Back in May, Tri-City Voice covered the 2024 Bay Area Book Festival (BABF)—a weekend in Berkeley packed with author panels, local author booths and all things book-related. Recently, BABF announced the appointment of their new Executive Director, J.K. Fowler, replacing festival founder Cherilyn Parsons. Fowler was the founder and previous executive director of Nomadic Press, an Oakland publisher that focused on uplifting voices of marginalized authors. (According to their website, Nomadic Press unfortunately closed in 2023.) He has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector and event production.
In a press release from BABF, Fowler shared, “Hand in hand with our wonderful staff, board and community of supporters, I am excited and honored to help usher in the Bay Area Book Festival’s next chapter. As a fervent believer in the democratic principles of free speech and rigorous, respectful debate, I look forward to utilizing our platform to further develop BABF’s tradition of uplifting and celebrating literature as a powerful tool to address some of the most pressing and challenging issues that face us today.”
The 2025 Bay Area Book Festival will take place on May 31 and June 1, 2025. Learn more here: www.baybookfest.org.
