There is a certain kind of excitement that can only be found at a book festival. Readers wander from one title to another, authors share the stories behind their work, and unexpected discoveries happen simply because someone decided to pick up a book. That sense of curiosity and connection is what makes the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors 2026 such a special literary gathering. Taking place in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the festival brings together people who share a love for books while creating opportunities to discover new authors, explore different perspectives, and celebrate the many stories that bring communities together.
The Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors 2026 concluded last September 26–27, 2026, marking the festival’s 21st anniversary. The main celebration transforms downtown Winston-Salem into a lively destination for readers, featuring author panels, readings, book signings, exhibitors, vendors, food trucks, and activities for visitors of all ages. The festival also welcomes young readers with a dedicated children’s area where children can participate in activities and receive free books, making the celebration an experience that families can enjoy together.
Literary festivals such as Bookmarks offer something that cannot always be found through a simple visit to a bookstore or an online search. They create a space where readers can encounter books in a more personal way. A panel can provide insight into an author’s creative process, a book signing can turn a title into a memorable keepsake, and an unexpected conversation can lead a reader toward a story they might never have discovered otherwise. It is this combination of literature and human connection that continues to make book festivals valuable to the publishing community.
Among the titles proudly represented by Citi of Books at this year’s festival is “In the Valley of the Shadow” by Barbara Ann Deal Gardenhour. The book offers readers another distinctive voice to discover and reflects the variety of stories and perspectives found within our publishing community. We are excited to introduce this work to the festival audience and give visitors the opportunity to explore the author’s ideas, experiences, and creative vision through the pages of the book.
“In the Valley of the Shadow” by Barbara Ann Deal Gardenhour is a historical novel inspired by the remarkable true story of Fanny Kelly, a woman whose life was dramatically changed after she was captured and held in the camps of Sitting Bull and Red Cloud. Gardenhour transforms this difficult chapter of American history into a narrative centered on captivity, survival, courage, cultural conflict, and the struggle to endure circumstances that are beyond an individual’s control. The novel places Fanny Kelly’s experiences against the broader background of westward expansion and the complicated encounters between Native American communities and settlers during a turbulent period in United States history.
Rather than treating Fanny Kelly’s story as a distant historical footnote, Gardenhour uses the novel form to bring the personal dimensions of her experience into focus. Fanny’s capture and imprisonment become the foundation for a story about resilience and determination, while the surrounding historical circumstances provide a wider context for understanding the conflict and uncertainty of the era. By combining documented historical events with imaginative storytelling, Gardenhour seeks to give readers a more immediate understanding of the human experiences behind a complicated period in American history.
Fanny Kelly’s captivity offers readers a way to approach the history of westward expansion and Native American-settler conflict through an individual story rather than through dates and events alone. Her experiences reveal how large historical forces can affect individual lives, transforming questions of territorial expansion and cultural conflict into deeply personal matters involving survival, loss, uncertainty, and resilience.
Gardenhour brings the story of Fanny Kelly to a contemporary audience, focusing attention on a woman whose life was profoundly affected by the conflicts and changes taking place in the American West. For readers interested in historical fiction, American history, stories of resilience, and narratives based on real people and events, the novel provides an opportunity to explore a lesser-known chapter of the past through the experiences of one woman. Its foundation in Fanny Kelly’s documented story, combined with Gardenhour’s imaginative reconstruction, makes the book a meaningful exploration of courage and survival during a difficult period in American history.
Citi of Books at Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors 2026 — celebrating authors, discovering new perspectives, and giving more stories the opportunity to find their readers.