Not an Island Literary Festival will bring readings, workshops and an opening-night book fair to the Valley Arts District January 30 and 31
PROVIDENCE, RI — The City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism and LitArts RI today announced the inaugural Not an Island Literary Festival, a two-day celebration of Rhode Island’s literary arts taking place January 30 and 31, 2027, at Farm Fresh Rhode Island and LitArts RI in Providence’s Valley Arts District. The festival will bring local writers into conversation with visiting authors and give readers a chance to discover new work, meet local booksellers and publishers, and deepen their writing craft.
“Literature is often thought of as a soloist art form. While writing can be a solitary act, reading has the power to rally communities. Our literary festival reminds us that we are not islands, but neighbors united by the arts and the power of language”, said Joe Wilson Jr., Director of Art, Culture and Tourism for the City of Providence. “We are thrilled to be anchoring this festival in the Valley Arts District, continuing our commitment to place keeping, ensuring that every corner of this city is represented in Providence’s reputation as a vibrant, diverse creative capital.”
The festival opens Saturday evening with the Night Book Fair at Farm Fresh Rhode Island. Local booksellers, publishers, artists and literary organizations will curate a market featuring work from Rhode Island and around the world, with live jazz, world music and literary-inspired cocktails.
On Sunday, programming expands to both venues. An all-day Literary Art Market will feature independent booksellers, local publishers, artists and community organizations, along with pop-up projects for readers and writers. Throughout the day, authors will share new and recent work in fiction, poetry, nonfiction and translation, and discuss their work in panel conversations. Short introductory workshops will welcome writers at any level, while longer craft intensives will offer time to discuss, practice and write. Informal meet-ups will bring people together around shared genres and interests.
“LitArts RI is thrilled to partner with the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism to present Not An Island Literary Festival, ushering in 2027 with an innovative, immersive, interactive celebration of literary voices from down the street and around the world,” said Christina Bevilacqua, Executive Director of LitArtsRI. “We can’t imagine a more exciting manifestation of our mission to build Rhode Island’s arts community by supporting our creative writers and enriching the lives of readers. Not An Island Literary Festival upends the idea that writing and reading must always be solitary pursuits by gathering writers and readers to share creative expressions and experiences together, in real time and space. We’re enormously grateful to the City of Providence’s leaders for their deep commitment to championing the literary arts, especially at this time, when truly human expression is ever more threatened and when we are all depending on writers around the world to witness and document, by means of myriad genres and media, the experiences of individual humans across communities and cultures. And we couldn’t be more proud to be presenting the festival in our own Valley Arts District, where creativity is our neighborhood credo.”
Festival hours and locations
Saturday, January 30, 2027, 5–9 pm: Opening Night Book Fair and festival programming at Farm Fresh Rhode Island, 10 Sims Ave., Providence
Sunday, January 31, 2027, 9 am- 6pm: Festival programming at Farm Fresh Rhode Island, 10 Sims Ave., and LitArts RI, 400 Harris Ave., Providence
The festival website launches today at pvdlitfest.com. A full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are still available; please contact cabotsi@providenceri.gov to learn more.