Our Story

Hello Festival Friends!

In case you were wondering how this all came into existence, let me tell you the story.

In late May, 2023 I was in NYC meeting with publicists from the major publishers. I was on a mission to get Morgenstern Books on the radar of these publishers in hopes of bringing in big authors and putting Bloomington, Indiana on the Literary Map. While meeting with the WW Norton rep in Bryant Park, their publicist let us know she was very familiar with Bloomington and asked ‘Have you ever thought about having a book festival in Bloomington?’

There it was. That was it for me. I knew right then and there I HAD to do this. I did not know the first thing about organizing any type of festival, especially of this scale. I just knew it had to happen.

I returned to Bloomington the next week and put my thoughts together, solidifying the decision to do this. My next step was to share this with a few trusted people in order to bring this to light. Make it real. The excitement from the few I shared this idea with made it terrifying. I knew this was going to happen.

Fast forward to an article that was shared about literacy in Monroe County. There are heartbreaking statistics that will affect the future of the world of literature. Looking a bit more into the resources Monroe County provides, I find there is no local Literacy Foundation. There it is. I had found the ultimate “why”.

What · Bloomington Book Festival

Why · To encourage and nurture the love of reading

How · Create a Literacy Foundation from the proceeds gained from the Bloomington Book Festival.

Well, here we are. Welcome to the birth of Bloomington Book Festival. Glad you are here!

Jenna Bowman (Founder)