(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Amanda Warren, left, Director of the Salt Lake Book Festival, is joined by Sidney Smith and Ashley Pinales, directors of operations and finances respectively, as they pose for a portrait after talking about the upcoming Salt Lake Book Festival, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. The Mountain West’s gathering of authors and readers is the inaugural, first-ever citywide book festival of its king in Salt Lake City.