On a crisp October morning, I stood outside First Church in Boston wearing a bright red volunteer shirt and a lanyard around my neck. Clutching a clipboard with papers that listed author names and panel times for my assigned location, I was prepared for a day of chaotic excitement and literary conversations. The annual Boston Book Festival was already in full swing, with tens of white tents lining Copley Square featuring small publishers and local media powerhouses like GBH and Boston Globe, local food trucks were preparing ingredients, and hundreds of eager readers were walking the streets with stacks of books in hand.
What is it?
Every year, the Boston Book Festival attracts hundreds of talented authors and dedicated readers to the area. Whether you’re a writer or consumer of children’s books, fiction, memoirs, non-fiction, or romantasy, there’s a panel for you to attend. It’s the biggest literary festival in New England, and for Emerson students like me, especially those pursuing their master’s degree in Publishing and Writing, it’s a priceless opportunity to see the industry in action.
My Role
As an event producer, my job was to make sure the author panels assigned to my venue ran seamlessly from start to finish. Broken down, these responsibilities included escorting authors to and from the author hospitality suite, getting them mic-ed up by the AV team before their stage appearance, sitting in the front row to give timing cue cards to the moderator, and organizing author book signings at the end. Since there were so many events happening all day, each venue had a strict schedule we had to adhere to, even if an author was running late. This seemed like a lot of pressure for a first-year volunteer like myself! But nonetheless, I persisted. There was no time for nerves, people were depending on me! And this behind-the-scenes experience connected me to Boston’s literary community in a deeper way than I ever expected.
This year, the two panels I worked in the auditorium of First Church were: The Brain’s Narrative: How Our Minds Make Sense of the World with Galina Gheihman, Pria Anand, and Ann-Sophie Barwich; and Art & Ambition, with Stephen P. Kiernan, Lauren Morrow, and B.A. Shapiro. Watching these vastly different panels, the first of which centered on neuroscience and the second focused on fiction writing in the art space, reminded me why so many of us come to Emerson and seek creative outlets. Our stories help shape how we see and understand the world.
The Bigger Picture
As a Publishing and Writing MA student, it was incredibly rewarding to work directly with authors and be a part of all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into executing these massive community events. From fixing last-minute seating issues to running up and down ten flights of stairs in five minutes, I gained a new appreciation for the teamwork that goes into making these panels feel effortless.
Addison Hinke, a fellow Publishing and Writing MA student, completely agrees. As a second-year volunteer, Addison served as an event producer at the children’s library. She says, “Volunteering at this event always makes me feel closer to Boston’s literary community and helps make Boston as a city feel like more of a community. So many people are brought together by their shared love of storytelling, and it’s truly magical to see the kids at the children’s library find that same love.”
Since the majority of the festival’s events are completely free, it’s also inspiring to see how many people across the city can reap the benefits of the day. Not only can writers and readers engage in open conversation, but local bookstores also partner with the festival to sell books for on-site signing, creating a ripple effect through the entire community.
At the end of my shift, I even slipped into the last few minutes of a session with one of my favorite New England-based authors, Catherine Newman, and got her to sign her new book. It felt like a perfect full-circle moment to capture my experience in Boston’s literary community. Similarly, Addison shared how she got to meet New York Times’ bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, who’s definitely a new hero of hers. “He made every child feel special and used his creative fire to ignite the room that day.”
As both of us continue to pursue our degree in publishing, we’re constantly reminded how the art of storytelling is changing the world.
Interested in Getting Involved?
The Boston Book Festival recruits over 300 volunteers every year, from ushers to event producers to children’s activity leaders. Learn more at the BBF website.
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