The organizers of the Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock have canceled this year’s event.
Right up to this past weekend, the organizers were promoting the upcoming festival — planned for the weekend of June 22 in Woodstock, Vermont. However, a press release on Monday announced that, after 14 years, Bookstock was "closing down" and the upcoming festival was canceled.
Bookstock co-founder Peter Rousmaniere declined to give specific information on why the event was canceled, but said the board met this weekend and realized there were too many challenges to move ahead with the literary festival.
“It was extremely painful," Rousmaniere said. "It happened very quickly. We basically had to let the patient die."
Rousmaniere said organizers may hold a stripped-down poetry festival this year with fewer events, and he said it wasn’t clear if the literary festival would be able to return in any capacity next year.
Some of the authors scheduled to appear in June included Julia Alvarez, Robert Pinsky and Lauren Groff.
Organizers said the festival attracted upwards of 1,500 people annually.
Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message.
