Bound for D.C.

San Antonio Book Festival’s literary director leaves to write new chapter in his career

Clay Smith is closing the book on San Antonio for a move to the Library of Congress.

The literary director of the San Antonio Book Festival is closing one chapter and opening a new one.

The festival announced October 6 that Clay Smith, who’s been the organization’s literary director since its inception in 2012, is leaving effective October 8 to take on a new role. Smith has been named chief of literary initiatives at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. — arguably the country’s most prominent library.

During his tenure with the festival, Smith boosted the number of participating writers from 40 to more than 200. High-profile writers he recruited include Ann Patchett, Sonia Manzano, Lawrence Wright, Luis Alberto Urrea, Jason Reynolds, Jorge Ramos, and Tayari Jones. Smith also introduced new cultural programs to San Antonio, such as Literary Death Match and The Moth Mainstage.

“Clay has left an indelible imprint on our book festival over the last 10 years,” Lilly Gonzalez, the festival’s executive director, says in a news release. “His gift in selecting books and writers that captivate San Antonio audiences got us to our 10th anniversary. We are both undeniably sad to lose him and eternally grateful that he lent us his talents for as long as he did.”

The 10th annual San Antonio Book Festival is set for May 21, 2022.

Before joining the festival full time, Smith worked with the festival on a part-time basis while serving as the editor-in-chief of Kirkus Reviews, one of the country’s top book review publications. Before that, he was the book editor at the Austin Chronicle and literary director of the Austin-based Texas Book Festival.

At the Library of Congress, Smith will guide the yearly National Book Festival and will oversee literary activities such as the U.S. poet laureate program. The chief of literary initiatives also serves as the library’s literary expert.

“It’s a bittersweet moment leaving the San Antonio Book Festival,” Smith says. “I take a lot of pride in helping to found the festival, and I leave some of my heart here in San Antonio with the staff, volunteers, and audience that make this festival unique and really quite special among America’s book festivals. The opportunity to program events for the Library of Congress was a strong motivation for me.”

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BOUND TO HAPPEN

San Antonio poet books prestigious Texas literary award

Photo courtesy of Texas Book Festival.

Naomi Shihab Nye is this year's recipient of the Texas Writers Award.

Naomi Shihab Nye has built an enviable curriculum vitae throughout her literary career. She served as the Young People’s Poet Laureate for the U.S. Poetry Foundation and the poetry editor for The New York Times Magazine and the Texas Observer, before inspiring a new generation of voices as a writer-in-residence at Texas State University. Her work garnered lifetime achievement awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Arab American Museum, and the National Book Critics Circle.

The Palestinian-American poet and educator can now add another honor to the list. On October 1, the Texas Book Festival (TBF) named her the 2024 Texas Writer Award recipient. The prize, formerly the Bookend Award, recognizes writers who have profoundly impacted Texas literature.

“Naomi Shihab Nye is not only a profoundly gifted and accomplished writer, but also a dedicated educator and cherished figure in the Texas literary community,” said TBF Literary Director Hannah Gabel via a release. “We’re thrilled to celebrate her remarkable body of work.”

Nye, a resident of San Antonio, is known for a genre-hopping bibliography that includes poetry, fiction, and children’s literature. Her best-known works include Everything Comes Next, The Tiny Journalist, Voices in the Air, Sitti’s Secrets, and Habibi. A native of Jerusalem who moved to Texas in 1967, Nye has frequently returned to her identity in her work.

As part of the Texas Writer Award, TBF will bestow Nye with an aptly Texas gift: a pair of custom handmade boots from El Paso’s Rocketbuster. Attendees will also get a chance to congratulate her first-hand during festival sessions for her two 2024 releases: an editorial work, I Know About a Thousand Things: The Writings of Ann Alejandro of Uvalde, Texas, and poetry collection Grace Notes.

This year’s festival takes place November 16-17, with signings, readings, and panels in and around the State Capitol. Admission is free, save for two ticketed appearances from headliners Matthew McConaughey and Malcolm Gladwell.

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