South Dakota Festival of Books Home
South Dakota's Premier Literary Event
The best in books comes to South Dakota with the 14th annual Festival of Books, featuring a half dozen Pulitzer Prize winners among the more than 70 authors on schedule to present.
The Festival has grown to become the state’s premier literary event. Brookings hosts the Festival, Sept. 22-25 with events in Sioux Falls on Thursday, Sept. 22 and in Rapid City, Sept. 27. Events are free and open to the public.
Six featured Pulitzer Prize winners represent 35 years of high caliber writing in international reporting, fiction, poetry, history, biography and criticism with authors Jane Smiley, Robert Olen Butler, T.J. Stiles, Michael Dirda, Ted Kooser and Shirley Christian.
They come to South Dakota to recognize the centennial year of the Pulitzer Prize. The Festival, One Book South Dakota, and a network of other events and projects throughout the year are part of an initiative led by the South Dakota Humanities Council.
The Festival hosts more than 70 presenters including nationally-known crime writers Jeffrey Deaver and Anne Perry, Jeff Alworth of The Beer Bible, Ron Capps of the Veterans Writing Project, National Book Award winner Pete Dexter, Max & Ruby creator Rosemary Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe Award winner Jess Walter.
Meet the authors of the Festival of Books and start planning your visit.
2016 $20,000+ Presenting Partners
2016 $5,000+ Festival Tribute Sponsors
2016 $5,000+ Endowment Donors
2016 $2,500+ Donors (*indicates endowment)
3M | Avera | Black Hills State University Foundation | Sandra Brannan* | Judith & Mark Meierhenry* | Carolyn Mollers* | Scott & Linda Rausch* | South Dakota Art Museum | South Dakota State University Office of the President* | Washington Pavilion
2016 $1,000+ Donors (*indicates endowment)
The Ament Group of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management | Brookings School District | Dick & Sue Brown* | Tom & Sherry DeBoer (in memory of Charles Larson)* | Delta Dental of South Dakota | Den-Wil Hospitalities | Glacial Lake & Prairies Tourism Association | James & Kathy McMahon* | Steven & Kathy Sanford* | SDSU College of Arts & Sciences | SDSU English Department | Jerry & Gail Simmons | Sioux Falls School District | South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum | Keri Thompson
2016 $500+ Donors (*indicates endowment)
Eric Abrahamson & Lois Facer* | Brian Bonde* | Patricia S. Fishback | Tom & Mary Beth Fishback* | Joe & Jennifer Kirby Charitable Fund of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation* | Jason & Tatum McEntee | Matthew C. Moen* | Tom & Jean Nicholson* | Jack & Linda Stengel | Robert & Ann Weisgarber
2016 Friends of SDHC (*indicates endowment)
