Orlando Book Festival 2024

A Day-long Celebration of Books

Join us for panels and talks from authors from all over the state and a keynote from New York Times bestselling author Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage.

Register to attend the keynote and receive email updates.

Panel Schedule

Participating Literary Organizations

  • Romancing the Book with Kimberly Karalius, Nina Crespo, Elle E. Ire. Moderated by Laura Helseth. Romance is the best-selling literary genre in the world. Come chat with the authors that make readers swoon.
  • Publishing Tell-All with Raquel Reichard, David Pedreira, Thomas B. Cavanagh. Moderated by Jennie Jarvis. Three authors share their behind-the-scenes knowledge and experience. Ask anything you want to know about the publishing process and industry.
  • Let's Talk About Florida with Rebecca Renner, Tyler Gillespie, Annabelle Tometich. Moderated by The Vulgar Geniuses. What a weird, wacky state we live in. These authors will discuss their experiences writing about the Sunshine State.
  • The Joys and Difficulties of Writing for Children with Amar Shah, José Pablo Iriarte, Taryn Souders. Moderated by Reba Gordon. Learn how to write stories that will captivate young readers from three authors who write for children.
  • Drawn to Life with Peter Raymundo, Jerry Craft, Michael Regina. Moderated by Alexa Arostegui. Three author-illustrators will discuss their processes, careers, and what draws them to creating for kids.
  • Fact or Fiction: Researching History with Ana Veciana-Suarez, Vanessa Montalban, Luis Martinez-Fernandez. Moderated by Ginny Myers Sain. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, learn how these writers research history to write their books.

New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, most recently An American Marriage. Published in 2018, An American Marriage is an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and also appeared on Barack Obama’s summer reading list as well as his year-end roundup. The novel was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly known as the Orange Prize), Aspen Words Prize and an NAACP Image Award. It has been published in two dozen countries.

Jones, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship, and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Her third novel, Silver Sparrow, was added to the NEA Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Tayari Jones will be introduced by Veronica Smith.

Policy for Tayari Jones Book Signing:

  • Tayari Jones will be signing until 3:45pm
  • No personalization
  • Limit two items per person
  • No posed photos will be allowed

Authors and panels subject to change.

Tayari Jones

New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, most recently An American Marriage. Published in 2018, An American Marriage is an Oprah’s Book Club Selection.

Thomas B. Cavanagh

Thomas B. Cavanagh has written four Orlando-based private eye thrillers. He has won the Florida Book Award Gold Medal and been a Best Novel finalist for the Shamus Awards.

Jerry Craft

Jerry Craft is the NYT bestselling author and illustrator of New Kid, Class Act, and School Trip.  New Kid is the only book in history to win the Newbery Medal, the Kirkus Prize, and the Coretta Scott King Author Award.

Nina Crespo

Nina Crespo is an award-winning romance author known for her captivating and steamy novels. Her books often feature strong, independent heroines and charismatic heroes navigating passionate and sometimes complicated relationships.

Tyler Gillespie

Tyler Gillespie is the author of the nonfiction collection The Thing about Florida: Exploring a Misunderstood State and two poetry books the nature machine! and Florida Man: Poems, Revisited.

Elle E. Ire

When she isn’t taking shooting lessons, getting mock-kidnapped, or cave swimming with bats, Goldie Award winner Elle Ire writes science fiction romance and paranormal romance featuring kick-butt women who fall in love with each other.

José Pablo Iriarte

José Pablo Iriarte is an award-nominated speculative fiction writer. Their short fiction has been reprinted in various Year’s Best compilations, and their debut novel is coming soon from Knopf/Random House.

Kimberly Karalius

Kimberly Karalius is the author of Love Fortunes and Other Disasters and Love Charms and Other Catastrophes. She lives in Florida and frequently adventures at the local theme parks.

Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández

Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández is Pegasus Professor of History at the University of Central Florida. A multiple award-winning columnist and author, his titles include Revolutionary Cuba, a History and When the World Turned Upside Down.

Vanessa Montalban

Vanessa Montalban is the debut author of A Tall Dark Trouble. She’s a first-generation graduate from the University of Central Florida and is hard at work creating a collection of fantasy stories about love and magic.

David Pedreira

David Pedreira’s debut novel, Gunpowder Moon, was named one of the best Science Fiction books of the year by Amazon. The Never Wars is his second novel.

Peter Raymundo

Peter Raymundo is a former Walt Disney Animator turned Children’s Book Author and Illustrator. Peter’s newest book, Lucky Scramble, is a hybrid graphic novel about the fast-paced world of competitive speedcubing.

Michael Regina

Michael Regina is a lifelong comic artist and creator of The Sleepover and the Webtoons.com featured comic Adamsville. He lives in Jacksonville, FL, with his family, cat, and dog.

Raquel Reichard

Raquel Reichard is an award-winning journalist and author. A Puerto Rican raised and based in Orlando, she’s the Deputy Director of Refinery29 Somos and the author of Self-Care for Latinas.

Rebecca Renner

Rebecca Renner is an author and National Geographic contributor from Daytona Beach, Florida. Her first book, Gator Country, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a People Magazine Book of the Week.

Amar Shah

Amar Shah is an Emmy-winning writer and producer who has contributed to ESPN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Orlando Sentinel, and The Washington Post. His middle-grade novel, The Hoop Con, was published by Scholastic in 2024.

Taryn Souders

Taryn Souders’s middle grade novels have been named to multiple state award lists. Coop Knows the Scoop, was a 2021 Edgar Award nominee for Best Juvenile mystery novel. Her latest middle grade novel is The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle.

Annabelle Tometich

Annabelle Tometich spent 18 years as a journalist and critic. She has written for The Washington Post, USA Today, Catapult, and more. Her first book is The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony.

Ana Veciana-Suarez

Ana Veciana-Suarez is the author of the historical novel, Dulcinea. Recipient of Cintas and Florida Individual Artist fellowships, she’s also written Flight to Freedom, Birthday Parties in Heaven, and The Chin Kiss King: A Novel.