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.