The 2024 Fall Arts Preview: Our picks in books

Don’t miss out on this fall’s literary events, which include books from across the spectrum of cultures and politics.

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Not only is it the 800-pound gorilla of literary events in the city, the Decatur Book Festival is also one of the most significant in the region and in the country. This year’s edition — though intentionally a bit smaller than in the past — still promises a full program of panel discussions, author talks and meet and greets. Held in locations throughout Decatur, the Festival also includes a few special sessions such as a performance by the Agnes Scott Collegiate Chorale and various student showcases. Plus, this year, the Festival is headlined by two outspoken and indominable women of the literary scene: Joyce Carol Oates and Stacey Abrams as “Kidnote” speaker. The Festival runs October 4 and October 5.

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Another major annual Atlanta literary event is the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. This year’s Festival is an intentionally hot one, with organizers hoping to get attendees talking about things that matter. Authors on the roster include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Seinfeld star Michael Richards and The Gates of Gaza author Amir Tibon. But participants also include writers of lighter fare such as two cookbook authors: Joan Nathan and Chef Moshe Basson. You can also hear from Adam Nimoy, son of Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy and author of The Most Human. The Festival spans over two weeks from November 2 through November 17.

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Overlapping with other festivals, the Atlanta Arab Festival and Book Fair takes place at the Alif Institute October 5 and October 6 in Embry Hills. The Festival began in 2006 as Arab American Family Day and grew to over 6,000 attendees at the 2023 edition. The fair includes lectures by researchers and authors but also emphasizes a large helping of film screenings, art exhibits, concerts and food vendors. According to the website, the Institute’s mission is “to foster the understanding and appreciation of Arab cultures; our vision is to connect humanity through the power of arts and culture.”

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More Books Highlights…

• Chris Reel’s Martin Martyrs project comprises hundreds of photos of youth dressed similarly to Trayvon Martin, now coming together in a self-published photo book.
• Georgia State University professor Joshua Greer has announced the imminent publication of The Makeshift City, photographs of Atlanta’s urban places by GOST Books in London.
• Atlanta’s Fall Line Press will publish among other titles Stephen Wilson’s Liminal — photographs of sacred places — and Bittersweet, A Story of Food and Yemen, which includes photographs and rich descriptions of Yemen’s food culture.
• Stacey Abrams, who will be a headliner at the Decatur Book Festival, will not-so-coincidentally also be publishing her newest children’s book, Stacey Speaks Up, available in September.
• With an October 15 publication date, Hiking Intown Atlanta’s Hidden Forests promises to be a comprehensive illustrated guide to nature trails inside and on the Perimeter. The book will be published by University of Georgia Press.
• Also coming in October from UGA Press, Bon Appétit, Y’all is written by Virginia Willis, with photographs by Ellen Silverman. Willis is both a classically trained French chef and a proponent of Southern cuisine.
• Finally, also coming from UGA Press, Jaap van der Doelen will publish Kill Your Masters: Run the Jewels and the World That Made Them, the story of the unlikely hip-hop duo of Atlanta’s Killer Mike and Brooklyn’s El-P. Due in December.

More 2024 Fall Picks