Confirmed International Stars
The main international guest of this year's edition is American author Marissa Meyer, creator of the bestselling series The Lunar Chronicles, the superhero series Renegades, or the fairy tale retelling Heartless/Queen of Hearts. Meyer is among the most successful authors of contemporary young adult literature, and her books have found millions of readers around the world – fans will have the opportunity to meet her in person at HumbookFest, attend a discussion, or get a signature and dedication in their book.
Another big name from the American YA scene will also arrive in Prague – Kasie West, author of popular romances full of humor and lightness, such as The Distance Between Us, P.S. I Like You, or The Fill-In Boyfriend. West is known for her light, witty style and stories about first love, which have won the hearts of readers around the world – and many of them in the Czech Republic, where she is one of the most beloved foreign authors in the YA romance genre.
The Czech Scene in Full Force
In addition to international guests, the festival will showcase a wide range of domestic authors – from established names to new discoveries from social networks. Among the confirmed guests are:
- Nofreeusernames (Ola) – author of the phenomenon Forever, which originated from chat fiction on the Storki platform and has become one of the best-selling Czech YA titles in recent years.
- Kateřina Šardická – editor at Host publishing house and author of the acclaimed titles The Disappearance of Sára Lindertová and the comic Stella and the Guardians of the Veil (winner of the Muriel award).
- Kristina M. Waagnerová – doctor and author of the extensive fantasy tetralogy The Golden Grail.
- Anna and Jiří Kouřilovi – married author duo behind the book Jošt: Shadows of Brünburg.
Other creators include Adéla Rosípalová, Iv Klier, Jana Kvičerová, Karolína Zoe Meixnerová, Kristina Hlaváčková, Michaela Dopitová, Veronika Darnel, Alena Štraubová, Dana Beranová, J. A. Morningstar, Jana Pavloušková, Michaela Červenková, Petra Kamlachová, Zuzana Hamžou Hartmanová, Jan Hamouz, Jarmila Mlčoušková, Klára Klocová, Lucie Ortega, Nicole Kárraová, Valérie Podrázská, or illustrator and author Meoinka. The list of guests is continuously updated by the organizers of Humbookfest on the festival website.
A Program for the Whole Community
HumbookFest will offer not only discussions and signings but also a rich accompanying program: workshops for readers and book creatives, a cosplay parade with a big contest for the best costume, and Artist Avenue – a space dedicated to independent creators, illustrators, and authors of book merchandise. Visitors can look forward to a day full of meetings with their favorite authors, discussions, creative workshops, and encounters with a community of people united by a love for stories.
The festival was first held in 2016 and has since become the largest event of its kind in Central Europe focused on young adult readers.
„We are entering the second decade of an event that is absolutely unique in the Czech and European space. Visitors, often from abroad, who come to us for the unique atmosphere and to share their enthusiasm for reading and literature, can once again look forward to meetings with authors, interesting discussions, and a packed off-program,“ says Michaela Vavřinová, brand manager of Albatros Media, which stands behind the festival and the entire Humbook platform.
Tickets
Tickets for HumbookFest 2026 are already on sale at www.humbookfest.cz/vstupenky.
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About HumbookFest
HumbookFest is the largest Czech literary festival focused on young adult literature readers. Since its inception in 2016, the festival has hosted leading Czech and international authors, illustrators, bloggers, and creators, and is a unique platform for the community of young readers in Central Europe. The festival is organized by Albatros Media publishing house.
About Albatros Media
The production of the Albatros Media group covers almost 20% of the publishing market in the Czech Republic. Each year, it releases about 1,000 new books and publishes the most successful Czech and world authors. In addition to independent publishing houses Albatros, Alicanto, Baronet, BizBooks, Computer Press, CooBoo, CPress, Domino, Edika, Fragment, Garamond, Junior, Kniha Zlín, Management Press, Mladá fronta, Motto, Nastole, Panteon, Valer, Vyšehrad, and XYZ, it owns the audiobook publishing house Voxi, the publishing house producing books for export B4U Publishing, the service for emerging authors Pointa.cz, or the e-shop offering printed and electronic books as well as audiobooks Palmknihy.cz. Since 2016, it has operated and financed the Albatros Foundation and through the Humbook platform provides young people with space for discussion and sharing their enthusiasm for books. The general director of Albatros Media has been Václav Kadlec since 2012. The company is locally owned, with its ultimate owners being Silke and Jaroslav Horák since 2008.
