Weekend of Reading
Texas Book Festival 2013 lineup includes controversial Jesus author
More than 225 authors will read, chat, cook and even sing for an expected crowd of 40,000 adults and kids at the 18th annual Texas Book Festival, held October 26 and 27 at the State Capitol in Austin. This year, festival headliners include the following recognizable names:
- Reza Aslan (Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)
- Mark Leibovich (This Town)
- R.L Stine (Goosebumps)
- Lawrence Wright (Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief)
- Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
- Jonathan Lethem (Dissident Gardens)
- Kami Garcia (Unbreakable)
- Meg Wolitzer (The Interestings)
- A.M. Homes (May We Be Forgiven)
As in years past, the weekend will be full of events outside of the typical reading-and-panel format, including rousing spirituals performed in the music tent by author James McBride (The Good Lord Bird); a kayak outing with Kevin Fedarko (The Emerald Mile); and authors toasting, hanging and reading at various East Sixth Street venues as part of the third annual LitCrawl on October 26.
The Texas Book Festival, founded in 1995 by former U.S. and Texas First Lady Laura Bush and a group of volunteers, is free and open to the public. Taking over the grounds of the State Capitol each year, 1,000 plus volunteers work to give Texans and visitors from around the country a chance to indulge in a weekend of reading, listening and lounging. The event celebrates and promotes authors and their contributions to a culture of literacy, ideas and imagination.
The full lineup of authors, as well as information about volunteering, are available on the Texas Book Festival website.