Miami Book Fair began as a two-day event in November 1984, when a small group of determined individuals – including educators from Miami Dade College, independent booksellers, and librarians – founded Miami Book Fair International. In the nearly 40 years since, MBF has grown into one of the most significant cultural events in the region, the most comprehensively programmed book fair in the nation, and an internationally recognized model of excellence.
In 2020 MBF quickly reimagined and transitioned all programming online through an innovative new platform, MiamiBookFairOnline.com, built in record time to address pandemic-era shutdowns. That forever changed the way we Book Fair, and we now offer in-person and virtual programs as a hybrid entity. Today MBF is both an annual eight-day festival – typically featuring more than 500 authors, 200,000 attendees, 200+ national and international book exhibitors, and a robust schedule of literary, cultural, and educational events, supported by 1,000+ community volunteers – and a provider of a diverse slate of literary-centric programming year-round.
We are especially proud to have presented thousands of award-winning authors and thought leaders over the years, including Madeleine Albright, Isabel Allende, Dorothy Allison, Carol Anderson, James Baldwin, Russell Banks, David Brooks, President George W. Bush, Sandra Cisneros, Rita Dove, Jorge Edwards, Will Eisner, John Hope Franklin, Jonathan Safran Foer, Joy Harjo, Ibram X. Kendi, Jeff Kinney, Min Jin Lee, Frank McCourt, Toni Morrison, President Barack Obama, Michael Ondaatje, Jason Reynolds, Esmeralda Santiago, Art Spiegelman, Amy Tan, Helen Thomas, Calvin Trillin, Zoé Valdés, Cornel West, Elie Wiesel, and George Will, among others.
Through our work and collaboration with like-minded community partners and stakeholders, MBF continues to recognize and support the critical value of the cultural arts as a tool for education, community development, establishing genuine connection and understanding, and enriching lives. We consistently strive to provide access to engaging and educational programs that foster lifelong positive impacts for children, adults, and communities, with a special emphasis on reaching those who are underserved and lacking in resources.
In November…
For eight days every November, Miami Book Fair presents a literary wonderland in person downtown as well as online, hosting hundreds of diverse, critically acclaimed authors; facilitating conversations about politics, pop culture, and all manner of impactful prose; lighting the fire of curiosity and creativity within children; and welcoming tens of thousands of fairgoers to embrace it all. In-person and virtual festival programs and events include, but are not limited to Author Conversations; IberoAmerican and ReadCaribbean author programs; our Generation Genius program encompassing GGA, the National Book Foundation Teen Press Conference, and Children’s Alley; and Street Fair, where fairgoers can enjoy Off the Shelf and the MBF Marketplace.
