Writers Institute Hosts Ninth Annual Albany Book Festival

Patrons mull about the Campus Center ballroom at UAlbany moving through rows of books on display during the Albany Book Festival.
The ninth annual Albany Book Festival will be held Saturday on the Uptown Campus from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

By Michael Parker

ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2026) — The Albany Book Festival will return to the University at Albany on Saturday bringing dozens of acclaimed authors, local writers, publishers and literary organizations to campus for a daylong celebration of books and reading.

Presented by the New York State Writers Institute and the University at Albany, the ninth annual festival will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Campus Center on the Uptown Campus. Events will include author conversations, panel discussions, book signings, children’s programming, student and community open mic readings and opportunities to meet local authors and publishers. The event is presented free and open to the public.

This year’s featured writers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Elizabeth Kolbert; novelist Gish Jen; psychologist and author Carol Gilligan; biographer Richard Brookhiser; novelist and Harvard professor Namwali Serpell; bestselling thriller writer John Katzenbach; NYC legendary restaurateur Keith McNally; and Iranian and Iranian-American writers Amir Ahmadi Arian, Arash Azizi and Porochista Khakpour.

UAlbany Associate Professor Virginia Eubanks and alumni Kristin Lang and Eva Lesko Natiello are also among the featured participants.

“The Albany Book Festival is about bringing people together through a shared love of books and ideas,” said Paul Grondahl, Opalka Endowed Director of the New York State Writers Institute. “For nine years, we’ve been able to welcome readers of all ages to UAlbany to discover new writers, hear different perspectives and celebrate the literary community that thrives across the Capital Region and beyond.”

Programming will take place throughout the Campus Center, including the Republic Records Music Hall, Campus Center West Boardroom, Assembly Hall, Multi-Purpose Room and The Orb Stage. Book signings will follow many of the featured author events, while local authors, publishers and literary organizations will be represented throughout Campus Center West.