History Book Festival to spotlight McCullough’s last work
Lewes is a town of firsts, and it’s where the first and only book festival in the country devoted exclusively to history began nine years ago. Since then, the festival has grown exponentially, with more than 6,000 people from all over the country attending the 2024 event.
The ninth annual History Book Festival is set for Friday to Sunday, Sept. 26 to 28, at several venues in Lewes.
HBF showcases new historical fiction and narrative nonfiction from multiple subjects, eras and voices. More than 90% of the festival’s author presentations are free and open to all, drawing readers from 30 states and abroad to the one-of-a-kind event at the Delaware beaches. HBF authors also visit Delaware classrooms, from preschool to college, and the festival gives their books to schools, libraries and community organizations, providing an engaging way to inspire readers of all ages to enjoy learning about history.
The festival will open Friday, Sept. 26, with a keynote event featuring Hampton Sides, the bestselling author of eight histories, including “Ghost Soldiers.” Sides will discuss his latest work, “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook.” Tickets for the Hampton Sides event are sold out.
The ticketed closing event will take place Sunday, Sept. 28, and feature celebrated, late historian David McCullough’s final book, “History Matters,” shared by his daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and research partner, Michael Hill.
"We're excited about this book," said Jen Mason, HBF co-founder and chair. "After working with McCullough for over three decades, Lawson and Hill reviewed the trove of records and writings that he left. The pieces that they include read like a retrospective on the values, curiosity and skills that made McCullough an extraordinary historian. Reading the book felt like sitting down to have a chat with him, and it left me with a renewed sense of hope and love for America. It seems fitting that our friends at the Delaware Community Foundation chose to fund this singular event."
The closing event will be moderated by Ivan Henderson, executive director of the Delaware Historical Society, who said, "We are honored to support the 2025 History Book Festival as a Community Partner — promoting this inspiring event to the diverse learning communities we serve and moderating what promises to be a captivating conversation with Dorie McCullough Lawson and Michael Hill about David McCullough’s final work. We believe deeply in the power of diverse communities engaging in meaningful conversations about the events, ideas and lessons that have shaped our shared history."
Attendees can access their choice of 20 author presentations Saturday, Sept. 27, in various venues, all free of charge.
To learn more, go to historybookfestival.org.
