Literary Programs Year-Round / 2024 Festival November 16–17

Category: Uncategorized

Amplify Credit Union and Texas Book Festival Presents: Laekan Zea Kemp

By Jose Rodriguez on

Amplify Credit Union and Texas Book Festival are thrilled to present author, Laekan Zea Kemp, discussing her new young adult novel-in-verse, An Appetite for Miracles, in conversation with fellow author, Jennifer Ziegler (Worser, How Not to Be Popular). The event will be held at 6 PM on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at Amplify Credit Union’s Esperanza event space (2800 Esperanza Crossing #2, Austin, TX 78758). Admission is free and tickets are available here.

The event will include a reading and moderated Q&A followed by a signing line. Masks are encouraged but not required. Amplify will provide hand sanitizer and masks onsite. Seating will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. For additional questions or concerns, please contact feedack@goamplify.com.

About An Appetite for Miracles:
Danna Mendoza Villarreal’s grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade, and Danna’s not sure her plan to help him remember through the foods he once reviewed will be enough to bring him back. Especially when her own love of food makes her complicated relationship with her mother even more difficult. Raul Santos has been lost ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated two years ago. Playing guitar for the elderly has been his only escape, to help them remember and him forget. But when his mom unexpectedly comes back into his life, what is he supposed to do when she isn’t the same person who left. When Danna and Raul meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal her grandfather…and themselves. Because healing is something best done together—even if healing doesn’t always look the way we want it to.

About the Author:
Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2022 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.

About the Moderator:
Jennifer Ziegler is the author of several novels for young and young-at-heart readers, including Worser, Revenge of the Flower Girls, and How Not to Be Popular. She also serves as faculty co-chair of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A native Texan of Mexican American heritage, Jennifer lives in Austin with her husband (and favorite author), Chris Barton, and their boss, a terrier mix named Ernie.

2023 Internship Applications Now Open

By Anna Dolliver on

TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

2023 Texas Book Festival internship applications are now open! We are pleased to offer internships across several departments: Literary Programming, School and Community Programs, Marketing & Design, Event Production, Development, and Communications & Public Relations. Each intern reports to specific staff members; all interns, however, will assist the entire staff in the production of the Festival and its programs as needed. This includes participating in occasional after-hours literary events, with duties including event setup, registration, and clean-up.

Internships require a commitment of 8 hours per week. They will usually work in-person for one four-hour shift and remotely for a second shift each week. Fall internships span from early August to mid-November; the School and Community Programs intern may continue their position into the spring. All interns are required to work the Gala and Festival Weekend (November 9-12, 2023); thus, applicants who can guarantee their availability will be prioritized in the selection process. Internships must be scheduled during the Texas Book Festival’s operating hours (9 AM through 5 PM, Monday through Friday). Interns will receive a $500 stipend on completion of their internship; the School and Community Programs intern will receive an additional $500 stipend if they continue their internship through the spring semester.

For more details on our available internship roles and how to apply, please visit our Internship Opportunities page.

A farewell note and invitation from departing Executive Director, Lois Kim

By Lois Kim on

The end of April marks my tenth year as TBF’s Executive Director, and it turns out, it will also mark my last. After an incredibly full and fulfilling ten years, I’m pushing off from TBF’s shore to embark on a new challenge as the Chief Development Officer at the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin. I’m excited to serve the mission of the arts and education in a different way, and I’m beyond grateful for the immeasurable rewards that serving in this role has given me. 

Working at TBF changed my life, and it changed me. The pace was tremendously fast and the world of possibility addictive. Around every corner was another way to introduce a child to a book, to partner with an organization whose mission we loved and respected, to never say no to an event opportunity that brought the community together around books, and always, always to support more authors so worthy of being seen and celebrated.

Yeah, TBF is big on celebration, and I have loved the big, Texas-sized way we go about championing authors and the act of loving and sharing books. I have adored being part of the biggest annual book party in Texas and the joy it brings to so many. 

When your life is planning events, there’s always the payoff of pulling off a big event successfully. Happy faces, funds raised, getting to say those beautiful words: “it’s a wrap.” But what I will miss the most are the spontaneous moments of TBF life: running into friends at the Fest; the long staff text chains during events full of photos, jokes, and cheering on; the most epic (maybe only) wedding proposal ever made at a book event (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, google “Tom Hanks Texas Book Festival wedding proposal”); and the countless moments when an author-moderator conversation just gob-smacked me with its insight, humor, or sharp clarity about the human condition.

I could say I will miss all the excellent people involved in TBF. I’ve been lucky to work with the most generous-of-spirit-minded folks: board members, fellow staffers, donors, partners, and volunteers. But thankfully, I won’t need to miss everyone, I won’t need to miss YOU, because I am not leaving TBF, as I will continue to volunteer and donate to this wonderful organization.

