This fall will be busy with celebrations of good writing. This edition of our newsletter spotlights a Jazz Age tea to mark F. Scott’s 130th birthday year, an event that puts our short story contest winners front and center, and two days of celebrating this year’s F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival honoree, Tobias Wolff.
Grab Your Pearls—and Tickets for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Jazz Age Tea & Talks
Hurry and buy your tickets—before they sell out—to the 2026 Tea and Jazz in Celebration of F. Scott’s 130th birthday. Tickets sales begin August 31 for two afternoon teas at The Mansion at Strathmore: Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23.
Only 60 seats are available at each tea time, and tickets are expected to sell out quickly. All tickets are $45. They can be purchased at the Strathmore website.
F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival is delighted to team up with The Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland, to offer this afternoon indulgence popular during the Jazz Age. Against a backdrop of live music by some of the area’s finest jazz artists, you can sip Strathmore’s Signature Blend Tea, made specially by Master Tea Blender John Harney, accompanied by a light lunch featuring delectable tea savories and sweets. (Vegetarian options can be requested in advance.)
This lovely respite within the warm atmosphere of the historic mansion begins at 1 p.m. Tables for groups of two, four, and eight tea-goers are available. Treat yourself, family, or friends. There is onsite parking in the lot at The Mansion.
F. Scott was born on September 24, 1896. Help usher in a birthday celebration in the style of his time.
October Unleashes Three Signature Events
Exceptional writing talent will be in the spotlight at the 2026 Short Story Readings at Rockville Memorial Library on October 8. Winners of the Short Story Contest will be honored and read their work at the gathering, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover and support emerging literary talent. No registration is required for this event.
Join the celebration of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legacy by taking part in an Evening of Tributes to author Tobias Wolff, this year’s winner of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award. This Friday-before gathering leading into the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival Day features author Richard Bausch, novelist Varun Gauri, PEN/Faulkner winner Mahreen Sohail, and Wolff himself. The 7 p.m. event at the The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Friday, October 23 is free. Register here to attend.
A full day of writing workshops, presentations, book signings, and even a film will anchor the dynamic lineup at the 2026 F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival Day on Saturday, October 24. “Growing Up Is Hard to Do,” the theme of this year’s festival at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, pays tribute to the award-winning memoir, This Boy’s Life, of festival honoree, Tobias Wolff. Registration will be opening soon.
Member Perk: I READ BANNED BOOKS Sticker
Read banned books and bring challenged voices into the light!
The benefits of F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival membership now include a waterproof sticker that proudly declares to the world that you read banned books. You can obtain a sticker by enrolling at any membership level.
Membership is available for as little as $35, or $30 for seniors. The entry fee for submissions to the festival’s Short Story Contest for adults is waived for all members.
Members at higher tiers enjoy additional benefits. Members at the $100 level and above receive a signed copy of a book by the honoree at each year’s festival (this year the honoree is Tobias Wolff). Members at even higher tiers can also advertise on the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival website.
Membership and donations (both of which are tax deductible) provide the funding that underpins our programming and helps deepen the literary legacy of the Washington, DC, metro area. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival is a 503(c)(3) organization. Learn more, become a member, or donate here.
We Want Your Comments
Don’t be fooled by a recent tech glitch on our website: we do welcome your comments. We apologize to anyone who recently tried to submit comments only to find the comment button didn’t work. We’ve got the problem sorted out and look forward to hearing from you. If you ever have problems submitting comments (or with anything else on the website), please go to our Contact page and let us know.
I was wondering if you ever considered making some of the events available virtually in addition to the in-person attendance. It would be great for those who have mobility issues, and cannot navigate the world well enough to attend in person. I am one of those people. I am an avid reader, and I have been very interested in F.Scott Fitzgerald’s writings, as well as his personal life including his wife Zelda. In addition, I have been a Rockville resident for over 46 years. I have enjoyed finding out who is the winner of the F. Scott Fitzgerald award every year. It is usually an author that I am familiar with. However, I am not familiar with this year’s winner – Tobias Wolff. So, I have purchased his work entitled “This Boy’s Life”. I have just started reading it, and I am enjoying it very much. So, it would be wonderful if I was able to see Mr. Wolff, along with special guest Richard Bausch and hear the keynote speaker on Festival Day either virtually in real time or look at a recording at a later date. I hope you give my “suggestion” serious consideration. Thank you!
Hello, Marilyn, and thank you for your question! This is, unfortunately, an in-person conference, but we will be recording comments from Tobias Wolff as well as other portions of the festival, and these recordings will be available on the website.
All the best, and happy reading!