Charleston Literary Festival 2026: Dates, Highlights and How to Plan Your Week at Dock Street
Every November, the Dock Street Theatre on Church Street becomes a ten-day reading room. The Charleston Literary Festival returns November 6 to 15, 2026, for its tenth year, and it is bringing more than 80 authors to the Lowcountry.
For anyone living on the peninsula, or a short drive away in West Ashley or on James Island, this is one of the easiest cultural calendars in the city to build a week around. Sessions are conversations rather than lectures, each one is followed by a book signing, and the theatre itself is part of the draw.
2026 Dates and Location at a Glance
Dates: Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 15, 2026
Venue: The Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church Street, Charleston
Scale: more than 80 authors and dozens of ticketed sessions over ten days
Tickets and schedule: sold through the festival's own website
Highlights on the 2026 Program
The festival's listing on Explore Charleston names several sessions that show how wide the program runs this year:
Salman Rushdie and Rachel Eliza Griffiths, with a screening of their film Knife, directed by Alex Gibney, followed by an onstage conversation
Barbara Kingsolver discussing her new novel, Partita, paired with a live pianist
Ballet dancer turned photographer Steven Caras in conversation with Martha Teichner, followed by a performance from Miami City Ballet
A closing staged reading of Freshwater, Virginia Woolf's only play, with Bernard Cornwell and Dame Hermione Lee in the cast
Early announcements also included Daniel Kraus, a 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner, speaking about his novel Angel Down. The full schedule, with session times, is posted on the festival website.
How Tickets Work
Sessions are ticketed one at a time, so you can pick two or three evenings rather than committing to the whole run. For people who want all of it, the festival offers an Insider Pass that covers entry to the full program at Dock Street along with two private literary gatherings. Prices and availability are posted on the festival's ticket pages, and the most popular sessions can sell out, so booking early is the simplest plan.
The Charleston County Public Library is partnering with the festival this year, hosting book discussions at branches across the county on titles from the 2026 lineup, with chances to win free festival tickets. Your branch calendar will have the dates.
Planning an Evening at Dock Street
Getting there
The theatre sits at the corner of Church and Queen Streets in the French Quarter, a few blocks from Waterfront Park. Street parking on the lower peninsula is tight on weekend evenings, so allow extra time, use a nearby garage, or walk or ride in.
Making a night of it
The French Quarter puts dozens of restaurants, galleries and courtyards within a short walk, so a session pairs easily with dinner before or a drink after. A weekday afternoon session followed by a walk along East Bay is one of the better ways to spend a November day downtown.
The building itself
The first Dock Street Theatre opened on this corner in 1736, one of the earliest theatres in the American colonies. The building you walk into today is the restored Planter's Hotel, reopened as the Dock Street Theatre in 1937, and its wood-paneled interior is worth arriving a few minutes early to see.
Living Near the Festival
Events like this one are a big part of why the peninsula's older neighborhoods feel the way they do in the fall. Our French Quarter and Charleston peninsula pages walk through housing styles, parks and everyday life in the blocks around Dock Street.
FAQ
When is the Charleston Literary Festival in 2026?
November 6 to 15, 2026, at the Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church Street in downtown Charleston.
How many authors are coming this year?
The festival has announced more than 80 authors for its tenth year.
Do I need a ticket for each session?
Yes. Sessions are ticketed individually, and the Insider Pass covers the full program for anyone who wants to attend everything.
Where can I find the full schedule?
On the festival's official website, which also handles ticket sales.
Conclusion
Ten days, more than 80 writers and one of the oldest theatre sites in the country make the Charleston Literary Festival an easy fit for a November calendar. Pick a session or two, book early and leave time to walk the French Quarter afterward.
More information: Charleston Literary Festival and the Explore Charleston event listing.