2025 Sessions 

Archival recordings are available for the following sessions from BBF 2025

Nonfiction 

Across Waters, Across Time: Revealing Hidden Histories: Tara Roberts, Ian Kumekawa, Host: Debra Adams Simmons. 

Art and Oppression: Stephen Greenblatt, Joseph Leo Koerner, Host: Jill Medvedow. 

Biography: Lives of Artists: Tim Greiving, Christopher C. Gorham, Peter Jeffreys, Host: Jennifer Moore. 

Gambling in America: Who Wins and Who Loses?: Jonathan D. Cohen, Johnisha Matthews Levi, Host: Karen Brown.

COMING SOON – Goethe-Institut Presents: Weimar Under the Palms: Thomas Blubacher, Host: Elisabeth Lauffer. 

Janet Echelman: The Uplifting Power of Public Art: Janet Echelman, Gloria Sutton, Host: Kate Gilbert. 

Looking Back at Civil Rights: Division and Disillusionment: Chad L. Williams, Jarvis R. Givens, Brandon M. Terry, Host: Noelle Trent. 

Memoir: Becoming Fathers: Steve Majors, Aymann Ismail, Michael Thomas, Host: Craig Lemoult. 

Memoir Keynote: Geraldine Brooks: Geraldine Brooks, Host: Drew Gilpin Faust. 

Memoir: On Writing the Lives of Others and Ourselves: Hester Kaplan, Megan Marshall, Host: David Leonard. 

Memoir: The Life Changing Power of Literature: Sarah Chihaya, Nicole Graev Lipson, Host: Jessica Keener. 

Memoir: The Wolf and the Moon: Peter Wolf, Host: Geoff Edgers. 

Nonfiction Keynote: Maureen Dowd: Maureen Dowd, Host: Linda Henry. 

Risking It All: Heroic Women in WWII: Becky Aikman, Elizabeth R. Hyman, Host: Tina Cassidy. 

Science: Planetary and Cosmic Histories: Peter Brannen, Dagomar Degroot, Host: Julia Cort. 

Sports: Beyond the Scoreboard: Writers on Sports, Rivalry, and Culture: Tracie Canada, Giri Nathan, S.L. Price, Host: Howard Bryant.

The Brain’s Narrative: How Our Minds Make Sense of the World: Pria Anand, Ann-Sophie Barwich, Host: Galina Gheiman. 

The Courage of Our Convictions: Reality Winner, Amanda Litman. Ranjay Gulati. 

The Transformative Power of Going Deep: Tubas, Fungi, Beauty: Sam Quinones, Makoto Fujimura, Maria Pinto, Host: Deborah Becker. 

Things Fall Apart: Mark Blyth, Marc J. Dunkelman, Host: Paul Solman. 

True Crime: The Pursuit of Justice: Steve Johnson, Casey Sherman, Host: Edgar B. Herwick III. 

Weapons of Persuasion: The Forces Trying to Control Us: Emily Baker-White, Rebecca Lemov, Host: Meg Marco. 

What’s New About Sex?: Jessa Crispin, Rebecca L. Davis, Host: Paris Alston. 

What We Know, What We Say, and How We Say It: Steven Pinker, Alison Wood Brooks, Adam Aleksic, Host: Arun Rath.

Who Has Power? Pulling Back the Curtain on Our Tech Overloads: Adam Becker, Jacob Silverman, Max Chafkin, Host: Saraya Wintersmith. 

Women and Revolution: Stories from Iran and Russia: Fatemah Jamalpour, Julia Ioffe, Host: Ally Jarmanning.

Fiction 

Art and Ambition: Lauren Morrow, Stephanie Wambugu, B.A. Shapiro, Host: Stephen P. Kiernan. 

Best American Short Stories: Celeste Ng, Jessica Treadway, Nicole Lamy, Host: Heidi Pitlor. 

Comic Rites of Passage: Lisa Borders, Marianne Leone, Allie Tagle-Dokus, Host: Whitney Scharer. 

Fates Entwined: Changing Fortunes and Futures: Princess Joy L. Perry, Nalini Jones, Allegra Goodman, Host: Mandy Jackson-Beverly. 

Fiction Keynote: Kiran Desai: Kiran Desai, Host: Homi K. Bhabha. 

History and Secrets: The Family Ties That Bind: Gish Jen, Jennifer Haigh, Susan Choi, Host: Alex George. 

