This week in The Literary Lounge, Jennifer sits down with Sarah Moriarty, Executive Director of the Charleston Literary Festival. Sarah and Jennifer talk about the festival’s evolution from its roots at Charleston Farmhouse in England, the gathering place of the Bloomsbury Group, to the thriving literary celebration it has become in Charleston, South Carolina.
Sarah takes us behind the scenes of curating a world-class literary festival, shares why Charleston has become such an exciting destination for readers and writers, and previews this year’s 10th festival, featuring more than 50 events across ten days.
They also talk about the magic of experiencing books and authors in person, Charleston’s independent bookstore boom, opportunities for emerging and young writers, and why literary festivals are a place for curious minds.
In This Episode
- From Sussex to South Carolina: The history of the Charleston Literary Festival
- The role of Executive Director
- Curating world-class literary programming
- Charleston as a literary city
- Planning your festival visit
- Highlights of the 2026 Festival
- Nurturing emerging and young writers
- Building community through a shared love of books
Meet Sarah Moriarty
Sarah Moriarty is a long-time literature enthusiast, branding specialist, and marketing creative. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Sarah developed a love of literature that took her from Dublin’s Trinity College to Freie Universität Berlin, where she wrote her master’s thesis on Samuel Beckett, best known for his play Waiting for Godot. She graduated from Trinity College Dublin, where she earned a BA in Literature, and Freie Universität Berlin, where she received an MA in the same field. Before her move from Berlin to Charleston in October 2021, she was the Global Director of Brand at Blinkist, a technology company in the audiobook publishing industry.
In 2021, when her husband, Mena Mark Hanna, accepted the position as general director of Spoleto Festival USA, Moriarty again leaned on her literary knowledge to change course, becoming director of marketing for Charleston Literary Festival. In 2023, she was appointed executive director. Under her leadership, the festival has become one of the “Top Lit Fests” in the world according to Travel + Leisure magazine.
When she’s not working, Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and reading literary fiction. She lives in downtown Charleston, S.C. with her husband and their two children.
Connect with Charleston Literary Festival
charlestonliteraryfestival.com
Follow on Instagram @charlestonlitfest
Follow on Facebook
Books & Authors Mentioned
- Kin by Tayari Jones
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
- Heart the Lover by Lily King
- Flashlight by Susan Choi
- Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
- Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
- Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
- Lázár by Nelio Biedermann
- This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
- O Now! by Niall Williams
- Jacaranda by Gaël Faye
- Strangers by Belle Burden
- Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Phillips
- Joyride by Susan Orlean
- The Odyssey translated by Daniel Mendelsohn
- The Family Man by James Lasdun
- Jean Hanff Korelitz
- Salman Rushdie
- The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
- Tiger’s Mouth by Lucy Tan
- Virginia Woolf
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Jennifer Cash
Host, Creator, Producer & Editor of The Literary Lounge
Instagram: @readwithjennifer
