More than 150 speakers will present sessions, with an “A’’ list of five keynoters: jazz musician and memoirist Herbie Hancock; architect Norman Foster; novelist Susan Minot; historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; and young-adult novelist Rick Riordan.
This year’s lineup includes offerings that don’t fit into the typical book-festival box. Foster is an internationally renowned British architect who counts among his many projects the Art of the Americas wing at the Museum of Fine Arts. “It was just a whim,’’ festival founder and executive director Deborah Z. Porter says of Foster’s inclusion at the book festival. “He has a house on Martha’s Vineyard, and I thought it would be interesting to have him here. He has had such an impact on the culture.”
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Hancock, a legend in jazz circles, adds his own distinguished cachet to the affair, and “Possibilities,’’ his long-awaited memoir, will be released the week after the festival.
The celebration is branching out with other sessions that blend genres. In “Words and Music: A Literary Jam Session,” three novelists whose work includes musical themes will share the stage with live musicians.
A session featuring Benjamin R. Barber, author of “If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities,” also will feature commentary from four local politicians, including Mayor Marty Walsh, and former mayor Thomas M. Menino, whose memoir, “Mayor for a New America,’’ has just been released.
There are logistical changes as well. This year, because of construction, no events will take place at the Boston Public Library. Several venues have been added, including Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street, as well as First Church and the French Cultural Center (both on Marlborough Street).
Porter wasn’t sure how the event would be received when she launched it six years ago. Now, she is worried about crowd control for some of the blockbuster presenters. Riordan, who just released the final novel in his “Heroes of Olympus” series, is a crowd-pleaser among younger readers. “We actually had someone call the office and say they were driving from Ohio to hear him,” Porter says.
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PATTI HARTIGAN
Boston Globe Book Club:
• Oct. 21: Boston Book Club final in-person discussion about ‘Cascade’
• More about the Boston Globe Book club
For information and a schedule of events, go to www.bostonbookfest.org.