Officials with the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book announced on Wednesday they're canceling this year's event.
The three-day festival, which attracts authors from around the world, was scheduled for the end of September.
But Executive Director Amy Gillard said the coronavirus pushed the release date back for some books - leading the festival officials to reevaluate.
“Our goal is to have authors at our event who have new releases they can talk about. An opportunity to have an exciting line up was diminishing.”
Gillard said trying to enact social distancing and other health and safety requirements at the festival would have been difficult.
“Many of the elements that make our festival unique would disappear. Our thought, and the boards thought, is that if we can’t do the festival to the level we’ve established, we can’t do the festival.”
Gillard said they look forward to seeing people return for the festival in September of 2021.
The festival intends to continue its Books for Schools fund - which purchases and distributes festival presenters’ books to local schools.
Gillard said more details on that will be forthcoming.