Ways To Participate in The Virginia Festival of the Book

Participating Author

Adult Submission Deadline: October 1
Notification from Festival: by December 19

The application deadline for participants has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for Book Festival participants.

Booth Vendors at Saturday Book Fair

Registration Deadline: February 1

A highlight of Saturday’s program is the annual Book Fair at the Omni. Authors, publishers, or book-related vendors may purchase tables to meet the book-browsing crowd that assembles at the Omni concurrent with the four sessions of Crime Wave and Publishing Day programming.

Tables go on sale in December and are often sold out by the participation deadline, February 1.

Program Providers

Book-related organizations or groups with an educational mission are invited to participate in the planning of programs through a selection process juried by the Festival program committees. Organizations act as Program Providers by submitting an application and agreeing to help promote a program by any of the following means:

Since submitting an application is not a guarantee it will be selected by the program committees, it is recommended that organizations be in contact regarding logistics and suitability of a panel BEFORE initial contacts with authors are made, especially if financial assistance from the Festival is required. The Festival staff can help shape an idea.

Please note: the application process has changed; read these instructions completely. Now you upload your program application forms to the website--the application will be time stamped and held for review. WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS BY EMAIL; YOU MUST UPLOAD THE FORM. You should receive an email within a day giving notice of receipt. If you encounter difficulties, contact vabook@virginia.edu. Clarifiying Festival communications (by email) may follow as review continues; notifications by January.

Adult Program Provider Application

Submission Deadline: October 1
Notification from Festival: December 19
No changes to programs after January 14

The application deadline for adult programs has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for these programs. School/Youth program applications will be accepted until January 12.

School/Youth Program Provider Application

Priority Submission Deadline: December 5
Accepted Programs Finalized by Provider: January 12

Program Application Steps:

  1. You may contact with the Festival at any point, even before you upload an application. THIS IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. We can help you shape the program idea to be as competitive as possible.
  2. Download School/Youth Program Application
  3. Complete the application and save as a Word document
  4. Upload your program application. (Receive upload confirmation.)
  5. Await contact or notification from the Festival. Decisions by the new year. You can contact your proposed participants while review is in process and ask them to fill out a participant application, or you can wait until the Festival has approved the concept before applications are sent. If your application is chosen, participants MUST upload separate participant applications (with complete contact info and bios) to complete the process.

Volunteer

The Virginia Festival of the Book is run largely by volunteers. From handling the programs on-site to office support, from stuffing envelopes to helping set up for participant presentations, the volunteers form the backbone of the festival. VABook! always appreciates hearing from people who'd like to become involved.

Sign up to be a Festival Volunteer

Program Sponsor

Organizations wishing to offer the direct financial support to the Virginia Festival of the Book in support of a program or programs should be in contact with Festival Program Director Nancy Damon. While the Festival relies on many partners and supporters; "sponsorship" indicates direct financial support. Sponsors  receive recognition at events, on the Virginia Festival of the Book website, in printed materials, in accordance with the level of  financial support.

Individual Contributors

Those wishing to make individual contributions to the support of the Festival may do so online, or by sending a check made out to the "Virginia Foundation for the Humanities" to the festival address. Please indicate (in the remark line) that a donation is intended for the Festival ("VABook!"). Learn More about How to Give.

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Our Sponsors:

Charlottesville CityAlbemarle County

The Daily Progress

University of Virginia National Endowment for the Arts

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