William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” will take center stage at Bristol BookFest 2027, our seventh season. An exiled duke, castaways, romance and some magic are among the elements of the Bard’s shortest play. It raises issues resonating across the ages: colonialism, art and illusion, power, forgiveness, freedom and control. The play also brings BBF full circle: Many of our featured works refer to Shakespeare (“Mrs. Dalloway” and “Fahrenheit 451”), employ some of his techniques (Moby Dick) or extoll “The Tempest” (“Frankenstein”) as a text to emulate with “exquisite combinations of human feeling” and the supernatural. Join us as we look anew at a 17th century text that is still captivating readers and inspiring discussion.