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The Berthoud Community Library & Friends Present

Berthoud Literary Festival

"Made in Colorado"

Digital Art of a Mountain Scenery, monochromatic teal

September 20th-22nd

We are so excited to invite you to the first annual Berthoud Literary Festival (BLF) on September 20th through 22nd. Our theme for the inaugural lineup is Made in Colorado! Immerse yourself in a weekend of literary events which we hope will establish Berthoud as a literary destination for the communities of Northern Colorado. 

Table of Contents:

(To navigate easily to where you want to go on the page, click one of the numbers below)

Purchase Tickets & Register for Events:

Example of a Berthoud Literary Ticket

Grab your tickets now! Kathleen Donnelly’s opening keynote on September 20th at 6:30PM is $20. Peter Heller’s closing keynote on September 22nd at 5:30PM is $40. Don’t miss these engaging talks celebrating Colorado talent, click here to get your tickets.

Interested in joining a book circle? Simply click here to fill out the registration form. We look forward to having you with us!

To register for the Lighthouse Writers Workshop with Cipriano Ortega, call (970) 532-2757 or come in to the library. 

Any event not listed above does not require registration or tickets.

BLF Booklet:

Berthoud Literary Booklet Cover Image

Coming Soon! This Booklet will provide all of the information you need to know in one place for "Made in Colorado" : A Berthoud Literary Festival.

BLF Event Line-Up:

Decorative photo with text: "Berthoud Literary Festival: Line-Up"

Events with an asterisk require tickets or registration. Events without an asterisk are drop-in events. All addresses are in Berthoud, Colorado. 

Friday | September 20th

*Opening Keynote

6:30 - 7:30PM

Kathleen Donnelly: From K-9 Handler to Author: On the Scent of Justice, Truth and Secrets

Saturday | September 21st

*Book Circles

12:00 - 12:45PM

Chasing Justice by Kathleen Donnelly


The Dog Stars by Peter Heller


Lunchtime book discussions will happen at various locations.  Click here to register for book circles at no cost. Once registered, we will email the location of your Book Circle closer to the Festival. 

Book Sales & Signings

1:00 - 6:00PM

Our bookseller, Gene Hayworth, is the founder and owner of Inkberry Books in Niwot. Gene, a former librarian, is enthusiastic about supporting our first festival. Join us in the barrel room at City Star Brewing for an afternoon of book signings and mingling with authors, and don't forget to support them by enjoying a beer or kombucha! Radical Sasquatch's Dumping Company Food Truck will be parked outside the brewery from 12:00 - 8:00 PM to keep us all fed.

Concurrent Sessions

2:00 - 2:45PM
Tom McCaffrey

  • Description: Join us for an engaging discussion about the backstory to the writing of the books and local influences with Tom McCaffrey, a unique NYC-born entertainment lawyer turned local Berthoud writer.

  • Location: Berthoud Community Library, 236 Welch Avenue

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required


Christer Jansson

  • Description: Renowned scientist turned novelist joins us to discuss his first book, Genes of the Past.

  • Location: Wildfire Arts Center, 425 Massachusetts Ave

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required


Claire Boyles and Jenny Shank

  • Description: Discussing the world of short stories with us are friends Claire Boyles, acclaimed for her collection Site Fidelity, and Jenny Shank, whose book Mixed Company received praise from the late Lucia Berlin.

  • Location: Berthoud History Museum, 228 Mountain Ave

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required


4:00 - 4:45 PM
Edward Hamlin and James Mitchell

  • Description: Novelist Edward Hamlin and non-fiction writer James Mitchell will speak on how facts and fiction inform their work, among other things.

  • Location: Berthoud Community Library

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required


Rick Padden

  • Description: Rick Padden, a talented playwright will join us for an exclusive look into the world of playwriting. Padden will dive into the art of crafting plays versus novels, and guess what? We might even get to read a short script together! 

  • Location: Wildfire Arts Center, 425 Massachusetts Ave

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required


Amy Rivers and Rita Popp

  • Description: We're in suspense for this talk with two eerily talented local mystery writers! 

  • Location: Berthoud History Museum, 228 Mountain Ave

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: No registration required

Sunday | September 22nd

*Lighthouse Writers Workshop

1:00 - 4:00PM

Cipriano Ortega, Carving Out the Corners of Colorado​

  • Description: Colorado is majestic and magical for many reasons. From the epic Mountains to the Rocky Mountain high. Many great writers have taken a pilgrimage to Colorado. In this workshop, we will explore how we as unique individuals can find our own voices and connect it to beautiful Colorado. Whether you are a writer, a poet, a musician, or anyone really, join us in painting our own version of Colorado. Join local poet, playwright, musician, and actor Cipriano Ortega in this wonderful Colorado workshop.

  • Location: Berthoud Community Library, 236 Welch Ave

  • Cost: $0

  • Registration: Call (970) 532-2757 or come in to the library

*Closing Keynote

5:30 - 6:30 PM

Peter Heller

  • Description: New York Times bestselling author of The Dog Stars and many more is joining us to discuss his latest novel, Burn, and his creative process.

  • Book signing to follow

  • Location: New Freedom Outreach Center, 250 Mountain Ave

  • Cost: $40

  • Purchase Tickets: Click here to purchase tickets for Peter Heller

Purchase Tickets & Register for Events
BLF Booklet
BLF Event Line-Up
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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