Turning the Page
Literature stars and famous Texans top San Antonio Book Festival 2019 lineup
For lit lovers, it's the most wonderful time of the year. The San Antonio Book Festival returns on April 6 with literary stars, panel discussions, special events, book signings, and more family-friendly fun.
This year, the day-long fest takes over the Central Library and Southwest School of Art, and is bringing with it famed writers including Tayari Jones — author of the buzzy An American Marriage — and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rick Bragg. Also appearing is Jose Antonio Varga, Beth Macy, Andre Dubus III, Ron Chernow, and Susan Page.
As a genre, young adult lit has never been bigger, and the YA authors slated to appear this year include Meg Medina, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Yuyi Morales.
And it wouldn't be the San Antonio Book Festival without a bevy of Texan writers, right? Ben Fountain, Lawrence Wright, Monica Muñoz Martinez, Douglas Brinkley, Bexar County Judge Nelson W. Wolff, and Lila Banks Cockrell are all scheduled to appear.
Also in attendance will be the San Antonio-born Henry Thomas, who rose to fame as the star of E.T. Henry who will debut his first novel.
“Our seven-year old event has grown tremendously but everything that longtime fans of the festival love remains,” said Lilly Gonzalez, SABF executive director, in a February 7 release. “We still have a stellar lineup filled with literary talent, some of the most compelling discussions in our communities right now, both nationally and locally, and family-friendly activities to get all ages excited about books and reading."
Indeed, more than 20,000 book lovers attend the SABF every year thanks to the diversity in programming and talent. Since the event is open to all, there is no reason to RSVP. Instead, says Gonzalez, "just come down to the Central Library and Southwest School of Art on April 6 and walk into a session. You’re bound to find a conversation that you’ll be thinking about for a while.”
Though most programming — including author readings and panel discussions — are free, the book festival also hosts special ticketed events including renowned storytelling show The Moth, which performs at the Majestic Theatre on April 5; Book Appétit Literary Feast at the Witte Museum’s Mays Family Center, also on April 5; and GET LIT with Susan Page on April 7 on the Trinity University campus.
Programming for the fest officially runs from 9 am to 5 pm on April 5. The full schedule for the 7th annual SABF will be released in March and available here.
