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Northern Virginia’s oldest and largest festival of literature and the arts is bringing prominent authors and packed audiences to Fairfax, even as a recent funding cut eliminated 10% of its budget.
Fall for the Book was founded in 1999 by William Miller, who led George Mason University’s creative writing program for more than two decades. What began as a two-day event organized by the university and the City of Fairfax has grown into a free, weeklong regional festival held across multiple venues.
The independent nonprofit promotes reading through events and activities throughout the year. It is part of Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice at George Mason University.
At a May event, bestselling author Liz Moore drew a standing-room-only crowd to the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax. Readers, many in their early 20s, questioned Moore and waited for signed copies of her thriller “The God of the Woods,” which is set at an exclusive summer camp in the Adirondacks.
Moore also wrote the New York Times bestseller “Long Bright River,” a Good Morning America Book Club selection that Barack Obama named among his favorite books of the year. Her other novels include “Heft” and “The Unseen World.”
The organization’s signature October festival regularly features authors whose books attract library waitlists. Erik Larson, the 2025 headliner, filled a ticketed event to capacity, with a line of fans extending out the door. Admission remained free, but reservations were required.
Larson has written six New York Times bestsellers, including “The Splendid and the Vile,” “Isaac’s Storm” and “The Demon of Unrest.” His other books include “In the Garden of Beasts,” “The Devil in the White City,” “Dead Wake” and “Thunderstruck.”
Journalist and author Jeff Goodell also returned with “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.” The book explores how extreme heat driven by global warming could transform life on Earth, along with steps people can take to prepare and limit the damage.
Goodell’s previous books include “The Water Will Come,” “Big Coal” and “How to Cool the Planet.” His appearance was sponsored by Robert and Lucy Beck, who support an environmentally focused book at each festival.
New voices compete for a $5,000 award
The festival also makes room for recently published writers from around the world through its New American Voices Award.
Fall for the Book and George Mason University’s Institute for Immigration Research established the prize in 2018 to recognize books that explore the immigrant experience, which has historically been underrepresented in writing and publishing.
Three jurors review the entries and select three finalists before naming a winner at the fall festival. At the recent event, each finalist read from their work and discussed their path to publication.
Shubha Sunder won the $5,000 prize for “Optional Practical Training.” Sunder came from India to study in the United States and now lives in Boston. Her book takes its name from the OPT program, which allows F-1 students to remain in the country for a year of work experience, and offers a new perspective on the immigrant story.
Another locally focused discussion featured Christina Hillsberg, author of “Agents of Change.” The book traces the experiences of women who joined the Central Intelligence Agency beginning in 1950 and challenged its male-dominated culture.
Many former CIA officers in the audience nodded as Hillsberg described the harassment, discrimination and bursts of adrenaline that accompanied the work.
Fall for the Book continues to organize programs throughout the year, including an event planned for February, while seeking support to offset the recent loss of funding.