House of Secrets: Power, Memory & The Unquiet Self: Alma Katsu, Tova Mirvis, Nicky Gonzalez, Host: Tatiana Johnson-Boria. 

Informed By War: Sam Wachman, Jill Morningstar, Julian Zabalbeascoa, Host: Rachel Barenbaum. 

Love & Consequences: Eimar McBride, Joanne Harris, Rabih Alameddine, Host: Joanna Rakoff. 

Mystery Keynote: Patricia Cornwell: Patricia Cornwell, Host: Sara Divello. 

Our Future in Fragments: Reimagining Tomorrow: Tochi Onyebuchi, Ken Liu, Host: Michelle Min Sterling

Place and Displacement: How We Find and Make Home: Shubha Sunder, Aube Rey Lescure, Aine M. Greaney, Host: Rishi Reddi. 

Romance: The Art of the Slow Burn: Farrah Rochon, Chip Pons, Linda Holmes, Host: Callie Crossley. 

Strange Structures: Surreal Forms & Uncanny Narratives: Abigail Miles, Daria Lavelle, Krystal Anali Vazquez, Host: Ron MacLean. 

The Bonds We Make and Break: Josh Duboff, Peter Orner, Megan Cummins, Host: Elizabeth Graver. 

Thrillers: The Secrets We Keep: David McCloskey, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ian K. Smith, Host: Deborah Goodrich Royce. 

Tim Talks Books with Elin Hilderbrand: Elin Hilderbrand, Host: Tim Ehrenberg. 

Walking on Uncertain Ground; Lisa Genova, Jane Hamilton, Catherine Newman, Host: Laura Zigman. 

Poetry

COMING SOON – Poetry Makes Us Brave: Linda Carney-Goodrich, Rachel Dillon, Krysten Hill, Deborah Leipziger, Tzynya Pinchback, Host: Danielle Jones. 

COMING SOON – Poetry Headliners: Colin Channer, Margot Kahn, Jill McDonough, Host: Danielle Jones. 

Poetry off the Page: Tim Hall, Tru Kwene, Myles Taylor, Host: Amanda Shea. 

COMING SOON – Small Press, Big Love: Spotlight on Four Local Presses: M.P. Carver, Steven Cramer, Janaka Stucky, Enzo Silon Surin, Mark Pawlak, Dick Lourie, Pablo F. Medina, Eileen Clearly. 

BBF Unbound

From Workshop to Book Deal: Virginia DeLuca, Theresa Okokon, Karen Kirsten, Ana Gjika, Host: Alysia Abbott. 

The Art of Translating Home: Celebrating 15 Years of the Common, a literary magazine with a modern sense of place: Julia Sanches, Jennifer Jean, Sekyo Nam Haines, Host: Jennifer Acker. 

Writing

Grub Street Presents Weaving Your Story: How Silly Ideas Can Become Compelling Narrative: Aube Rey Lescure, Maria Pinto. 

Young Adult

COMING SOON – Choose Your Own….Dystopia: Jill Tew, Melissa Poett, Gloria Munoz, Host: Veronica Koven-Matasy. 

COMING SOON – Fandom Hijinks: Jenny L. Howe, Crystal Maldonado, Edward Underhill, Host: Rachel Kim Raczka. 

COMING SOON – Horror: The Body as Villain or Hero: Kalynn Bayron, Ryan La Sala, Fin Leary, Host: Katie B. Kohn

COMING SOON – Thriller: Missing Person!: Chanelle Desamours, Julie Berry, Tiffany D. Jackson, Host: Shoshana Flax. 

Young Adult Keynote: Hafsah Faizal: Hafsah Faizal, Host: Sara Farizan.

Kids

COMING SOON – Early Readers: First Friends, First Laughs: Colleen AF Venable, Jannie Ho, Susan Lubner, Host: Elissa Gershowitz. 

Kids Headliner: Nathan Hale draws Hazardous Tales: Nathan Hale. 

COMING SOON – Middle Grade: Legends, Myths, and Heroes: Laini Taylor, Kwame Mbalia, Donna Barba Higuera, Host: Meena Jain. 

COMING SOON – Middle Grade: Witches, Ghosts, and True Stories: Erin Entrada Kelly, Katie Kennedy, Host: Stacy M. Collins. 

Storytime!: Alliah Agostini. 

Storytime!: Bee Johnson. 

Storytime!: Carrie Kruck. 

Storytime!: Jason Chin.

Storytime!: Justin Colon.

Storytime!: Peter H. Reynolds.