Join us in the courtroom made famous by To Kill a Mockingbird for captivating readings, enlightening discussions, amusing conversations and Monroeville's famous brand of hospitality. We're welcoming friends, old and new, to discover new authors, celebrate favorite writers and share great times with others who love Southern literature.

Schedule of Events

February 27, 2025

We've expanded with exciting new events on Thursday! Come early to explore Monroeville and Shop the Square

We're excited to announce new FREE activities on Thursday in an expanded three-day format for this year's Festival! Arrive early on Thursday afternoon, join in the FREE walking tours (advance registration required) and plan to Shop the Square in downtown Monroeville, home to eclectic shops and locally owned businesses. Peruse the books of this year's featured authors available for purchase in The Bird's Nest gift shop in the Old Courthouse Museum. Join us for the FREE Meet the Artists welcome reception 4:30 - 6 p.m., held in conjunction with Monroeville Main Street's 5th Annual Paint the Town event. Cap off your day with the FREE songwriters' concert in the courtroom at 6:30 p.m. featuring The Pine Hill Haints!

Hear the stories of Monroeville on these guided tours

Join one of these three guided tours. Each tour is offered twice: 2 p.m and 3 p.m. Tours are FREE but registration is required. Limited to 15 people per tour. All tours begin at the Old Courthouse Museum.

1:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Festival Check-In open at the Old Courthouse Museum

2:00 p.m.:

Courthouse Museum Tour
Led by master storyteller Rabun Williams, this special tour gives you the inside scoop on Harper Lee, Truman Capote and the courthouse that was once their hangout. Free, but registration is required. (Limited to IS participants.)

The Literary Capital Sculpture Trail Walking Tour
Fourteen bronze sculptures in Historic Downtown Monroeville honor the 10 writers credited with making Monroeville/Monroe County the Literary Capital of Alabama. You'll learn fascinating details about Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Mark Childress and others. Free, but registration is required. (Limited to IS participants.)

Monroeville Walking Tour
Many of the buildings and landmarks that shaped the works of Harper Lee and Truman Capote have been lost, but this tour recreates that magical world. Iconic works like To Kill a Mockingbird and A Christmas Memory come to life as you stroll Monroeville streets. Free, but registration is required. (Limited to 15 participants.)

3:00 p.m.: Three tours listed above are repeated. Registration required.

Join us as we kick off the Festival with an evening of art and traditional Alabama music!

1:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Festival check-In open the Old Courthouse Museum

4:30 to 6:00 p.m.: Meet the Artists Welcome Reception - The Shop at 66

Join us to kick off this year's Festival and Monroeville Main Street's Paint the Town event with a FREE Meet the Artists welcome reception on Thursday! Meet your fellow festivalgoers and the participating artists while enjoying free refreshments at The Shop at 66. The Shop will serve as a shared space for the Paint Out and the Monoreville Literary Festival. Artists participating in the 2025 Paint the Town event will bring samples of their work which will be on display throughout the weekend.

Thursday, February 27th from 4:30 PM to 6 PM at The Shop at 66: 66 S Mount Pleasant Avenue. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Sample works will be on sale throughout the weekend. Works created during the Paint Out will be on display as they are completed but will not be available for sale until the Wet Paint Sale on Saturday afternoon, 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Songwriter concert in the courtroom featuring The Pine Hill Haints!
Doors open at 6 for ticket holders. FREE, but register on Eventbrite to ensure a seat.

February 28, 2025

Old Courthouse Museum

8:30 a.m. Festival check-in opens/tent on courthouse lawn

9:00 a.m. Tim Lockette - Atty at Law and Atty in Love

10:00 a.m. Dan Carter - Unmasking the Klansman: The Double Life of Asa and Forrest Carter

11:00 a.m. Jay Lamar, Jennifer Home & Angela Jackson-Brown - Old Enough

Noon: Lunch on one's own. Pick up the handout at the check-in tent listing lots of great restaurant options in walking distance or within a short drive. Enjoy the Friday lunch break to Shop the Square, peruse the books of this year's featured authors available for purchase in The Bird's Nest gift shop in the Old Courthouse Museum, and observe the Paint the Town artists at work around the Square.

2:00 p.m.: Welcomes by Mayor Charles Andrews and Probate Judge Sonya Stinson. Harvey Gaston, Monroe County Museum Board President, will offer a tribute to the late Gail Deas, a longtime champion of the Festival.

2:15 p.m.: John Sledge - Mobile and Havana, Sisters Across the Gulf

3:15 p.m.: Presentation of the Truman Capote Prize - presented by Dr. Don Noble Suzanne Hudson, recipient

4:15 p.m.: Presentation of the Harper Lee Award - presented by Anna Lee Gresham Cassandra King, recipient

5:15 p.m.: Book Signing in Courtroom

The Shop at 66

6:00 p.m. Awards Reception and Dinner Buffet honoring Suzanne Hudson and Cassandra King.
($50, advance purchase required) Let's celebrate and toast our award winners! Our special guest Rick Bragg, Harper Lee Award recipient from 2009, will offer a toast to his friend Cassandra King. We'll offer a heartfelt toast to the memory of Gail Deas, former festival director. Enjoy a relaxed time with our visiting authors and other festival goers and sample an elegant spread of Southern foods, wine and music. The Shop at 66 Event Center is located at 66 S. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Monroeville, AL 36460. Buy your ticket on Eventbrite here or call the museum at 251-575-7433

March 1, 2025

8:30 a.m.: Festival check-in opens/tent on courthouse lawn

In the Courtroom
9:00 a.m.: James Braziel Tina Mozelle Braziel - Glass Cabin
10:00 a.m.: Manda Collins -A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril
11 a.m.: Angela Jackson-Brown - Untethered

9:30 a.m.: Family Events at Library
Readings from the Sydney children's book series, adventures of a beloved family dog written by Kay Whaley and illustrated by Kathy Fluker Hamrick. Both author and illustrator will participate. Library volunteers will guide children in arts and crafts projects. Monroe County Public Library, 121 Pineville Rd., near the northeast corner of the square.

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.: Southern Lunch at The Shop at 66
Luncheon ($30, advance purchase required) Enjoy a bountiful Southern meal.
The Shop at 66 is located at 66 S. Mt. Pleasant Avenue Monroeville, AL 36460.
Buy your ticket on Eventbrite here or call the museum at 251-575-7433. or lunch on one's own

1:15 - 2:00 p.m.: Book Signing in the Lobby at the The Shop

1:30 - 4:00 p.m.: Wet Paint Sale at The Shop.
Free and open to the public, refreshments will be served. Monroeville Main Street's 5th Annual Paint the Town Paint Out will be going on throughout the Festival. You'll see plein air painters around downtown. Be sure to check out the Wet Paint Sale before you leave! Paintings will begin appearing in The Shop during lunch. A painting from one of these regional artists will be a treasured remembrance of your weekend in Alabama's Literary Capital.

Date: February 27 - March 1, 2025

Location: Various Venues in Monroeville, AL 36461

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