Texas Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup for 2026 in Austin

The annual Texas Book Festival, a major celebration of literature in Austin, has announced its complete list of authors slated to appear in 2026. The festival is set to take place at multiple venues downtown on November 14 and 15. The lineup includes over 280 writers, showcasing Pulitzer Prize winners Hernan Diaz, Andrew Sean Greer, Daniel Kraus, and Colson Whitehead, as well as National Book Award winners Elizabeth Acevedo and Patricia Smith, noted in a press release. The festival also highlights internet personalities Mychal Threets and John Kanell.

Attendees of the festival’s announcements were already familiar with some authors from a July preview, which revealed less than seven percent of the total participants.

All featured books and authors share connections to Texas, with several having specific ties to Austin. Notable new additions include former mayor Steve Adler, music chronicler Mitch Baranowski, former Texas lieutenant governor Ben Barnes, Texas Monthly senior writer and food critic Paula Forbes, pitmaster Evan LeRoy, Nixta Taqueria owners Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico, Austin poet laureate Zell Miller III, chef-owner Fermin Núñez of Suerte and Este, and Veracruz All Natural owners Reyna and Maritza Vazquez.

Books addressing Texas themes include ‘Wild Women for Good: Stories of Conservation in Texas’ by Jennifer L. Bristol; ‘My Big Book of Texas: All That’s Great About the Lone Star State!’ by C.S. Jennings; ‘One State Under God: A History of Religion in Texas’ by Joseph L. Locke; ‘The Best Stories from Texas: Some of Them Are True!’ by W. F. Strong; and ‘The Selena Reader: Remembering the Queen of Tejano’ by Yndalecio Isaac Hinojosa.

Most events at the Texas Book Festival are free and open to the public, with the exception of two ticketed events featuring Colson Whitehead and Patrick Radden Keefe. The festival operates similarly to a book fair, with numerous books displayed outdoors near the Capitol and authors available for questions and signings. Additional events will include cooking demonstrations and a ‘Lit Crawl.’ The full schedule will be accessible on the festival’s website in October.

The Texas Book Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting literacy, creativity, and imagination, in addition to funding reading programs in schools, public libraries across Texas, and various events throughout the year.