On a quiet afternoon in 2020, Rye residents Margot Clark-Junkins and Sian Roath sat on the Rye Free Reading Room patio, chairs spaced apart, swapping book recommendations in the hush of pandemic life.
The conversation drifted to a neighboring town that had just launched a literary festival, and then the question followed naturally: Why not Rye?
Soon, three fellow booklovers — Paula Fung, Alison Relyea, and Ann Magalhaes — joined the brainstorming, and by September 2021, the very first Watershed Literary Festival took place on the lawn of the historic Knapp House.
Four years later, the festival — named both for Rye’s location at the base of a watershed and for the way ideas flow together and outward — returns for its third chapter, this time at the Rye Meeting House.
From Sept. 26 to 28, nationally recognized voices will share the stage with beloved local authors over three days of readings, workshops, and conversations. Admission is free, with a suggested $20 donation supporting the Rye Arts Center, Rye Historical Society, Rye Free Reading Room, and the Bird Homestead & Meeting House Conservancy.
For its founders — all writers themselves and longtime champions of Rye’s cultural life — the festival has always meant more than books.
“During the pandemic we wanted to see people, so we sat on the patio at the library to meet and visit with each other,” Clark-Junkins recalled. “It was a great way to keep your mind busy when the options were reduced. We knew we could have this event in a pandemic because it could be outside.”
Now, gratefully removed from those isolating days, little stands in the way of gathering, and this year’s lineup reflects that sense of abundance. More than 40 writers will appear, among them literary agent and author Betsy Lerner, discussing her new novel “Shred Sisters;” screenwriter Stuart Zicherman, whose credits include “The Americans” on Netflix and “American Crime Story” on FX; and essayist Nicole Graev Lipson, sharing her acclaimed collection, “Mothers & Other Fictional Characters.”
Workshops will dive into everything from tween writing, the art of memoir, music, journalism, choosing a perfect title, crafting a poem, and weaving fact into fiction.
Local talent gets a special spotlight. Some examples: Lee Carey, whose debut novel, “The Glass Pass,” was released in June 2025; Eileen Flood O’Connor, a Record contributor whose essays in “Eating Pizza Backwards” chronicle life with her special-needs daughter; and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, reflecting on his path from high school sports reporter to national broadcaster.
Guiding many of the conversations are moderators from the Rye community as well. Freelance writer and Record Deputy Editor Andi Hessekiel will join Rye High School journalism teacher Roni Sarig to discuss “Riding the Current: Journalism.” The festival closes with “Changing Course: Processing Major Life Events Through Essay and Memoir,” led by Andrea Raynor, a Rye chaplain whose memoir, “Incognito,” delves into her trials and triumphs at Harvard Divinity School. And on the final morning, local authors will gather for a book fair where attendees can browse and buy.
This balance of local and national talent is a welcome accident.
“The most fun part of the festival is how it comes together,” Clark-Junkins said. “We start with no list at all. Someone will say, ‘I know so-and-so who just wrote a book,’ and someone else will know a cousin’s best friend who’s a novelist. The result is a mix that runs from debut authors to well-known writers, all linked through community ties. That’s what makes it such a pleasure — you’re always connecting with someone new.”
That spirit will likely flow into the events themselves, such as when poetry readings end in wine-and-cheese receptions, signings linger into conversations, and audiences blur the line between participants and presenters. Festivities open Friday evening, Sept. 26, with a cocktail party featuring Annabel Monaghan, the author of “It’s a Love Story” and many other titles. (Her 2016 essay collection, “Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?” was based on her column in The Record.) Community members also are invited to submit short essays on the theme “waterworks” to read aloud.
The decision to hold the festival in Rye feels right to the founders.
“We live here, we love reading and writing, and there was nothing like this in Westchester outside of a children’s book festival in Chappaqua,” Clark-Junkins said. “It felt like such a smashing idea.” That idea has already rippled outward: a new Westchester Book Festival launches later this fall in Bedford, inspired in part by Rye’s success.
And while Rye’s flood-prone geography inspired the festival’s name, this year the watershed will be entirely figurative. With the move to the Rye Meeting House — where indoor and outdoor spaces are both available — the only deluge to anticipate is a flood of ideas and stories.
Whether you’re a devoted bookworm, a casual reader, a budding or accomplished writer, a poetry dabbler, or simply curious to mingle with Rye’s literary crowd, visit watershedrye.com for the full schedule and to RSVP.
