Seeking to celebrate and expand public appreciation for books, libraries, literacy, and reading for all, the Virginia Center for the Book offers reading recommendations, workshops on bookmaking and letterpress, literacy resources across the Commonwealth, and Virginia Festival of the Book events throughout the year.
We work in collaboration with public libraries and educational institutions of all levels across the Commonwealth, with support from funders including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Pulitzer Center, and regional community foundations, among others.
Our in-person and virtual programs are accessible to all and take place year-round at sites throughout the state and online. Whether you are a reader, writer, artist, book lover, K-12 student, and/or representative of a community group or business, our work seeks to meet you where you are and provide resources to support your growing appreciation for and enjoyment of books.
Recommended Reading
With greater access to books possible now than ever before, from traditional print hardcovers to ebooks and beyond, it can feel a bit daunting to pick what you’re going to read next. It can also be difficult to read broadly and explore new work outside of your favorite genres. Our recommended reading initiatives—such as Great Reads and Route 1 Reads—highlight books, for adults as well as young readers, which we think will deepen your understanding of the world while also celebrating the literary culture of Virginia.
Virginia Festival of the Book
A program of the Virginia Center for the Book and Virginia Humanities, the Virginia Festival of the Book brings together writers and readers to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture over five days in Charlottesville and Albemarle County every March, and offers virtual events year-round. Each year, the Festival engages more than 20,000 attendees in conversations with contemporary writers whose work grapples with timely topics across genres, providing book lovers a variety of ways to learn about the world, find inspiration in work from today’s best writers and illustrators, and discover new ways of understanding ourselves and others.
Grants
In addition to the work we undertake through the Virginia Center for the Book to reach Virginians directly, we also partner with public libraries, schools, and other organizations across the Commonwealth to provide support for their work as it aligns with our mission.
Help us do more!
Are you interested in supporting opportunities for K-12 students to learn about bookmaking and explore their own lives through art? Do you want to help ensure that all Virginians have the chance to develop a love of books and reading?
