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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

http://www.texasbookfestival.org/

Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX (2026)

06/03/2026

🎉 Announcing the 2026 Texas Writer Awardee: David Bowles ()! 🖊️

Each year, Texas Book Festival presents the prestigious Texas Writer Award to a Texas writer who has profoundly contributed to the state’s literary canon. Nominees are evaluated on originality, literary achievement, and the impact of their body of work.

Bowles will be honored with a pair of custom-made boots, crafted by the El Paso-based artisans , during a special ceremony at the 2026 Texas Book Festival (Nov. 14–15) in downtown Austin. Festival attendees can also see Bowles during a separate Festival session for his new book, “The Hero Twins in the Realm of Fright.”

TBF Director of Youth Programs Michelle Hernandez and Literary Director Hannah Gabel interviewed Bowles about his work, relationship to Texas and the Festival, and what it means to be the 2026 Texas Writer Award recipient.

🔗 Read the interview: https://texasbookfestival.org/announcing-the-2026-texas-writer-awardee/

06/02/2026

What’s on the other side of winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction twice, an accolade held by just four writers? Apparently, a cool machine with no intent of letting up.

Announcing acclaimed novelist Colson Whitehead as the second-revealed First Edition Literary Gala headliner and featured author at the 2026 Texas Book Festival!

🔗 Purchase tickets, tables, and sponsorships at the link in our bio.

Colson Whitehead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve works of fiction and nonfiction, and is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, for “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” which also won the National Book Award. A recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.

He joins us with “Cool Machine,” “an exuberantly entertaining novel that brings to life 1980s New York in the magnificent final volume of his Harlem Trilogy.” - Penguin Random House

“Cool Machine” has been named a most anticipated book by The New York Times, The New Yorker, TIME, Vulture, Today.com, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, LitHub, and Bookriot.

The First Edition Literary Gala brings together readers, writers, and book lovers from across Texas for an unforgettable evening of conversation, connection, and community in support of the Texas Book Festival’s mission to connect authors and readers through the power of books.

Thanks to your generosity, proceeds from the Gala fund:
🆓 Free access to the Festival for 45,000+ attendees
🧒 Visits from award-winning children’s authors to Title I schools statewide
📚 Free books in the hands of more than 16,000 Texas students
💸 $150,000 in grants to Texas public libraries
🖊️ Free year-round literary programming

The books and stories we share thanks to your generous support spark imagination and help keep access to literature in Texas free for all. Secure your spot at this can’t-miss event and join us in our efforts to build a strong and sustainable literary community today.

🔗 Purchase tickets, tables, and sponsorships at the link in our bio.

06/02/2026

We’re back with another game of Guess the Gala Headliner! Think you can guess today’s speaker? 🤔  He’s a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a winner of the National Book Award, and got his start writing for “The Village Voice.”

Stick around. We’ll unveil the author at 4 PM! 🕜

06/01/2026

Dear friends,

B***o Libro Press, a new imprint from and , is open for submissions!

📚Debut writers of literary fiction who have not published a book and have Texas ties should submit their manuscripts of lengths between 40,000 and 110,000 words anonymously through the link between June 1 and June 30, 2026, 11:59 PM CST.

🔗 https://texasbookfestival.org/burrolibropress/

📚Please note that we received such a wonderful response to the public announcement and press release about the imprint launch that we will cap manuscript submissions at the first 500.

📚 At Texas Book Festival 2026 on November 14th and 15th, a small team from Texas Book Festival, Deep Vellum Publishing, Letterpress PLAY, and Tejemos Foundation will announce the five finalists live during the Festival. In addition, the Texas Book Festival team will send an email to all authors who have submitted their manuscripts on November 15th announcing the five finalists.

📚 Finally, before January 31, 2027 those five finalists will be narrowed down to one author whose book will be published as the inaugural B***o Libro Press title.

📚Public announcement and the printing process begin on February 1, 2027 and the book will be released at the 2027 Texas Book Festival.

We look forward to reading your stories!

05/27/2026

and invite you to a special in-person edition of the Texas Book Club featuring “We Burn Daylight” author Bret Anthony Johnston and “Texas Monthly” Editor-in-Chief Ross McCammon.

Readers can join us on Tuesday, June 16, at 6 p.m. at The Frances Modern Inn (1123 E. 11th Street, Austin, TX). Books will be for sale thanks to . will present a special cocktail and menu. Plus, stick around after the conversation, when Bret will sign books. See you there!

🔗 RSVP at the link in our bio.

“We Burn Daylight” is a harrowing and heartfelt historical fiction novel about a fictional cult inspired by the 1993 Waco siege.

05/26/2026

Announcing Kate DiCamillo as the first-to-be-announced Gala speaker and 2026 Texas Book Festival featured author!

