Missed a Moment? Relive Author Talks from the 2025 Festival
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The 16th Annual Gaithersburg Book Festival brought literary stars, fresh voices and big ideas to life — and now you can soak in some of it at your own pace. Whether you were double-booked for competing presentations, taking in a workshop or couldn’t make it this year, we've captured standout author presentations and unforgettable moments.
From compelling panels to one-on-one conversations, these videos spotlight the stories behind the stories. Catch them on the GBF YouTube Channel, C-SPAN Book TV or via Montgomery Community Media, and immerse yourself in the conversations that lit up the festival.
- David Aldridge,“The Basketball 100”
- Rick Atkinson, “The Fate of the Day”
- Dave Barry,“Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up”
- Louis P. Bayard,“The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts”
- Amanda Becker, “You Must Stand Up”
- Casey Burgat, “We Hold These 'Truths:' How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back”
- Essie Chambers,“Swift River”
- Sara Goodman Confino,“Behind Every Good Man”
Jeanine Cummins,“Speak to Me of Home”
- Jeffery Deaver, “South of Nowhere”
- Erin Crosby Eckstine,“Junie”
- Glory Edim,“Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me”
- David Ellis, “The Best Lies”
- Evan Friss,“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore”
- Matt Goldman, “The Murder Show”
- Christine Gunderson, “Friends with Secrets”
- Barbara Bradley Hagerty, “Bringing Ben Home”
- Malcolm Harris, “What’s Left”
- Linda Holmes,“Back After This”
- Lauren Francis-Sharma, “Casualities of Truth”
- David Hajdu, “The Uncanny Muse”
- Matthew and Mark Jacob,“Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports”
- Mary Robinette Kowal, “The Martian Contingency: A Lady Astronaut”
- Colleen Long, “I'm Sorry for My Loss”
- Chris Pavone, “The Doorman”
- Joe Posnanski,“Why We Love Football”
- Eric Puchner,“Dream State”
- Tara Karr Roberts,“Wild and Distant Seas”
- John Scalzi,“When the Moon Hits Your Eye”
- Russell Shorto, “Taking Manhattan”
- Erika J. Simpson,“This Is Your Mother: A Memoir”
- Aggie Blum Thompson, “You Deserve to Know”
- Judith Viorst,“Making the Best of What’s Left: When We’re Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered”
- Alan Weisman, “Hope Dies Last”
- Carter Wilson, “Tell Me What You Did”
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Natalia Coronado-Mercer Wins Top Prize in HS Poetry Contest
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Natalia Coronado-Mercer, a Richmond, Va., resident and sophomore at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, was awarded first prize in the 2025 Gaithersburg Book Festival poetry contest for high school students for her poem "Chainlink Angels."
Second prize went to Washington, D.C., resident Sebastian Biros, a junior at British International School of Washington, for "Ode to the District.” Ananya Gautam, a Potomac, Md., resident and senior at Winston Churchill High School, received third prize for "zeitgeist." The Fan Favorite winner was Leah Bulson, a Rockville, Md., resident and senior at Richard Montgomery High School, for her poem “Read Their Words.”
Local poet and Arlington County Poet Laureate Emerita Holly Karapetkova, who judged the contest and whose collection, “Dear Empire,” won the 2025 William Meredith Prize for Poetry, announced the top three winners at the Festival on May 17.
“The three winning poems represent different poetic styles and approaches to the theme of civic duty,” Karapetkova said. “Each is carefully crafted with a strong voice and unique take on the subject, challenging us to think about our civic duty in terms of both our individual responsibility to one another and our collective responsibility to those whose voices have been silenced or overlooked.”
First-, second- and third-place winners were awarded $250, $100 and $50, respectively. The fan favorite winner received $25.
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Greenbelt, Md.'s Mark and Lois D. Win 2025 Survey Drawing
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Congratulations to Mark and Lois D. of Greenbelt, Md., who won this year’s $100 GBF Survey drawing.
These longtime literary enthusiasts are making the Festival a favorite annual tradition. Attending for their second year in 2025, the couple first learned about the Festival by attending our special event featuring Billy Collins. That serendipitous moment sparked what’s now a full-day ritual: Arriving early for the first presentation and staying until the final author signing of the day.
Lois and Mark said they love hearing the writers speak and discovering new authors and genres they typically wouldn't read— and they're anxiously anticipating the Festival's return in 2026.
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Applications Now Open for
2026 GBF Presenting Authors
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Want to be a featured author at the 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival? Ever dreamed of stepping into the spotlight at one of the nation's premier literary events?
The Gaithersburg Book Festival is now accepting applications for featured authors in May 2026!
Writers interested in presenting at next year’s festival are encouraged to apply online. Publicists may also submit applications on behalf of the authors they represent.
Helpful tips for crafting a standout application are available on the GBF website.
Deadline to Apply: November 1, 2025
Submissions must include:
- A completed application form
- Two galleys or finished copies of the book you plan to promote
Please mail all materials to:
GBF Presenter
506 S. Frederick Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Applicants will be notified of acceptance by the end of February 2026.
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Interested in participating in the 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival? Mark these deadlines on your calendar:
November 1, 2025
February 20, 2026
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Official Bookseller
& Partner
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~ Partners ~
~ Festival Sponsors ~
~ Supporting Sponsor ~
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Subscribe to the GBF Newsletter
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