Photos from the 2016 Boston Book Festival

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

The Boston Book Festival was held for its eighth year on a beautiful fall Saturday this past weekend in Copley Square. Attendees read, listened, debated, and learned from visiting authors and panelists at sessions throughout the area. Visitors could also browse booths set up at Copley throughout the day.

Check out some scenes from the event below—it was a real page turner.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

The city was blessed with fine fall weather on Saturday for the annual Boston Book Festival at Copley Square.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Throughout the day, visitors browsed booths set up around Copley.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

All types of literature was represented, from poetry, to foreign, to science fiction. The New England Science Fiction Association came prepared with some blowup mascots.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Constance Gozlan (right) browsed racks of discounted books at Brattle Book Shop’s tent.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Jim Kates, co-director of Zephyr Press, explained to a festival-goer how his company publishes foreign texts—primarily Eastern and Central European, and Asian—into English, with the original text on one side of the page, and the English translation on the opposite.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Fiction keynote speaker, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author Colson Whitehead read a passage from his National Book Award finalist novel, The Underground Railroad, to a packed Emmanuel Church, and spoke with BuzzFeed editor of culture Saeed Jones about some of the more serious themes in his story—and what Oprah smells like.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Radio station WBUR hosted a game where festival participants had to describe the plot of their favorite novel using only 10 words, and add it to the pin board. The submissions will be used as part of an online game in the near future.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Kelly Link, the author of this year’s selection for One City One Story, discussed her piece “The Faery Handbag” and the inspiration for the characters in it with Inside Arts editor Alicia Anstead at Trinity Church.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Attendees relaxed and recharged at the recently opened Newsfeed Cafe in the renovated wing of the Boston Public Library.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

The cafe also hosts a WGBH radio studio, so patrons and passersby can watch the behind-the-scenes happenings of a radio production.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

South African R&B singer Neo Gcabo entertained event attendees with a mix of upbeat songs and African-infused dance moves. Gcabo is a recent Berklee graduate, and sang with her band on the college’s festival stage.

Photo by Lloyd Mallison

And yes, of course they feed you at BBF. There was a long line at Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and Whole Heart Provisions.