Kate DiCamillo is the author of many award-winning books, including the 2000 children’s novel “Because of Winn-Dixie,” and a two-time Newbery Medal winner, as well as a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Emerita. She has written popular chapter books about a pig named Mercy Watson, and unlikely friends, Orris & Timble. “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”, which will be featured at TBF in November, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, was an instant “New York Times” bestseller, and was the winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Kate lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but she spent much of her childhood in Florida.

The First Edition Literary Gala brings together the creative and eclectic Texas literary community for a celebration of books and reading in support of Texas Book Festival’s mission – connecting authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination.

🔗 Purchase tickets, tables, and sponsorships at the link in our bio.

Thanks to your generosity, proceeds from the Gala fund:
🆓 Free access to the Festival for 45,000+ attendees
🧒 Visits from award-winning children’s authors to Title I schools statewide
📚 Free books in the hands of more than 16,000 Texas students
💸 $150,000 in grants to Texas public libraries
🖊️ Free year-round literary programming

Because of you, wonderful books and stories are shared, imaginations are sparked, and access to literature remains free and open to all! Secure your spot at this can’t-miss event and join us in our efforts to build a strong and sustainable literary community today.

05/26/2026

Announcing Kate DiCamillo as the first-to-be-announced Gala speaker and 2026 Texas Book Festival featured author!

Kate DiCamillo is the author of many award-winning books, including the 2000 children’s novel “Because of Winn-Dixie,” and a two-time Newbery Medal winner, as well as a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Emerita. She has written popular chapter books about a pig named Mercy Watson, and unlikely friends, Orris & Timble. “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” which will be featured at TBF in November, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, was an instant “New York Times” bestseller, and was the winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Kate lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but she spent much of her childhood in Florida.

The First Edition Literary Gala, to be held on Friday, November 13 at the Fairmont Austin, brings together the creative and eclectic Texas literary community for a celebration of books and reading in support of Texas Book Festival’s mission – connecting authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination.

🔗 Purchase tickets, tables, and sponsorships at the link in our bio.

Thanks to your generosity, proceeds from the Gala fund:
🆓 Free access to the Festival for 45,000+ attendees
🧒 Visits from award-winning children’s authors to Title I schools statewide
📚 Free books in the hands of more than 16,000 Texas students
💸 $150,000 in grants to Texas public libraries
🖊️ Free year-round literary programming

Because of you, wonderful books and stories are shared, imaginations are sparked, and access to literature remains free and open to all! Secure your spot at this can’t-miss event and join us in our efforts to build a strong and sustainable literary community today.

05/26/2026

Guess who? 🤔

Over the next three weeks, we’re announcing the three incredible, award-winning speakers headlining the Texas Book Festival First Edition Literary Gala, to be held on Friday, November 13 at the Fairmont Austin.

And guess what? These names DOUBLE as the first slate of 2026 Texas Book Festival featured author announcements! It’s a double whammy. 💥

Think you can guess today’s speaker? She’s a two-time Newbery Medal Award winner, a national ambassador for young people’s literature emerita, and the author of the popular children’s book “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

Stick around. We’ll unveil our first headliner at 4 p.m.! 🕜

05/25/2026

✏️ Writers, ready your manuscripts!

We’re one week away from the opening of submissions for B***o Libro Press.

Here’s what you need to know:
📘 B***o Libro Press, a new imprint from and , is accepting submissions for a debut work of literary fiction for publication.
📘 Submissions are open from June 1–30, 2026
📘 The selected author will receive professional editorial development with Deep Vellum, a print edition with an inaugural print run of 2,000 copies, a professionally produced audiobook, a $5,000 cash prize, distribution, promotion in connection with Texas Book Festival 2027, and participation as a featured author in Texas Book Festival 2027.
📘 Authors need not reside in Texas to be eligible, but should have meaningful ties to the state through residence, upbringing, or other significant personal connection.
📘 By November 2026, five finalists will be selected. One project will be chosen by the end of the year.
📘 Submit at the 🔗 in our bio!

05/20/2026

What: The 2026 Texas Book Festival, the largest gathering of readers and writers in Texas and one of the premier literary events in the nation, featuring more than 275 of the year’s leading writers, engaging author panels across genres, activities for all ages, a lively exhibitor marketplace, local food trucks, and a Saturday night Lit Crawl.

When: November 14–15, 2026

Where: Downtown Austin, Texas | In and around the Texas Capitol, including nearby satellite venues

📧 Subscribe to the TBF newsletter at the link in our bio for the latest news, including the lineup reveal dropping this September. (Texasbookfestival.org/subscribe)

Texas Book Festival

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

05/27/2026

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm