Bristol BookFest is an annual public humanities program designed to inspire readers, promote life-long learning, and build community in welcoming and sociable environments. This year, Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway” is the centerpiece of BookFest 2026. The novel’s themes of identity, time and the complexity of human consciousness remain as resonant in the 2020s as they were in the 1920s, inviting readers to reflect on their own inner lives and connections to others.

The festival begins with a winter seminar series at Rogers Free Library, running weekly beginning on Jan 20, exploring the novel’s cultural and literary significance. The event culminates in a weekend of lectures, discussions and community engagement on April 10 and 11.

For support materials, films, and articles about Virginia Woolf and "Mrs. Dalloway," visit the RWU library reading guide.