Salem Lit Fest
Connecting writers and readers around the world and honoring Salem’s long literary tradition
The Salem Literary Festival offers literary adventures and activities for adults and families. We aim to promote literacy and inspire a love of books and reading by featuring contemporary authors and engaging with classic works of literature.
The Salem Athenaeum is the official presenter of Lit Fest: a five-day festival of readings, writing workshops, panel discussions, and artistic expressions of literature. Held in historic venues in and around Salem, Lit Fest unites published authors and book lovers and encourages aspiring writers to tell their stories.
Summer Salons
Summer Salons
Fridays at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m.*
The back garden awaits! These informal and informational gatherings on Friday evenings in the summer feature a discussion or presentation by members and friends of the Athenaeum. Conversations will be diverse—current topics include storytelling, polling practices, cemeteries, and more!
Keep cultural discourse alive and well in the 21st century!
*Session times change depending on the time of year. Please check specific salon dates for start times.
Adams Lecture
Named in honor of John Adams, who served as Librarian of the Salem Athenaeum from 1994-2005, the annual Adams Lecture is devoted to topics pertaining to American history with a focus on New England.
Past Adams Lecture Speakers
David Blight
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
November 18, 2019
Gordon S. Wood
Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
November 6, 2017
Jay Winter
The First World War in Transnational Perspective, November 1, 2014
John Stauffer
The Abolitionist Movement and Its Place
in History,
November 7, 2013
Maya Jasanoff
America’s Exiles: Loyalists of the
Revolution,
April 10, 2013
John R. Stilgoe
Just Looking Around: Visual Acuity as
the New Curriculum,
April 24, 2012
Sherry Turkle
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other,
April 21, 2011
David Armitage
The Age of Revolutions and Constitutions:
The American Revolution in Global Perspective,
November 2, 2010
Andrew Delbanco
Melville in His Time and Ours,
April 17, 2009
James R. Gaines
For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions,
April 15, 2008
Nathaniel Philbrick
Mayflower: A Story of Courage,
Community, and War,
April 12, 2007
David Hackett Fischer
The Leadership of George Washington,
April 11, 2006
Hon. Margaret H. Marshall, Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
A Living Constitution, October 24, 2004
Propose a New Public Event
The Salem Athenaeum is delighted to host new events and programs open to the public that are in keeping with our mission and availability. Please use this form to submit proposals.
Proposal review will be handled by staff and programming committees and may take up to 90 days.
For private events, see “Rentals”.
Events & Programming FAQs
Where do events take place? Our calendar includes in-person and livestreamed events.
Most in-person public events take place in the main reading room. When a livestream is available, that link will be emailed to all registrants. We use the Zoom platform.
In-person workshops, reading, and discussions groups take place in the Trustees Room (upstairs reading room) on the second floor.
The Summer Salon Series is primarily held in the garden and should be accessed through the Botts Court gate.
For some large or co-sponsored events, we use an offsite space.
Please see individual listings for details on time, format, and location.
When do events take place? Most events take place on weeknights starting at 7:00 pm. Summer Salons meeting outside start earlier and change over the summer based on available daylight. Most workshops take place on Saturdays during daytime hours.
All start times are Eastern Standard Time.
For in-person events, check-in beginsthirty minutes prior to the stated start time. Registrants are asked not to arrive for check-in prior to that time. A seat cannot be guaranteed after an event has begun.
How may I pay for an event? You can pay for an event ahead of time via credit card directly from the ticketing link in our emails or website. Please note that on many phones, you access the ticketing link by clicking on the green ticket icon on the event description page. You can also pay by phone using a credit card or at the door with cash, check, or credit card.
Do I have to register for an event I’m interested in attending? We strongly recommend registering for programs. It helps us plan seating arrangements and refreshments, and it streamlines check-in at the door. Occasionally, an event will be very popular, and if we know in advance, we may be able to move to a larger venue and/or start a waiting list if it sells out.
How many exhibits does the Athenaeum have every year? Length of exhibitions varies. Recently, the Athenaeum has prepared one exhibit per calendar year.
Does the Athenaeum organize any off-site trips? The Athenaeum offers Member Meet-ups for tours and activities at other venues around the region. Attendees are responsible for their own travel and occasionally stop for a meal together.
I’m on the mailing list, but I’m not receiving any emails about upcoming events, etc? If you are on the mailing list, but you’re not receiving our weekly email newsletters, the first place we’d ask you to check is your Spam or Junk folders/filters or a Promotions/Advertising section. If you still aren’t seeing us there, please bring it to our attention and we will work with you to troubleshoot.
New Event Proposal Form
