Celebrate books about animals at Bark! Fest, with 23 authors talking about their incredible books in a series of online events in September 2024.
By Zazie Todd, PhD
Cuddle up on your couch with your pet and watch your favourite authors in conversation about their books about dogs, cats, and other animals. Here’s the full schedule for Bark! Fest: The book festival for animal lovers.
All events are free but registration is required. A recording will be available to those who register. Attendees at the live events will have the chance to win books by the authors.
The events are co-hosted by Zazie Todd PhD and/or Kristi Benson CTC.
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What is Bark! Fest?
Bark! Fest is a book festival for animal lovers. It celebrates our love of animals and of reading with a series of online events that take place in September 2024. This is an unprecedented opportunity to hear from some of the best and most exciting contemporary authors of books about dogs, cats, and other animals. Their books recognize animals as sentient beings and bring up-to-date information–and a whole lot of fun–to the human-animal bond.
The idea for Bark! Fest came about when I was thinking about what I’d like to do to celebrate the launch of my third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. The online event that I did for Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy with Sassafras Lowrey and Lili Chin was very popular. And Kristi Benson and I love chatting with authors about their books for our podcast, The Pawsitive Post in Conversation.
From running the Animal Book Club, I knew other people would love to hear conversations with authors, discuss some of their favourite books, and have the chance to ask questions. I asked some other authors whose books I love if they would be interested in a joint event. And so Bark! Fest was born…
Bark! Fest celebrates 23 authors and their books,. Here’s the schedule of events.
The books are available from all good bookstores, and we would love for you to support your local independent bookstore.
The schedule of events at Bark! Fest
Under each event listing, you’ll find the link to register, as well as a link to the event page with more information about the authors and books.
Culture Clash and Beyond: Jean Donaldson
Bark! Fest gets off to a tail-wagging start with a conversation with one of the world’s top dog trainers. Jean Donaldson’s seminal book Culture Clash reframed how we think about dogs and has inspired generations of dog trainers to use (or switch to) reward-based methods. Join us to talk about all things dog training, including positive reinforcement, fearful dogs, and education for dog owners and trainers alike.
Monday 9th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
Register here.
Learn more about this event.
Canine Blockbusters: Alexis Devine, Kerry Nichols, Teresa J Rhyne
Celebrate the dog-human bond with these bestselling authors. Social media stars Alexis Devine and her dog Bunny examine our ability to communicate with dogs through buttons that let them “talk” in I Am Bunny. Learn the best ways to raise a puppy so that they become happy and resilient with the national bestseller Puppy Brain by Kerry Nichols. And in Poppy in the Wild, #1 New York Times bestselling author Teresa J Rhyne tells the breathtaking tale of a dog lost and then found in the wilderness.
Monday 9th September, 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK time.
Register here.
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Caring for Cats: Lili Chin, Mikel Delgado PhD, Lucy Hoile
Learn about the best ways to care for cats with these 3 feline authors. The delightful and informative drawings in Kitty Language by Lili Chin teach you how to understand your feline friend. Mikel Delgado’s Play With Your Cat! will inspire you to have more fun through interactive play with your kitty. And in the book your cat wishes you would read, Lucy Hoile empowers cat guardians to build a better relationship with their cat.
Tuesday 10th September 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK time.
Register here.
Learn more about this event.
Caring for Dogs: Pilley Bianchi, Wendy Lyons Sunshine, Carri Westgarth PhD
Develop a better bond with your dog with these 3 canine authors. For the Love of Dog is Pilley Bianchi’s love letter to our canine friends, sharing wisdom from her father John W. Pilley’s work with Chaser the border collie and illustrated by NYTimes illustrator Calum Heath. In Tender Paws, Wendy Lyons Sunshine examines what dog guardians can learn from the science of human parenting. And Carri Westgarth draws on her research into human-animal interaction to help you improve your pet’s wellbeing and become The Happy Dog Owner.
Thursday 12th September 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK time.
Register here.
