StoryFest’s busiest day features a full slate of panel discussions, book signings, and more, featuring more than 30 authors across genres!

Click here to see the full list of events, authors, and more for StoryFest 2025!

Here’s a full breakdown of StoryFest’s biggest day:

Spooky Stories in the Cobblestone Barn (for kids)

10 am – 12 pm: At the Westport Museum for History & Culture

StoryFest is everywhere on Saturday morning, starting at the Westport Museum for History & Culture!

Story Fest Saturday morning kicks off with spooky storytelling for the whole family at the Westport Museum for History & Culture! Get in the Halloween spirit with award-winning and best-selling authors Lorien Lawrence, Cody Daigle-Orians, and more, plus a special appearance by Washington Irving himself!

10 am: Lorien Lawrence
10:30 am: Cody Daigle-Orians
11 am: TBA
11:30 am: Step into the shadows of legend as the ghost of Washington Irving himself rises to recount his chilling tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Gather in the museum’s historic barn, where flickering lantern light set the perfect stage for the Headless Horseman to ride again. This special performance features an abbreviated, family-friendly reading of Irving’s classic ghost story: brought to life in a way that will thrill audiences of all ages!

Panel Discussions and Author Signings

11 am – 5 pm: In the Library’s Trefz Forum

11 am: Writing the Self and Others: Turning Lived Experience into Art
How do writers transform personal history, their own and others, into compelling stories? Explore how writers mine the truth and histories of their own lives and the lives of others to create stories as bold as life itself. With Nabil Ayers, Cody Daigle-Orians, Mariah Fredericks, Koren Shadmi, and Bonnie Tsui. Moderator: Sonya Huber.

12 pm: Nevertheless, She Persisted: Writing Strong Women
From trailblazers to everyday heroines, literature has long offered a space to reimagine women’s roles and voices. In this discussion, authors explore the craft of writing complex female characters who reflect resilience, vulnerability, and the full range of human experience. With Sharbari Ahmed, Christina Baker Kline, Anne Burt, Kirsten Miller, and Sarah Stewart Taylor. Moderator: Brigitte Dale.

1 pm: Coming of Age: Writing Youth, Identity, and the Search for Belonging
Stories of youth are stories of transformation. Hear how children’s and YA writers explore the heartbreak, hopes, hilarities, and horrors of growing up. With Charlie Jane Anders, Derrick Barnes, Lorien Lawrence, and Hailey Piper. Moderator: Charnaie Gordon.

2 pm: Fiction Without Borders: Storytelling Beyond Limits
What happens when writers cross boundaries — cultural, structural, or imaginative. This panel explores fiction that resists categorization, expands perspectives, and reminds us of the limitless power of storytelling. With Martin Cahill, Jordan Castro, Gabi Coatsworth, Nalini Jones, Joan Silber, and Cadwell Turnbull. Moderator: Heather Frimmer.

3 pm: Becky Spratford Presents: ‘Why I Love Horror’
Librarian and horror expert and critic Becky Siegel Spratford gathers some of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers to discuss why they love the genre. With Clay Chapman, Hailey Piper, and EC Hanson.

4 pm: Ellen Datlow Presents: Night and Day
Horror’s preeminent editor and StoryFest favorite Ellen Datlow sits down with writers from her new anthology, Night and Day, with one side featuring stories about what haunts the night while the other side showcases the terrors that can exist in the light of day. With Brian Evenson, Rachel Harrison, and Josh Malerman.

Working on Both Sides of the Page: Live Minorities in Publishing Podcast Recording

2-3 pm: In Brooks Place at The Westport Library

Welcome to another live MiP recording at StoryFest with The Westport Library! Publishing professionals and dynamic authors Lauren Morrow (Little Movements) and Amber Oliver (When the Music Hits) join host Jennifer Baker for a fun and engaging conversation about their electrifying debut novels — both of which reflect characters experiencing the darker side of ambition — as well as the realities of balancing a writing life while working full-time in the publishing industry. Can having a front-row seat to how the proverbial sausage is made impact the process or better prepare one for publication? How does the work we do inform our artistry and vice versa? How do we make time for our art amidst demanding full-time jobs? And what advice has helped to navigate the terrain?