1. Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival

The Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival takes place in September every year. This year features storytelling performances by Michael McCarty, Lou Ann Homan, Gwen Hillary and Enoch Williamson, as well as the Fox Valley Storytelling Guild.

2. Newberry Book Fair

The Newberry Book Fair happens every year in the month of July. They feature different activities, such as book signings, debates, awards and speakers. Held at the Newberry Library, the Newberry Book Fair is a five day affair that continues to celebrate inexpensive used books.

3. Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest

Held during the first week of June every year, the Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest features storytelling performances and book readings by storytellers and authors. There are also stage performances as well as book releases. They have demonstrations and poetry reading sessions. They have writing workshops and conversations with so many different authors. They also have several cooking demos as well as presentations of different writers guilds. Come one, come all, it doesn’t matter. So, bring anyone or bring no one to celebrate the written word in Chicago.

The Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair started when Bound Together, an anarchist collective bookstore, wanted to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Around 40 anarchist authors and publishers attended as vendors, displaying their works. Fourteen years later, the Anarchist Book Fair is still going strong with this year’s affair happening on May 14 and 15 at the SF Country Fair Building at Golden Gate Park.

2. Bay Area Playwrights Festival

The Bay Area Playwrights Festival was created to gather and get to know playwrights. The organizers select a play from submissions to their group and stage a public show of the same play. This year’s public shows will take place at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco from July 17 to 26.

3. San Francisco International Poetry Festival

Open to the public, the San Francisco International Poetry Festival showcases 15 poets from San Francisco and around the world and from up-and-coming poets to renowned masters. The festival features poetry readings in different bars and cafes in North Beach, Sunset and Bernal Heights.

4. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival

Sharing the experience of Shakespeare’s plays is the goal of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Running from July 18 to September 20, the Festival will run in Pleasanton and Cupertino and end in San Francisco. Held at the Presidio in San Francisco, this year’s festival will host the production of Comedy Of Errors.

5. Litquake

Litquake is San Francisco’s premiere literary festival. It is held in various venues all over the city and features literary readings, performances and panel discussions. Every year, there are more than 300 authors joining literary fans in celebrating the written word. Litquake ends with Litcrawl, a three-hour literary crawl through the book shops and galleries of SF’s Mission District, featuring readings and panel discussions. This year’s festivities will take place all over San Francisco from October 9 to 17.

Is that enough reason for you to visit San Francisco to celebrate the written word? I hope it is!