Welcome

Welcome to the Eastern Sierra Book Festival webpage. We’re glad you’re here.

The book festival is a one-day celebration of books, writing, reading, and publishing. It is held annually in July at the beautiful Mammoth Museum at Hayden Cabin in Mammoth Lakes, California, on the Eastside of the Sierra Nevada.

The book festival opened in 2018 and grew significantly in 2019. In 2020 it moved online, but ran for six wonderful hours of author presentations and interviews. For 2021, the festival was (a)live again and set attendance records despite being baptized with some afternoon sprinkles. In 2022, our fifth year, we were honored to welcome new vendors, LOTS of new authors, an ancient book, and lots of surprises.

For our SIXTH year, in 2023, we’re planning a more concentrated event from 11 a.m. to late afternoon, with the usual suspects and some new faces. Check us out. It’s free to attend.

It is sponsored by Whistling Rabbit Press and is hosted by the Southern Mono Historical Society. Book sales benefit the Mammoth Museum.

Here’s an interview with Jennifer Crittenden, the organizer of the book festival and author of The Mammoth Letters and Working Dogs of the Eastern Sierra, with Christopher Platt, head librarian of Mono Co libraries and Stacy Adler, superintendent of Mono Co schools, on their Oxygen Starved podcast in which they talk about the origins of the festival, as well as writing and reading and what makes the Eastern Sierra so intoxicating.

2023

OUR SIXTH YEAR!

Sunday, July 16, 2023

At the beautiful Hayden Cabin along the banks of Mammoth Creek in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Speakers, food & drink, music, games, books for sale and giveaway, and vendors.

Entrance and a good time are free.

Have an idea? Get in touch. Want to volunteer? We’d love to have you.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FORTHCOMING

11 a.m.        WELCOME                                                        Jennifer Crittenden

SPEAKERS, VENDORS, GAMES, MUSIC, FUN

and lots of new guests with new books !

AUTHOR VARIETY SHOW FROM NOON

8 minutes per author

Come tell us about your book: do a reading, or a song, explain your writing process, or take questions from the audience — these 8 minutes are your time to shine!

THE BOOKS OF THE FESTIVAL

Photo Gallery

2022 – THE FIFTH YEAR

2021 – The Big Year

2020 – The Online Year

The entire event was streamed to Facebook and can be watched here.

The individual author segments can be watched here.

2019 – The Dog Year

2018 – The First Year

Contact

Interested in participating, speaking, having a vendor booth, or volunteering? Get in touch and let us know your great idea. Let’s have some fun.