Tucson Book Festival Celebrates Literary Excellence

We are on the brink of another exciting, literary phenomenon – the 2025 Tucson Book Festival. This jubilant celebration of literature is distinguished by its grand gathering of award-winning authors. Literacy enthusiasts will be introduced to an unprecedented delight this year. From prestigious award winners to upcoming talents, the festival promises an array of cultural richness.

The Prestigious National Book Award for Nonfiction

Jason De León: Shining a Light on Human Smuggling

Jason De León will be adding a touch of distinct brilliance to the festival. The esteemed anthropologist bagged the 2024 National Book Award for nonfiction for his insightful book, “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling”. Covering spheres of political instability, poverty, climate change, and cheap labor, this ground-breaking work exposes the shadowy billion-dollar industry of human smuggling.

The Illustrious Booker Prize for Fiction

Samantha Harvey: Interstellar Rendezvous with Earth

Joining De León is Samantha Harvey, the literary intelligence behind “Orbital”, the 2024 Booker Prize-winning novel. Breath-taking in its landscape of emotions and experiences, Harvey’s novel juxtaposes the awe-inspiring beauty of Earth with the solitude and strain of serving on the International Space Station. Labeled as this generation’s Virginia Woolf, Harvey’s literary prowess and capacity for depth in relationship exploration shine spectacularly in “Orbital”.

Exploring Diverse Literary Genres with Award-winning Authors

The book festival is not biased towards a specific format or genre. Along with the illustrious award winners, it lends a chance for budding authors to share their masterpieces and interact with readers and established names in the world of literature.

‘Pemi Aguda: The Specter of Ancestral Ties

National Book Award finalist ‘Pemi Aguda lends a versatile touch to the event with “Ghostroots”, a collection of stories set in a reimagined Lagos, Nigeria. Her narratives unravel the struggles of freedom from ancestral bonds, lending fictional literature its due credit at the festival.

Violet Duncan: Illuminating Native Representation in Literature

Arizona author and National Book Award finalist, Violet Duncan, contributes to the richness of the festival with her middle-school novel, “Buffalo Dreamer”. Duncan’s narrative is a poignant examination of the brutal legacy of Indian Boarding Schools and the resulting struggle for familial healing.

Josh Galarza: A Cosmic Snack of Grief and Healing

Galarza, a finalist for a National Book Award for young people’s literature, spins a riveting narrative in “The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky”. Galarza delves into the realm of imaginative escapism as a coping mechanism for grief and disordered eating in the form of food constellations, adding a layer of poignant humor to the festival’s assortment of themes.

The Promise of Tucson Festival of Books

The 2025 Tucson Book Festival deftly weaves thought-invoking dialogues with entertaining narratives in a grand celebration of literature. By creating an interactive platform for readers and authors alike, the festival guarantees an engaging exploration of diverse realms of human experience. More than just a literary event, it is a cornerstone of the cultural calendar in Tucson and a beacon for literacy across Arizona.

Originally Post From https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-festival-books-2025-national-book-awards-booker-prize-winning-authors-coming/article_18f13b46-c23e-11ef-94dd-a72719982e1f.html

Award Winning Authors Set to Illuminate Tucson Book Festival