Books By the Bay, Northwest Florida’s largest literary event, returns to Pensacola for its third year with a lineup of award-winning national, state and regional writers showcased in a new venue. The free festival slated for Saturday, March 28, is moving to Bayview Park, Pensacola’s popular park on Bayou Texar.
“Books By the Bay is now truly on the bay,” says Tonya Dalhaus, event director for Books By the Bay. “We’re thrilled to showcase our authors in such a beautiful waterfront setting—this year they can enjoy the view without worrying about the weather.”
Featured guest is Kyla Zhao, a bestselling author who by the age of 26 had published three novels with the world’s largest publisher, Penguin Random House. A native of Singapore now living in California, Zhao has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and seen on “Good Morning America,” CBS, NBC, and ABC, to name a few. She has written for Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, and Tatler.
A former competitive chess player, Zhao’s 2024 bestselling novel Let the Best Player Win has gained popularity among middle grade readers and chess players of all ages worldwide. The upbeat, fast-paced story addresses overcoming gender stereotypes and anxiety in the competitive world of chess. Zhao writes in multiple genres including Asian American fiction, women’s fiction, rom com, and coming of age. Her other novels are Valley Verified (2023) and The Fraud Squad (2024)…