Anonymous | Katherine Amundson | Mads & Chloe Andenas | R. P. Anderson* | Jessica Andrews & Allen Day* | Dr. Marilyn Carlson Aronson | Martha Baker | Philip Baker | Reuben J. Bareis* | Patricia K. Beattie | Kathleen Bergeson | Mary Lou Berry | Cheryl Beste | Darla Biel | Elizabeth Birmingham* | Dorothy Blair | Susan Blake | Margy Brenden | Loreen Bunker* | Susan Burgard | Chuck Cecil | Dr. O. J. "Chals" Christensen & Dr. Joan England | Rebecca Converse* | K. D. Danker | Suzanne DeBoom | Tom & Kathy Dean | Prudence DeBates | Tom & Deb Delaney* | Margaret Denton | Kristi Desaulniers* | Kathleen Donovan* | Holly Downing* | Monica Draeger | Thomas & Connie Earley | Janice Ebersdorfer | Helen Ellerbach | Lewayne M. Erickson | Ann R. Esse | Audrey Estebo | David & Jan Evans | Sheryl Faber | Wayne Fanebust* | Martin Fashbaugh* | Mary Fiedler | Mary S. Freeman | Katie Fritz | Jacqualyn Fuller* | Judy Gaalswyk* | W. Denny Gemeny* | Doris Giago | Alden Gillings | Keith & Irene Goehring | Sherilyn Goldammer* | Tricia Gomulinski | Lillian Greenbaum | Janet Gritzner | Kathy Grow | Nancy T. Hacker | Emily A. Haddad* | Mary Alice Halverson | Candy Hamilton | Lois Hart | Lillian Haug | Michael & Jean Haug | Mary Hayenga* | Ronald Hill | Alan Hodgson* | Edward Hogan | Larry & Mary Holland | Richard Holm | Fr. Jerome Holtzman | Dennis Hopfinger | Dr. Jay W. Hubner | Bernie Hunhoff | Katie Hunhoff* | John Husmann | Elizabeth A. Hustad | Karla Hyde | Joyce Jefferson | Redetta Jensen* | Vesta Jensen | Sandy Jerstad | Dr. James L. Johnson | Jan Hovey Johnson | Thomas Johnson | Priscilla Jorve | Alvin Kangas | Claudia Kapp* | Karen Kildahl* | Esther Marie Knutson | Cheryl Koch | Linda Kottkee | Nancy Tystad Koupal* | Marilyn Kratz | Barbara Kurtis | Carol Kurtzhals | David Kvernes | D. C. Lamphere Studio | Joyce Lampson | Gerald F. Lange | Jay Larsen* | Dolores Larson* | Renae Lehman | Jane Leite* | Bonnie Lievan* | Lisa Lindell | Norma Linn | Bruce & Ila Lushbough | Jack Lyons | Steven Lust Automotive* | Greg Magnuson* | Martha Marken | Mr. & Mrs. T. F. Martin | Connie McKnight | Mary McQuillen | Carol Merwin | Kent & Zindie Meyers* | Beverly Kaye Mickelson | Jason Miller, Micro Computer Systems | Peggy Gordon Miller | Jane Miner | Lillian Misar | Marsha Warren Mittman | Mary Moeller | Maurice Monahan | Mary Montoya | Denton Morrison | Ann Morrow | Ted Muenster* | Dr. Don & Lorraine Nemer* | Sister Eileen Neville | Genevieve Newell | Lawrence C. Novotny | Sharon Olbertson | Julie Moore Peterson | Kenneth & Lavonne Pickering* | Susanne Piplani | Judith Quam* | Kathryn Cole Quinones | Connie Quirk | Jill D. Rallis | Eric Raveling | Marian V. Reed | Betsy Rice* | Steve Riedel | Riverfront Broadcasting (Carolyn Becker)* | Ardelle Lundeen Roberts | The Joel & Susan Rosenthal Charitable Gift Account* | Frances Ruebel-Alberts | Kyle & Rachel Schaefer* | Rebecca Schenk* | Jan Schock* | Vonnie Shields* | COL Orville & Charlotte Smidt* | Charline Smith* | Legia Spicer* | Peggy Stout | Harriet Swedlund | Robert Talley* | Gaytha Ten Eyck | Ron & Jan Tesch | Mark & Lynne Thompson | Helen R. Tieszen | Trucount CPA | Craig & Della Tschetter | Mike & Lesta Turchen | Van Buskirk Companies (Myron Van Buskirk) | Dr. Orval Van Deest | Nancy Veglahn | Lynn Verschoor | Grace Wangberg | Pam Warren | Gary & Vivian Westgard | John & Peggy Whalen | Carol White | Jennifer & Rich Widman* | Linda Wiley | Clyde V. Williams* | Ruth Williams | Jerry & Norma Wilson | Ruby Wilson | Geoffrey H. & Mary N. Wold | David A. Wolff* | Charles & Sarah Woodard | Elizabeth Young* | Rose Ross Zediker | Thomas & Sharon Zeller