I’m proud to announce I’ll be an inaugural member of the Foreword Society, a new TBF giving group whose members make a two-year pledge to support the work of the organization. The benefit I receive from being a Foreword Society member is the satisfaction in knowing that I’m helping sustain TBF and the magic it creates each year. Join me as a founding member of the Foreword Society, and I’ll see you November 11 – 12 at the 28th annual Texas Book Festival!

With love and gratitude,

Lois

 

 

El Paso Roundup

By Olivia Hesse on

We were thrilled to launch programs in El Paso for the first time this year! Bringing Texas Book Festival to El Paso is a goal that we’ve had since before the pandemic, and it was great to finally turn this dream into a reality. We are deeply grateful to Maria and Darren Woody, Jordan Foster Construction, and the El Paso Community Foundation for their support of these programs.

Like our annual Festival in Austin, our El Paso programs encompassed a range of events, from school programming to a free public program with journalist and author Maria Hinojosa to a free family program with children’s authors on Saturday morning.

It all started off with Reading Rock Stars at Aoy and Hart Elementary Schools: 

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

For those not familiar with the program, Reading Rock Stars is Texas Book Festival’s elementary-focused initiative that brings nationally recognized children’s authors to Title I elementary schools in regions across Texas. Authors inspire young readers by sharing engaging presentations and taking time to personally connect with students. TBF also donates a copy of a featured book, signed by the author, for each student to take home to start or add to their personal library. Texas Book Festival funds and coordinates these author visits and also donates copies of the books to each school’s library. 

These first-time RRS schools knocked it out of the park and kicked off a wonderful welcome for TBF and authors Rebecca Balcárcel, Zeke Peña, and Raúl the Third. Each author presented their book to different grade levels at each school and every student had a chance to meet one of the authors. There were lots of questions, lots of drawing demonstrations, and lots of smiles as the authors bounced from Aoy to Hart Elementary. Overall, almost 800 students were able to go home with their very own book, and we can’t wait to come back and work with these schools again next year. 

 

But our day didn’t stop there! After finishing up at the schools (and sampling a local restaurant for lunch), the Texas Book Festival headed to the Philanthropy Theatre to host Maria Hinojosa, trailblazing journalist as well as anchor and executive producer of Latino USA. Maria joined Robert Moore, founder and CEO of El Paso Matters on stage for this free program, open to the public and hosted in partnership with the El Paso Community Foundation. Attendees filled the theatre and experienced a wide-ranging conversation about journalism and the importance of reporting on some of the most difficult and critical issues of our time.

The El Paso Community Foundation hosted a reception later that evening to benefit Texas Book Festival and El Paso Matters, where ticket holders were able to dine and mingle with Maria Hinojosa and leave with a signed copy of her memoir, Once I Was You. We are incredibly grateful to our partners for working with us to host such a memorable evening and to our featured speakers for helping us launch programs in El Paso in a very big way. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 

We finished up our time in El Paso at the El Paso Museum of History, where author/illustrators and El Paso natives, Zeke Peña and Raúl the Third, engaged children and families in a fun and interactive family program. Zeke and Raúl talked about their work, their professional journeys, and their El Paso roots. They also guided attendees through live drawing activities that captured the attentions of kids and adults alike. TBF gave away almost 100 books to families that participated in the morning’s program, which the authors signed for their newest fans and longtime supporters. Many families joined us for this special program and were excited to meet the authors and go home with copies of My Papi Has a Motorcycle, ¡Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge, and Lowriders to the Rescue. This was a fun and heartwarming way to conclude our time in the region. 

Many El Pasoans thanked the authors and members of the TBF staff for bringing our program to their beautiful, dynamic city. TBF is working on building a foundation to sustain this vital new area of our outreach and cannot wait to go back to El Paso.

The Texas Book Festival El Paso were made possible due to the generous funding of the following donors: Maria and Darren Woody, Jordan Foster Construction, the El Paso Community Foundation, John Pesce and Trusted Capital Group,  Kevin and Tamis Bright, Angel and Rosalia Beltran, Holly and Greg Trubowitsch, Adair and Dee Margo, Georgian Whitenight, Rosana and William Kell, John and Shelly Martin, Lone Star Title Company, Holly and Reverend Bill Cobb, Sylvia Verghese, and Isha Rogers Santamaria.

Festival Weekend: Intern Edition

By Ke'ara Hunt on

This past Festival Weekend was a jam-packed and exciting return to TBF’s annual event, and we hope all of you had as much fun as we did! If you’re curious about what it looked (and felt) like to be an intern during the Texas Book Festival, see below for the inside scoop shared by some of our outstanding interns.


From left to right: Amelia McConnico, Noor Iqbal, Emily Hirsh, Yuliana Mireles-Marin, Valeria Guerrero, and Alex Steele

NOOR IQBAL, Literary Intern

1) While helping author Janet Evanovich and her publicist at her book signing table, I was able to hear all the attendees speak to Evanovich and tell her how much her books meant to them. For example, there were many people who came as a family, stating that reading Evanovich’s books together helped them bond through reading. It reminded me of how powerful reading can be on a large scale.

