Palm Springs Book Festival Unveils Expanded Lineup, Partnerships, and Free Community Day for Inaugural Event
The literary landscape of the desert is set to expand with the debut of the Palm Springs Book Festival, a new three-day event produced by OUTspoken, a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and stories. The inaugural festival will take place from March 27–29, 2026, at Festival Theaters (789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs).
The festival promises an inclusive celebration featuring author conversations, interactive programming, and events for readers, writers, and story lovers across the region.
The impressive slate includes acclaimed, bestselling, and internationally recognized writers:
- Pulitzer Prize–winner and MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart (Yet Here I Am).
- Lily Brooks-Dalton (Ruins) and Lisa Lee (American Han) with exclusive pre-release launches.
- Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had.
- Thrity Umrigar, Reese’s Book Club author of Honor and Missing Sam.
- Chris Whitaker, internationally bestselling novelist of All the Colors of the Dark.
- Other featured authors include Amy Jo Burns, Grant Ginder, Myriam Gurba, Rachel Howzell Hall, Justinian Huang, Bruce Holsinger, Ari Kolender, Ryan La Sala, Rex Ogle, Erik Piepenburg, Shobha Rao, Victoria Redel, Kat Rosenfield, R.K. Russell, Kate Schatz, Emma Sloley, Emily St. James, Susan Straight, and Nick Wolny.
The Festival includes several special programs:
- Pre-Festival Film Series: In the weeks leading up to the event, Festival Theaters will present “Rated R for Reading,” a film series of 90s literary adaptations including Orlando, Remains of the Day, The Age of Innocence, Clueless, Sense and Sensibility, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
- Special Lunch: The festival kicks off with a special ticketed lunch at Workshop Kitchen + Bar, inspired by LA-based chef Ari Kolender’s book How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea.
- Friday & Saturday Events: These days feature exclusive author events, marquee interviews, discussions, and signings with headlining authors. Highlights include Jonathan Capehart in conversation with Byron Lane, pre-release events for Lily Brooks-Dalton and Lisa Lee, and a discussion between bookstagrammer Jordan Moblo and authors Chris Whitaker and Justinian Huang.
Sunday, March 29, is the festival’s FREE Community Day, open to all ages, with programming including:
- Author Feud, a Family Feud-style game.
- A screening of The Librarians, presented by the Palm Springs Library Foundation.
- Children’s storytime featuring special guest readers, including Police Chief Andy Mills and Palm Springs drag legend, Bella da Ball.
- Writing workshops, a Zine-making workshop, and a community art project.
- Stories from the Archives: Queer History of the Desert.
- A conversation between New York Times writer Erik Piepenburg and chef Susan Feniger.
Ticketing and Support
- VIP Tickets ($270): Include preferred seating on Friday and Saturday, express signing line access, priority Sunday access, and a complimentary audiobook.
- General Admission ($170): Provides general seating for Friday and Saturday programming.
- Sunday programming is FREE and open to the public.
All proceeds support the festival’s FREE programming and ongoing initiatives of OUTspoken. Books will be sold by Hey Books!, a queer-owned independent bookstore, with gently used books available on Sunday from the Friends of the Palm Springs Public Library.
More information, including the announced line-up and to purchase tickets, is available at psbookfest.org.