Sarasota County Libraries’ popular Off the Page literary celebration returns in November with a lineup that reads like a bibliophile’s dream: Amor Towles, Curtis Sittenfeld, Edward Lee and more. Events include author talks and book signings, as well as writing workshops and family-friendly activities; they’ll take place at all 10 county libraries and Ringling College of Art and Design. Best of all: Everything is free and open to the public. Here’s what to expect.

How It All Got Started

Sarasota County has been home to well-known writers for decades, from Walter Farley to John D. MacDonald and Stephen King. “We’re known as a destination for performances and visual arts, but there’s quite a literary heritage here, too,” says Di Pilato. “Last year, my staff and I were discussing the idea of unifying all of our library author events under one umbrella. We wanted to have a signature event where the community could celebrate books and authors and writing, and where we could offer something at every single library.”

Go Big or Go Home

After the success of the inaugural Off the Page festival last year, “we said, ‘Let’s go big’ this year,” says Renée Di Pilato, Sarasota County’s director of libraries and historical resources. “We were thrilled with last year’s turnout. We got great feedback, and people came from all the way across the country.” Last year’s Off the Page spanned two weeks and featured four authors; this year’s has expanded to a full month and will feature 10 writers.

Who’s Who

This year’s author lineup includes Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow, Rules of Civility, The Lincoln Highway); chef, author, restaurateur and activist Edward Lee (Bourbon Land, Buttermilk Graffiti); Lisa Unger (The New Couple in 58, Last Girl Ghosted); influencer and literacy activist Oliver James; Rebecca Renner (Gator Country); Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil); graphic novelist Jarod Roselló (Red Panda & Moon Bear); playwright Elaine Romero; and Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep, American Wife, Romantic Comedy).

Thinking Ahead

Planning the Off the Page festival is a year-round process. “We think about authors who would be popular in the community based on demographics and some of the trends that we see in [library users’] reading habits,” says Di Pilato. “We have a good sense of who some of the really popular authors are in the area. For example, Amor Towles has a lot of name recognition here, and people also know him from the Gentleman in Moscow TV series, even if they haven’t read the book.” Next year’s festival is already in the works.

A Little Something for Everyone

In addition to talks, signings and workshops, this year’s festival includes a Family Day at the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library with graphic novelist Roselló and award-winning artist David C. Gardner. Activities include story time and a Creation Station craft for families to enjoy together, and food trucks will be there, too.

Beach Reads

Each year, an artist is commissioned to create an original illustration for the festival. This year’s—of a woman lounging on a sunny beach reading a book, while a curious seagull checks out her TBR pile—was created by Gardner, whose C.V. includes jobs with Walt Disney World Animation Studios and Universal Studios and who currently teaches at Ringling College of Art and Design.

For a full schedule of events, click here.