An Assorted Chocolate Box of Events

The Charleston Literary Festival returns to Dock Street Theatre from November 7–16, 2025, bringing acclaimed authors, thought leaders, and readers together for ten days of inspiring conversations in the heart of Charleston. Now in its ninth year, the event has expanded beyond the traditional literary festival format with innovative cross-genre performances and immersive experiences that invite audiences to engage with ideas in fresh and unexpected ways.

At the heart of the festival are one-on-one and themed panel discussions featuring carefully selected interlocutors, ensuring what Executive Director Sarah Moriarty calls, “An alchemy of spontaneity and intimacy in real time on stage.”

In addition to showcasing the works of more than seventy authors—including the likes of Joyce Carol Oates, CNN’s Jake Tapper, and Viet Thanh Nguyen—during these dialogues, this year’s Festival also offered an assortment of creative outlets to compliment the literary arts. For example, in honor of the ten-year anniversary of the tragic massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church, Kevin Sack, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist discusses his new work, “Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church,” with bestselling author and scholar, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Following their talk, the Mother Emanuel Choir, led by Dr. Wayne Singleton, will perform a choral program that reflects the church’s history through song. This is a free event.

Another standout honors the 100th anniversary of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway.” A conversation between Michael Cunningham, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning “The Hours” and the more recent “Day”—both influenced by “Mrs. Dalloway”—and Jenny Offill, author of “Weather and Dept. of Speculation” and writer of the introduction to the Penguin Classics Edition of “Mrs. Dalloway,” explores why the novel continues to captivate readers a century after its publication. Preceding their discussion will be a screening of “The Hours,” the film adaptation of Cunningham’s novel that traces the lives of three women in different eras whose stories are bound together by “Mrs. Dalloway.”

Additionally, the Festival boasts two theater performances. “You’ll See” is an interpretive piece of James Joyce’s epic novel “Ulysses” for audiences aged eight and up, which incorporates live actors, intricate paper design and an original score. And “Talk Therapy” is a brand-new, one-man show that captures celebrated writer for The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik’s experiences as a young writer cutting his teeth in the wilds of New York City and the relationships that helped him along the way.

This year the festival also offered quickly sold-out VIP experiences where guests could attend parties to celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen and the 100th anniversary of “The Great Gatsby” in private homes. “People literally throw open their doors, welcoming the literati by giving them a holistic view into the magic of Charleston,” Moriarty says. Those packages also included options to help visitors book and organize the whole trip along with a literary walking tour, a private garden tour, a tour of the International African Art Museum and a restaurant concierge to help book the best tables in town.

Of these exquisite opportunities, Moriarty says, “This chocolate box of events satisfies the hunger of our Charleston audience who are excited, curious, love all the genres and have a real appetite for literature. They show up for everything and this is our way to reward them, not by inventing new things but by amplifying what’s already there.”

Moriarty emphasizes that the program’s many partners and sponsors are the heartstrings of the festival’s enduring success and continual growth. “The College of Charleston is our official academic partner. They supercharge our community engagement and allow for rich, intellectual dialogue to take place between students and the festival.” 

To further promote literacy, they also partnered with Charleston County Public Library, to make sure all the books highlighted throughout the event are accessible and free for everyone to borrow. 

Another partner, the Gaillard Center, hosted a talk with co-authors Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben about their newly released thriller, “Gone Before Goodbye,” two weeks before the festival began.

We can only imagine what their tenth anniversary will bring. In the meantime, stay in the know by following @charlestonlitfest and visiting charlestonliteraryfestival.com.