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Dogs, Trauma, and Both Ends of the Leash: Patricia McConnell PhD
Patricia McConnell PhD is an internationally-renowned applied animal behaviourist who has dedicated her life to improving the relationship between people and animals. Amongst her many treasured dog training books, The Other End of the Leash draws our attention to the human side of dog training. McConnell’s memoir, The Education of Will, is a beautifully-written and uplifting account of how to reclaim life after trauma, for both humans and dogs. Join us to talk about dog behaviour, overcoming hardships, and the importance of compassion and science in dog training.
Monday 16th September 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK time.
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Canine Emotions and Perception: Marc Bekoff PhD, Zazie Todd PhD, Cat Warren
Discover the role of emotions and perception in dogs’ lives. In Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine and the second edition of The Emotional Lives of Animals, Marc Bekoff updates our understanding of the emotions animals feel (and how we know they feel them). For people whose dogs feel shy or worried, Zazie Todd’s Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is a compassionate and practical guide based on the latest science. And the beautifully-crafted New York Times bestseller What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World by Cat Warren explores the extraordinary abilities of scent detection dogs and tells the captivating story of how Warren’s dog Solo became a human remains detection dog.
Tuesday 17th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
Register here.
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Canine Crime and Mystery: Antony Johnston, Louisa Scarr, Philipp Schott DVM
If you love crime and mystery novels, you’re in for a treat as dogs help solve crimes in these remarkable books. When a singer dies in mysterious circumstances, dog sitter Gwinny Tuffel and the singer’s Border Collie investigate in Antony Johnston’s cosy and witty The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead. In Louisa Scarr’s dark and compelling Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her dog Moss search for the body after a severed hand is found in the woods. And when veterinarian (and amateur detective) Dr. Bannerman and his champion sniffer dog Pippin holiday near a remote lake, he has to try to save some poisoned sled dogs and figure out why a float plane crashed in Eleven Huskies by Philipp Schott DVM.
Thursday 19th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
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Our Bond with Cats: Sarah Chauncey, Sassafras Lowrey, Rachel Wells
Reflect on what cats mean to us and the many ways they influence our lives with these 3 feline authors. Sarah Chauncey’s heartfelt P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna is a touching celebration of our bond with our cats, illustrated by Francis Tremblay. Claw This Journal: An Activity Book for Cats and Their Humans by Sassafras Lowrey is packed with crafts, training, and activities and a deep understanding of cats’ emotional wellbeing. In the latest in the Sunday Times bestselling series, Alfie the cat is preparing for a purrfect festive show when things go wrong, in Alfie the Christmas Cat by Rachel Wells.
Friday 20th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
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Animal Emotions: Marc Bekoff PhD
When The Emotional Lives of Animals was first published in 2007, it was a gamechanger for its exploration of animal emotions and cognition. Now, a second edition has been published to bring us up to date on all the new science of animal emotions. Marc Bekoff joins us in this webinar to talk about animals’ experiences of joy, empathy, grief, anger, and embarrassment. You’ll never see animals the same way again.
Monday 23rd September 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK time.
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Loving and Losing Pets: E.B. Bartels, Rev Sarah Bowen, Karen Fine DVM
Loving pets means thinking of them both in life and after their loss. In the poignant and personal Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter, E.B. Bartels takes us on a global tour of how we love and mourn our pets. Sarah Bowen shares her deep insights on the lives and loss of all animals—pets and wildlife—in Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, and Trying to Heal the Planet. And Karen Fine DVM’s heartwarming memoir about becoming a veterinarian, The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality, is full of tales about what we can learn from the animals in our lives.
Tuesday 24th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
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Fearful and Anxious Dogs: Zazie Todd PhD
Zazie Todd is at the forefront of the move towards positive animal welfare and kind, humane dog training methods. Her third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is a compassionate and practical guide to overcoming your dog’s fears. In this memorable webinar, you’ll learn how to help your dog feel safe, how your presence can help your dog, and get a new understanding of the training techniques that can make a difference, as she shares tips from Bark!.
Thursday 26th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
Register here.
Learn more about this event.
See the full book list for Bark! Fest. We would love for you to support your local independent bookstore when getting the books.
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