Volunteers Power the NH Book Festival
Each year, nearly 100 volunteers are the engine that propels the annual book festival through two days of activities. If you’d like to meet the authors, or meet bookish new friends, we would love your help! Most shifts last for three hours, and there are both indoor (the Capitol Center for the Arts) and outdoor (tents on Main Street) opportunities. All volunteers receive their very own NH Book Festival t-shirt. Here are some of the roles that volunteers play:
Meet the Authors
Nearly 60 authors from around the country will take part in the 2026 Festival. Want to meet them up close, and hear about their work? These jobs could be right for you!
Book Panel Support: Inside the Capitoll Center or the Children’s Tent, roles include handling the roving mic for Q&A, timekeeping for the moderator, and counting attendees. You also get to hear the authors in conversation with one another and the audience.
Book Signing Support: After each panel, the authors adjourn to a tent to meet festival attendees, and sign their books. Volunteers greet the authors and the attendees, answer questions, and assure that the lines keep moving.
Author Hospitality: Help to keep the authors fed and rested in the Author Hospitality Lounge, located in the historical Kimball House.
Set-Up and Greeters
It takes a village to set up and run the full-day street festiva! Here are some of the ways you could help.
Set-Up Crew: If you are an early bird, this job is for you! A hearty crew hangs banners, places signage on the street, and stacks books inside the Gibson’s tent. These crews are typically fired up on caffeine and put their heart into getting the festival up and running.
Volunteer Check-In: If you love to meet and greet, this job is for you. The volunteer check-in table, located in the lobby of the Capitol Center, is adjacent to the hall where all the adult author panels take place (as well as the volunteer lounge and facilities). If you like to chat, and be warm and cozy, this is the place for you.