Reading Is Resistance

The Texas Book Festival remains one of the premier public literary gatherings in the United States, but it frequently finds itself set against a backdrop of the controversial politics of the Texas Capitol. That has never prevented the event from exploring important issues by platforming a range of diverse voices, though.

“My goal with programming is always to have as diverse of a lineup as possible, so that there truly is something for everyone in terms of genre, as well as target audience, special interests, but also in terms of representation,” offers Hannah Gabel, literary director of the Texas Book Festival. “My goal is always to provide a platform for authors to share their stories and unique perspectives with as broad of an audience as possible. So that means highlighting both big-name authors who are highly acclaimed in the literary world, as well as debut authors who people may not have heard of yet.”

Now in its 29th year, this year’s Texas Book Festival brings about 275 authors participating in more than 200 sessions, with names ranging from celebrity authors (Malcolm Gladwell, Matthew McConaughey) and Pulitzer winners (Jane Smiley, Cristina Rivera Garza) to local luminaries (Sarah Bird, Ernest Cline) and debut novelists (Kat Tang, Alejandro Puyana). Likewise, the themes run equally eclectic, with discussions tackling issues at the forefront of Texas and the nation.

“A lot of people had a lighter fall catalog because of the election, and especially with nonfiction books, they just don’t want those books to get lost in the news cycle,” notes Gabel. “That’s certainly just kind of a trend with publishing in general this year. But also, there’s actually a lot of really interesting debut novels that have come out this year, and that’s one of the things that I’m personally really excited about for this year’s festival.”

The 2024 Texas Book Festival takes place Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 16-17, in and around the Texas Capitol. The event is free and open to the public, with the exception of two ticketed events (both sold out). For the full schedule, check out this week’s TBF insert or visit texasbookfestival.org.