ABOUT BOOKNET FEST

BookNet Fest first started in 2017, co-founded by Marines and Samantha. Mari and Sam met because of BookTube and their friendship was cemented while traveling to and enjoying book events. It was at one such event that Mari proposed a wild idea: what if we made our own event? Mari and Sam saw a gap in programming for readers, an event that wasn’t author focused (but included authors!) or industry focused (but addressed the industry!) or platform focused (but welcomed all platforms!). An event that invited readers of all kinds, ones who normally gather online, to enjoy a weekend of panels, workshops, networking, meet-ups, activities, theme parks and even dancing.

And so, BookNet Fest was born. From the beginning, Mari and Sam knew they wanted their event to be mission focused. After their first year, they made the decision to found BookNet, Inc as a 401(C)3 organization, making BookNet Fest a non-profit event. Our mission is to inspire and promote a lifelong love of reading, to connect readers from diverse backgrounds, and to uplift marginalized voices in reading communities through on- and offline events.

BookNet Fest took a hiatus from 2020-2022 because of COVID-19. Our event returned in 2023 and is scheduled to come back in 2024.