Reading may be a solitary act, but many readers love the chance to get together and talk about their favorite stories and authors. I’ve been a convention junkie for years, and book cons are some of my favorite events. Given the current state of things, most 2020 festivities events have had to cancel or be postponed. However, some industrious souls have managed to reconfigure a few upcoming events, and others have been created entirely from scratch, to happen online!
Spring and summer in the book world’s calendar is usually heavily spotted with get-togethers of all sizes. It seems that, unfortunately, 2020 was becoming a de facto “year off” for pop culture events and book conventions.
But some really incredible authors and bloggers are coming to SAVE THE DAY! Authors are participating in pre-recorded Q&A panels, and/or live chats with readers watching from home. While it’s not quite the same, these revamped events are giving readers a version of some of the best benefits of in-person conventions. Attendees get a chance to see authors interact, both with their peers and with an audience. And for those looking to discover new-to-them authors, there are lots of opportunity to check out unfamiliar faces.
Below is a listing of online events that I’m aware of. Some have already happened, but you’re able to access recorded versions of many of the panels/discussions on their websites, Facebook pages, and/or Youtube channels. Some have a cost, but many are free. If you know of any event that should be added to this list, please let me know in the comments.
Everywhere Bookfest – May 1-2, 2020 – “A virtual gathering of kidlit authors, books, and readers that will bring the book festival experience to everyone.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
RTC Online Romance Convention 2020 – Saturdays/April 11 – May 30, 2020 – “Online Romance Convention: April and May 2020! Free and open to the public via YouTube! All sessions will be broadcast live on and saved there for later viewing.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
Wordplay – March – May 2020 – “A virtual book festival reconnecting readers, writers, and great books.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
Social Distance BookFest – April 25, 2020 – “A virtual book festival.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Tumblr
Gaithersburg Book Festival – Weekends/ May 16 – June 14 – “A celebration of books, writers, & excellence.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
Virtual Thrillerfest – July 6-11, 2020 – “The year’s premier event for thriller enthusiasts.”
Twitter | Facebook
Romance Slam Jam – June 25-28, 2020 – “Meet book lovers who are avid lovers of steamy romance, suspense, and women’s fiction stories. Focused on diversity and inclusion, you’ll find an array of page-turning multicultural characters and books looking to make their way onto your favorite bookshelves.”
Twitter | Facebook
Book Conline – May 30-31, 2020 – “Make your quarantine LIT(erary) and join BookCon for a free virtual event where the book community can stay connected while social distancing. BookConline will feature sessions throughout each day with different authors and publishers to give you a front row look at debut books and behind-the-scenes peeks at some of your favorite titles. Plus – ARC giveaways, quizzes, trivia, and more!
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
ConCarolinas – May 29-31, 2020 – “It’s a weekend full of entertainment, gaming, costumes, authors, films, discussion panels and workshops with professionals in the entertainment and creative community. Come celebrate geekdom and meet some of the region’s most creative minds.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
BaltiCon – May 22-25, 2020 – “The Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention”
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Big Book Weekend – May 8-10, 2020 – “Three-day virtual book festival that brought together the best of the cancelled British literary festivals.”
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest – April 23 – June 6 – “A fun, online book fest, with weekly themes.”
Twitter | Instagram
ConTinual – Ongoing (Facebook) – “Welcome! This is the con that never ends….it just goes and on, my friends! This is a place for sci-fi/fantasy, filk, paranormal & fantasy romance, spec fic and related topics, TV shows, movies and books to connect without the barriers of distance.”
In addition to bookish events– there are organizations in all areas that are resorting to “meeting” virtually. Things like pop culture cons, anime cons, doll collectors conventions, even beer festivals!
So — what do you think about moving from in-person to virtual events? ? Are you a fan of bookish events/conventions? Are you excited to “attend” any of these? If you’ve been watching or participating in any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how things went/are going!!
Funk-N-Fiction 