettable atmospheres, and why readers can't resist a good scare.
8:00 PM EDT — Meg Shaffer & Moira Macdonald hosted by Susan McCulloch
What if the right book could change your life? Moira Macdonald (Storybook Ending) and Meg Shaffer (The Book Witch) join us for a joyful conversation about bookstores, books, magic, and the stories that pull us in. From a mysterious note tucked between the pages to a witch who can jump straight into a novel, these authors explore why we fall in love with books, and what happens when books start working a little magic of their own.
Wednesday, October 7
1:00 PM EDT — Anthony Aycock
What happens when a school board bans nine books, and a teenager takes the fight all the way to the Supreme Court? Anthony Aycock, author of Just Plain Filthy, dives into the unbelievable true story behind Island Trees v. Pico, the first school book-ban case to reach the High Court, and what this landmark battle can teach us about today’s fight for the freedom to read.
3:00 PM EDT — Brinda Shah & Roseanne A. Brown hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library and sponsored by Authors Against Book Bans
What happens when you stop staying quiet and start finding your voice? New York Times bestselling author Roseanne A. Brown and debut author Brinda Shah join us for a lively conversation about writing powerful stories rooted in identity, culture, courage, and self-discovery. From epic West African-inspired fantasy to a coming-of-age story about dance, family, and body image, they’ll talk about creating characters who challenge expectations and finding the courage to tell stories in your own way.
5:00 PM EDT — Jessica R. Stefanski, LMSW, hosted by Kathleen McEvoy
How do we help children navigate divorce, change, and big emotions? In The Olive Tree Still Grows, therapist and debut author Jessica Stefanski draws on her Lebanese heritage to offer a tender story of resilience, family, and the enduring power of love. Join Jessica for a conversation about helping children process change, healing generational trauma, and finding strength in the stories we inherit.
6:00 PM EDT — Rosanne Parry & Cassy Lee, sponsored by Authors Against Book Bans
What happens when stories teach us to see the world differently, and someone decides readers shouldn’t have that chance? Rosanne Parry & Cassy Lee will talk about where stories begin, what young readers can understand, why curiosity matters, and what is lost when adults decide which perspectives children should never be allowed to encounter.
7:00 PM EDT — H.A. & Keezy Young hosted by Susan McCollough
Queer stories have always pushed boundaries, and comics can be one of the most fearless places to do it. H.A., creator of The Chromatic Fantasy, and Keezy Young, creator of Sunflowers, talk about making work that puts queer identity, trans experience, sexuality, mental health, and vulnerability front and center.
8:00 PM EDT — Kat Coffin & Scott Craven hosted by Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library
Authors Kat D. Coffin and Scott Craven are in conversation about demons, vampires, witches, werewolves, aging immortals, found family, and the freedom speculative fiction gives writers to turn our assumptions upside down. Together, they’ll talk about dark humor, paranormal romance, aging, outsiders, second chances, and why monsters are often most interesting when they become mirrors for the very human fears we would rather not confront.
Thursday, October 8
1:00 PM EDT — Darcie Little Badger & Linda Ryan Walking Woman
3:00 PM EDT — Kate Ristau & K.A. Holt / Authors Against Book Bans
5:00 PM EDT — Alex Sanchez & Varian Johnson
6:00 PM EDT — Amnesty International
7:00 PM EDT — Marisa de los Santos & Brian Freeman
8:00 PM EDT - We are Stronger than Censorship 2027 Preview
Live + On-Demand Viewing
Watch live on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch the conversations on demand after each broadcast. Share the sessions with your classroom, library, book club, reading group, or community.
Links to each live broadcast and replay will be added to the schedule above.
Thank You to Our Publishing Partners
A very special thank-you to the publishers, publishing teams, estates, and organizations who support these authors and help make these conversations possible—including Levine Querido, City Lights, Blackstone Publishing, Mission Point Press, Hachette Book Group, Kensington Books, Workhouse Editions, Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, New Gondor Creation, Lerner Books, Chronicle Books, City Owl Press, Simon & Schuster, Silver Sprocket, Authors Against Book Bans, the Kurt Vonnegut Estate, and Amnesty International.
Their support helps create space for important conversations about books, readers, censorship, and the freedom to read.
www.everylibrary.org/bannedbooksweek2026