The Meet Cute Book Club Presents

Emily Martin
author of
Winner Takes All

Thursday, October 8, 2026
6:00 PM

CFPL Goodwin Forum
129 Main Street

Join us for a very special Meet Cute Romance Book Club as Author Emily Martin discusses her newest novel Winner Takes All!

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library Present

Carla Kaplan

Author of Troublemaker: the Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford

Thursday, October 15, 6:00 PM

Concord Free Public Library, Goodwin Forum, 129 Main Street

Troublemaker tells the wild and unlikely story of Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous Mitford Girls, a British aristocrat-turned-American Communist, famous for exposés like The American Way of Death; this biography brings her astonishing self-transformation to life with a riveting, often hilarious account of trading wealth and status for a life of radical activism.

Barefoot Books presents

Christy Mihaly and her new infographic book America's Founding Myths...And What REALLY Happened!.

Saturday, October 17, 2026
10:30 am

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present

The Debut Authors Panel 2026
featuring Laura Garden, Meghana Mysore
and Abigail Savitch-Lew

moderated by

Danielle Bradley, 2026 Writer-In-Residence at CFPL

Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:00 PM
Fowler Branch, 1322 Main Street

Umbrella Arts Presents

FROM PAGE TO STAGE

40 Stow St., Concord

Sunday, October 18, 2026

2:00 pm

Two teenagers, seemingly worlds apart, are thrown together for a school project on Walt Whitman—and what unfolds is by turns hilarious, tender, and quietly devastating. Gunderson's award-winning play uses Leaves of Grass as a lens for a story about connection, isolation, and what it means to truly see another person.

Following the performance, join us for a talkback exploring how Whitman's 19th-century vision of human connection speaks to a generation raised on screens, and how his poetry continues to find new life on the stage. A perfect pairing for anyone who loves both literature and theater.

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present

Steve Edwards

Author of
Rare Good: Essays on Art, Autism, and Astonishment

Monday, October 19, 2026, 6:00 PM

Concord Free Public Library, Goodwin Forum, 129 Main Street

Join Steve Edwards, the 2025 Concord Free Public Library Writer-In-Residence, for a discussion of his new book Rare Good: Essays on Art Autism, and Astonishment.

The Concord Musem Presents

Peter Mancall, author of Contested Continent

Tuesday, October 20 at 7PM
Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike

In his new book, Contested Continent, historian Peter Mancall offers a sweeping history of North America from 1000 to 1680, chronicling crucial developments to the eventual founding of the United States.

The Concord Free Public Library presents

Book-A-Mystery with
Special Guest Author
Dr. Jennifer Brown

Wednesday, October 21 at 2PM

Fowler Branch, 1322 Main Street

Join the Book-A-Mystery book group for a special author talk at the Fowler Branch Library in West Concord at 2 pm.

For October we are fortunate to have Dr. Jennifer Brown, who will discuss her new novel. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a dual-timeline murder mystery set in an English country manor, when an ambitious professor discovers the long-lost manuscript of a Reformation-era prophetess.

The Walden Woods Project Presents

Wildlife in Focus:
Matt Patterson’s Journey in Art and Conservation

Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 p.m.
Walden Woods Project

In his presentation, Matt Patterson will discuss his experiences working in the field, conservation, his art, and researching the three most recent books he worked on with the award-winning author Sy Montgomery. 

Doors will open at 6:15 pm for a wine and cheese reception.  The presentation will begin at 7:00 pm.

The Robbins House Presents

Willie Mae Brown

author of My Selma

Thursday, October 22, 2026

6:00 PM

Concord Free Public Library
129 Main Street, Concord

The Concord Free Public Library Presents

Afternoon Tea Book Club

at the Fowler Branch

Friday, October 23
1:30 - 3:00 pm

Enjoy a selection of teas and discuss a blend of historical and contemporary fiction at the CFPL Fowler Branch in West Concord.

For October, we are thrilled to host Author Tara Lynn Masih as part of the 2026 Concord Festival of Authors! Tara Lynn Masih will discuss her new book, The Silent Women, followed by a Q&A and a book signing.

The Thoreau Alliance Presents

Thoreau’s Journal Drawings: A Conversation with Author Kathleen Kelly

Friday, October 23, 7PM

Concord Art, 37 Lexington Rd., Concord

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library Present

Breakfast with the Authors

returning as a popular CFA ticketed event at

Concord’s Colonial Inn
48 Monument Square

Saturday, October 24, 2026

8:30 - 10:00 AM

Moderated by local author and physician, Dr. Suzanne Koven

This year’s exciting lineup includes Christopher Castellani, Gish Jen and Hester Kaplan!

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present

Poetry At The Library

Nate Klug & Catherine Stearns

Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 PM

Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main St.
Goodwin Forum

Join us for an in-person afternoon with poets Nate Klug and Catherine Stearns who will read and engage in a Q & A about their inspirations and craft.

Get all the Buzz with Concord Writer Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney. 

Saturday, October 24, 4:00 p.m.
Barrow Bookstore, 79 Main St #2, Concord

Join Linda as she discusses the process for creating her newest book, "Do Bees Pee?: The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Poo-llution”, an informational picture book that pairs bright, graphic art and short, laugh-out-loud text to explore closed-loop, waste-free systems and celebrate the interconnectedness of the natural world. Linda will talk about the science and research behind her writing and how to communicate it to young readers. 

Transcendentalism Council of First Parish Presents

Thoreau Was a Philosopher and Chances Are You Are, Too - with Marc Jolley

Sunday, October 25, 7:00 p.m.

First Parish Church, 20 Lexington Rd.

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library Present

Julie Carrick Dalton

author of

The Forest Becomes Her

Monday, October 26

6:00 PM

CFPL Goodwin Forum

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present

Writing New England
with Jenn Bouchard and Kathleen Reidy

Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 PM

Goodwin Forum
Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main St.

Kathleen and Jenn will read from their work, discuss why New England provides such rich soil for writing, and provide tips for anyone looking to take inspiration from their surroundings.

The Concord Free Public Library presents

Fowler in Fact Book Club

with Author Brooke Barbier

Wednesday, October 28, 2026
11:30 am

Wright Tavern, 2 Lexington Rd. Concord, MA

Join the Fowler in Fact Book Club for a special author talk at the Wright Tavern in Concord Center at 11:30 am.

For October we are fortunate to have Brooke Barbier join us to discuss her book Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution.

Independent Press Prose Reading Series at Concord Art: Counterpoint Press

October 28, 2026, 7pm – 8pm

Concord Art, 37 Lexington Road

Join us for another installment in the Independent Press Prose Reading Series, featuring from Counterpoint Press:

Karen Bender, author of The Words of Dr. L and Other Stories, and Joan Silber, author of Mercy, co-sponsored by Concord Festival of Authors

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present

CFA Mystery Night 2026

moderated by

Kate Flora
Thursday, October 29, 2026
6:00 PM

Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street

This year’s panel includes Joseph Finder, Jule Selbo and Janet Raye Stevens!