The 2014 Boston Book Festival Arrives Thursday: What You Need to Know

Photo via bostonbookfest.org

Book lovers and wordsmiths will unite in Boston’s Back Bay this weekend for the annual 2014 Boston Book Festival.

For those planning to attend—which runs from Thursday, Oct. 23 to Saturday, Oct. 25—we’ve got a roundup of information to keep handy prior to heading to the event, from featured speakers to an events schedule and parking availability.

Schedules, Speakers and Activities

The festival kicks off Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. with a memoir keynote by renowned jazz musician Herbie Hancock at the Old South Sanctuary. (Hancock’s appearance is a ticketed event.)

From there, the festival will continue on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25, and feature both speakers and book- and writing-related activities, such as “Writer Idol,” and “Writing in French in New England.”

Saturday events include a Costume Parade at Copley Square and a “Mayors Rule” session, which will feature appearances by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong and Bob Oaks of WBUR’s “Morning Edition.”

• The full schedule of events can be found here (for a grid-view PDF of the schedule, click here).
• A full list of presenters can be found here.
• Event descriptions can be found here.

Directions & Parking

The hub of the Boston Book Festival will be held right in Copley Square, rain or shine, with author events taking place indoors in the Boston Common Hotel, Church of the Covenant, Emmanuel Church, First Church Boston, French Cultural Center, Old South Church, Storyville and Trinity Church.

To download a venue map, click here.

Parking is available via LAZ Parking, and for those who plan on driving, be sure to download and print a parking voucher, which will allow drivers to only pay $10 on Saturday.

To download the voucher and locate participating garages, click here, and more information for drivers and attendees looking for accommodations can be found here.

For those opting to use public transportation, which organizers recommend, the MBTA Commuter Rail lines can be taken to Back Bay Station; T riders can take the subway to the Copley stop on the Green Line.

For more information, visit bostonbookfest.org or follow the Boston Book Festival on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.