MJCCA’s 35th Book Festival focuses on Jewish heritage and culture, includes local authors

The 35th annual Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta begins November 1 and runs through November 22, featuring local authors and big names alike and discussing a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction. 

Given rising antisemitism in the United States, organizers chose for this year’s edition to center on programs and books that celebrate Jewish heritage and community while considering the challenges Jewish people increasingly face. The 2026 lineup features numerous authors exploring this theme, including Rachel Goldberg-Polin (When We See You Again, Random House) and Steven J. Ross (The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy, Bloomsbury), as well as programs centered on Jewish food, art, celebrations and crafts.

Despite the 2026 Festival’s global interest, organizers made it a point to feature some of the authors who give Atlanta its distinct literary diversity. “We take great pride in giving our local authors a platform to share their stories with our audiences,”  said Festival Vice Chair Tracey Grant. 

Co-Chairs Staci Libowsky and Debbie Kurzweil shared her excitement. “One of the things that makes the Book Festival of the MJCCA so special is the opportunity to celebrate the incredible literary talent right here in our own Atlanta community,” they said, explaining that their excitement over Atlanta’s literary chops inspired them to start the Festival with two of the city’s own: Billy Planer and Dena Schusterman. 

Planer appeared at MJCCA’s “prologue” event on October 25, where he discussed his new book, Conversations That Matter (Give a Damn Media) with Atlanta Journal-Constitution politics reporter Greg Bluestein. In the book, Planer draws on decades of experience as a counselor and educator to explore how thoughtful, sensitive conversation can close the expanding social gaps between Americans who disagree. “At a time when our country seems more divided than ever, [Planer] brings an incredibly timely and important message to the Book Festival,” says Libowsky. “His message of listening, understanding and finding common ground is one we believe our entire community can benefit from hearing.”

Educator Dena Schusterman, whom Libowsky calls “a beloved member of Atlanta’s Jewish community,” will officially open the Festival November 1 to discuss her memoir, Stories Carry (Mercer University Press), with author Melissa Fay Greene. From her childhood in California in the 1970s to her present as the mother of eight in Atlanta, Schusterman’s book recounts her experience straddling Hasidic and secular communities, exploring the importance of both. “Dena reminds us of the powerful role that storytelling plays in preserving our heritage and connecting generations. Her message is especially meaningful at a festival that celebrates Jewish culture, identity and the written word,” Libowsky explains.

On November 10, bestselling author and Atlanta resident Lynn Cullen returns to the Festival to discuss her upcoming novel, When We Were Brilliant (Berkley, December 2026), alongside author Karen Essex and in conversation with Atlanta author Jessica Handler. When We Were Brilliant explores the unlikely but profound friendship between movie star Marilyn Monroe and photographer Eve Arnold. The book offers “a fascinating look at two women determined to define their own futures,” Kurzweil says, adding that Cullen “has a remarkable gift for bringing history to life.”

In her latest novel, The World to See (Regal House) Handler, whom Grant calls  a “wonderful example of the extraordinary literary talent we have here in Atlanta,” features aging rock star Celeste and her fan-turned-business partner Nadine. As the women’s ambitious and successful partnership falters, The World to See turns into a much broader narrative about friendship, secrets and the relationships between mothers and daughters. Handler will appear alongside author Sara Goodman Confino and in conversation with local writer Alison Law on November 12, where Grant predicts her “thoughtful storytelling and richly developed characters promise to make this a particularly engaging conversation for our Festival audience.”

Grant says the Festival is “especially excited” to host bestselling co-authors Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores, who will close out the local lineup on November 16. The Atlanta duo will discuss their new novel, Perfect Life (Bantam), about former tech executive Este Walker, whose idyllic life in Florida begins to fall apart after a body found floating in her pool leads to questions about Este’s past. Lavender and Shores “know how to keep readers on the edge of their seats,” Grant says, “and we know their Festival appearance will be just as entertaining as their books.” 

As always, this year’s Festival also boasts several big names across politics, medicine and the arts. Dr. Marie Claire Haver, author of the #1 bestseller The New Perimenopause, will discuss symptoms, science and treatments for menopause with medical journalist Elizabeth Cohen on November 3. Former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will appear on November 7 to discuss her memoir, View from the East Wing  (Gallery Books). And on November 14, singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. will discuss his new memoir, Babe: Elaboratio, A Tribute to My Mother (Harper Celebrate) with jazz pianist Joe Alterman. 

When and Where

Events listings, scheduling and tickets for the 35th Annual MJCCA Book Festival can be found on the MJCCA website.

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Rachel Wright has a Ph.D. from Georgia State University and an MA from the University College Dublin, both in creative writing. Her work has appeared in The Stinging Fly and elsewhere. She is currently at work on a novel.