2) Attending Rabia Chaudry and Madhushree Ghosh’s panel about food, family, and immigration with my Pakistani family was such a heartfelt moment. My family could see what my internship was all about and everyone left feeling excited to read their books because they could relate to their stories.

3) Finally, I attended a few “Read Me A Story” readings and “Next Chapter” panels, and hearing all of the kids’ questions for the authors was so sweet. It was great to see them excited about reading, especially for books that related to their identity.

AMELIA MCCONNICO, Development Intern

My highlights from the Festival include seeing all the kids listening to a book being read out loud by an author at the “Read Me a Story” tent, helping patrons get their Festival Friends passes, and listening to Jacques Pépin talk about his incredible life story. That was my favorite highlight because he is so sweet and genuine,  and I felt very special when he said hello to me!

EMILY HIRSH, Marketing & Communications Intern

1) One of the best moments from my Festival experience was attending Juli Berwald and David George Haskell’s panel: “Climate and the Natural World: Wonders Of, Dangers To.” Berwald’s explanation of how she wound her daughter’s mental health struggles with the crippling issue of mass coral loss was as unique as it was important. It was also held in the basement of the Capitol building, which I had never set foot in before. Once I cleared the metal detector, the ceiling literally took my breath away.

2) Another experience that stands out to me took place during a quick lunch break in between events. Standing on the 15th floor of TBF’s home base while I inhaled a sandwich, I was able to see Congress Avenue packed with people, small as ants from my viewpoint, milling from tent to tent with the Capitol stretching in the horizon. I guess that moment made me realize how many people were there and how much putting on an event like this can bring a community together. 

 

Full YA Lineup at TBF

By Dalia Azim on

The YA and teen programming that you loved at the Texas Teen Book Festival will be featured at the Texas Book Festival Weekend on November 5-6 in downtown Austin, in and around the State Capitol. Check out the full 2022 Author Lineup. All YA programming is free and open to the public.

On Saturday, November 5 you can see . . .

Anna Gracia, Crystal Maldonado, and Natalie Sylvester on the panel “Writing Our Own Stories”

Lyla Lee, Katharine McGee, Kellis Rowe, and Steven Salvatore on “Modern Romance”Omar Epps in conversation about Nubia: The AwakeningLamar Giles and Andy Mientus on “Ancient Evils, Mysterious Boarding Schools, and Doomsday Resorts”Brigid Kemmer and J.Elle on their new fantasy booksAnd on Sunday, November 6 you can see . . .

Laekan Zea Kemp and Ashley Shumacher on “The Power of Music”Joan He, Judy I. Lin, Anne-Marie McLemore, Goldy Moldavsky, and Aiden Thomas on their “YA Buzz Books”Samira Ahmed, Francesca Padilla, and Marit Weisenberg on “Discovering Truths, Finding Justice”Ayana Gray, Varian Johnson, and Aiden Thomas on their “High Stakes” storiesMaggie Stiefvater on The Dreamer TrilogyGuadalupe García McCall and R.M. Romero on “Ghosts, Premonitions, and Transcending Time”And don’t miss the Library Foundation’s conversation with the Austin Youth Poet Laureate!

Festival books will be for sale from local indie bookstore BookPeople, and author signings will be happening all weekend.

The YA HQ Tent will be on 11th Street in front of the Capitol from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday and from 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday. Check the entire schedule for exciting authors, illustrators, chefs, poets, and storytellers.

Follow TBF on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @texasbookfest #texasbookfest.

Dalia Azim

By Ke'ara Hunt on

Dalia serves as the Texas Book Festival’s Chief Operations Officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University and published her first book, Country of Origin, in 2022. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Texas Highways, American Short Fiction, Aperture, Glimmer Train, and Other Voices, among other places. Before joining TBF, she was the manager of executive initiatives and chief diversity and inclusion officer at the Blanton Museum of Art, where she helped oversee the realization of Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin, the Blanton’s new grounds initiative, and the museum’s DEAI priorities. She was an Op-Ed Public Voices Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and has received the First Star honor from American Short Fiction, the Discovery Award from the Writers’ League of Texas, the Staff Excellence Award from the Blanton Museum of Art, and the Lee Tenenbaum Award for exceptional curatorial work at MoMA. She is a member of the Austin Bat Cave Board of Directors.

Fantastic Fall Reads from Our Friends at Random House Children’s Books

By Susannah Auby on

Random House Children’s Books has something for everyone this fall! 4-8 years olds will love the charming All Are Neighbors  by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman and the ridiculous Blue Bison Needs a Haircut. Middle grade readers are bound to enjoy of one these new titles: graphic novel Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends, adventure story Futureland: Battle for the Park by H.D. Hunter, and The Lion of Mars by Newbery Honor award winner Jennifer L. Holm.