The Southern Kentucky Book Fest will return to Bowling Green on March 24-25 with a host of acclaimed authors representing all literary genres.

The free event, presented by the Warren County Public Library and Barnes & Noble Booksellers, will take place at Knicely Conference Center at 2355 Nashville Road.

Festival guests can meet authors, purchase signed copies of their books and watch and participate in panels, presentations and workshops.

Headlining this year’s event is Wil Wheaton, actor, blogger and author of the New York Times bestseller “Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir.” His acting roles include “Stand by Me,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

A returning favorite, Lauren Tarshis, author of the “I Survived” book series, will make an appearance on March 24, a day geared toward teens and children.

“Currently, we have record numbers of children coming that day,” said Lisa Rice, director of Warren County Public Library. “One of the reasons is because of her (Tarshis). She’s incredibly popular and writes mostly for middle grades.”

Rice said that after the December 2021 tornado, Tarshis visited several schools in the area.

“The children really could relate to her ‘I Survived’ series after what they had been through,” Rice said.

Also on the schedule for Friday is Charles Ghigna, “a fan favorite for many years.”

In addition to Wheaton, Saturday’s lineup will include Kevin Wilson, whose newest book is “Now Is Not the Time to Panic.”

“His books are great,” Rice said. “I hope a lot of people come to see him. His book ‘Nothing to See Here’ is just incredible.”

Rice said an author that will draw interest from Warren County residents is Dennis Calero, who writes graphic novels and is now working with John Carpenter, the famed horror director and former Bowling Green resident.

Returning favorites include Silas House, Bowling Green’s David Bell and Daily News Managing Editor Wes Swietek.

Times are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 25, with writer’s conference workshops from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 25.

Pre-registration is required for the writing workshops.

“There will be a great lineup at the writers’ conference, including Jason Howard, probably one of the greatest essayists from Kentucky, Lee Martin and C.J. Redwine,” Rice said.

Rice said the festival is always well-attended and attracts thousands of visitors. Last year was the first year back after a two-year break because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are so glad to be back and glad to see such a great response,” she said. “People do love it and missed it while it was gone and I hope to see a good crowd this year.”

— For a full schedule of presentations and panels, a complete list of authors or to register for the writing workshops, visit sokybookfest.org.