BETWEEN THE LINES. The 26th annual Chippewa Valley Book Festival will take place from Oct. 21-25, featuring area authors and notable guest speakers. The festival offers something unique to each reader, from music streaming to Midwest farm-to-table food. (2023 event featuring Nick Butler, right, and Nicholas Gulig, pictured)
This is what local bookworms and literary legends of the Chippewa Valley have been waiting for: the Chippewa Valley Book Festival’s will return.
The festival has consistently featured a wide range of authors, exploring various genres and themes since its early days. This year’s lineup — from Oct. 21-25 — offers something unique for every reader — from modern motherhood and local cuisines to defending democracy and equity in music streaming.
The 26th annual book festival will feature events held in downtown Eau Claire at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St.), and a special food event at The Good Wives restaurant (2161 Eastridge Center). All festival events (with the exception of the meal) are free and open to the public.
Registration will begin in early September on the Chippewa Valley Book Festival webpage at cvbookfest.org/events. Leaf through the details, find your favorite talks and discussions, and mark your calendars!
Some event highlights include:
Tuesday, Oct. 21: Lori Fredrich, Exclusive Author Meal Event
Wisconsin-focused cookbook author, Lori Fredrich, will host an intimate evening for food enthusiasts at The Good Wives in Eau Claire. The event will offer two separate seatings (5pm and 7pm) to accommodate more diners. Additional information, including meal features and ticketing prices, will be available later this summer. Fredrich will host another culinary storytelling event at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library on Oct. 22, for the release of their Wisconsin-centered cookbook, Wisconsin Chefs, Farmers, and the Magic of Locally Produced Food.
Wednesday, Oct. 22: Christine Virnig, Eww!! The Grossest Jobs Throughout History
Christine Virnig is a children’s author recognized for her satisfyingly educational (and the perfect amount of gross) books. A talk on her novel, Waist-Deep in Dung, will highlight history’s weirdest jobs through humor and interactive fun.
Thursday, Oct. 23: Mary Catherine Starr, If You Don’t Laugh You’ll Cry: Writing a Comic Memoir About Motherhood
Mary Catherine Starr is the creator of the Instagram account @momlife_comics. Her recent comic memoir, Mama Needs a Minute!, captures both humor and illustration to address the double standards and mental duress of modern motherhood.
Friday, Oct. 24: Edward Underhill, If You Could Tell Your Younger Self Anything
Edward Underhill is the author of The In-Between Bookstore and other acclaimed young-adult novels including, In Case You Read This. A Wisconsin native who now lives in California, his written work explores queer identities, love of all kinds, and finding a sense of belonging in the world. Underhill will present at two festival events — sharing his young-adult books at one and adult fiction at the other.
Friday, Oct. 24: Brenda Cárdenas, Poetry and Conversation
Brenda Cárdenas is Wisconsin’s current Poet Laureate and a former City of Milwaukee poet laureate. The author of Trace and Boomerang, with poetry works spanning themes of migration, dreamscapes, transcultural identity, and more. Max Garland, an Eau Claire writer and former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, will moderate the conversation. This event is entitled, the Nadine St. Louis Memorial Poetry Conversation 2025.
Saturday, Oct. 25: Marcie Rendon, Creating Cash Blackbear: Understanding the Woman Behind the Badge
Marcie R. Rendon is the author of the Cash Blackbear mystery series and a member of the White Earth Nation. Her latest work, Where They Last Saw Her, continues a legacy of Native storytelling rooted in Minnesota’s Northwoods.
Saturday, Oct. 25: Lorissa Rinehart, Dickey Chapelle: Defending Democracy Through Journalism
Lorissa Rinehart is a historian, public speaker, and the author of First to the Front, which tells the journey of war correspondent Dickey Chapelle. Her works highlight the legacy of a fearless female journalist who defied censorship and held those in power accountable.
Saturday, Oct. 25: Liz Pelly, Music in the Age of Streaming
Liz Pelly is the author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, which explores the origins of Spotify and the larger impacts of streaming on music and culture. With more than 100 interviews, Pelly explores how music has become “playlisted, personalized, and auto played” — and what this means for artists, listeners, and equity in the industry. She will be joined by Siri Undlin, a local to Eau Claire and the musician behind Humbird.
The 2025 Chippewa Valley Book Festival will take place from Oct. 21-25. For the complete list of events and guest authors, visit cvbookfest.org/events.