(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Succeed2gether’s Montclair Literary Festival has announced that Stevie Van Zandt, of The Sopranos and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, will headline the fifth annual festival to be held on October 2 and 3, 2021. Planning is on track for a full day of events in a tent outside the Montclair Public Library and another outside the First Congregational Church on Saturday and additional events online and in-person on Sunday.

Authors include Colm Tóibín, Henry Winkler, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Auster, Kai Bird, Ly Tran, Robert Reich, Jonathan Santlofer, Thad Ziolkowski, Gabrielle Glaser, Qian Julie Wang, Anna Qu, Lori Richmond, and Hayley Krischer.

Most of these talks will be in person, with some online and live streaming events planned. All in-person events will follow CDC and state Covid-safety guidelines. Specific guidelines will be released closer to Festival Day.

Renowned author of The Master and Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín, will talk about his new book The Magician at 2:00pm on Sunday October 3. This will be an online only event. Stevie Van Zandt will close the festival at an in-person event talking about his new memoir Unrequited Infatuations on Sunday October 3 at 5:00pm. Tickets for both of these book/talk events will go on sale soon. 

“After hosting over 40 online events over the past 18 months, we are looking forward to presenting a mainly in-person festival,” said Jackie Mroz, Festival Director. “We’ve loved the opportunity to hear from many amazing authors but the buzz of an in-person author event, the chance to chat with the author and to get a book signed, can’t be underestimated.”

As well as book talks and discussion panels for adults, there will be several events for children and teens on the Saturday morning. All but two events, Colm Tóibín and Stevie Van Zandt, are free to the public. More details are available online.

The festival organizing committee wishes to thank event partners Montclair Public Library, Watchung Booksellers, and festival sponsors Rao’s, West of Hudson Realty Group, Jill Williams (Ameriprise Financial), Ferguson Dental, the County of Essex, and community members.

The Festival is a program of Succeed2gether, a non-profit organization that addresses unequal access to educational resources by providing free, high-quality enrichment and academic programs to children in need from Essex County and surrounding New Jersey communities.

Succeed2gether launched its Montclair Literary Festival in 2017 to promote literacy and reading for all, and to celebrate reading, literature, and Montclair’s vibrant and diverse literary scene. The Montclair Literary Festival raises funds and awareness for the work of Succeed2gether.

PHOTO by Heidi Gutman-NBC Universal