If there’s one factor that may really put a cherry on prime of this finally-fall climate in San Antonio, it is bringing tons of books out to expertise it, too. The annual Texas E-book Pageant will happen outdoors the Texas Capitol in Austin on November 8 and 9 — and it is price braving I-35 to take residence a tote stuffed with fall reads.
Now in its thirtieth yr, this beloved downtown takeover brings collectively a whole lot of authors, cooks, poets, and curious readers for 2 full of life days of panels, cooking demos, ebook signings, and spontaneous Capitol-lawn conversations that by some means really feel each literary and laid-back. Most of them are free to attend.
From star-studded, ticketed talks with names like Chelsea Handler and Matthew McConaughey to hidden-gem bilingual periods and the ever-raucous Lit Crawl, right here’s your information to the can’t-miss moments at this yr’s competition.
Texas Bluebonnet Award AnnouncementNovember 8, 10 amKicking off the competition are some essential bulletins. These aren’t your boring center faculty intercom form of bulletins; these are concerning the 2026-2027 Texas Bluebonnet Award recipients. The Texas Bluebonnet winners are an enormous deal as a result of they’re chosen by greater than 75,000 third by means of sixth graders throughout the state annually. This would be the first huge official announcement this yr, happening on the Subsequent Chapter Tent.
R.L. Stine in Dialog about The Final SleepoverNovember 8, 10:45-11:30 amIn a departure from his regular spooky nighttime setting, legendary YA horror author R.L. Stine will probably be beginning issues out vibrant and early Saturday morning at First Baptist Church. For millennials who grew up with Goosebumps and youngsters who love his newer work, it is a cannot miss second. Stine will probably be discussing the newest ebook in his Home of Shivers collection, The Final Sleepover, and can converse extra typically about telling scary tales, crafting suspense, and all issues scary in writing.
Make It Plant-Based mostly!: Cooking Demo with Mehreen KarimNovember 8, 3:30-4:15pmCooking demos have change into virtually as a lot of part of the Texas E-book Pageant as they’re part of the Austin Meals and Wine Pageant, occurring the identical weekend down the highway at Auditorium Shores. This explicit cooking demo, on the Central Market Cooking Tent, appears enjoyable as a result of chef and creator Mehreen Karim provides a plant-based method to Southern favorites like biscuits, casseroles, soups, stews, and different hearty fall meals. A ebook signing will observe on the Important E-book Signing Tent at 4:30 pm.
Chelsea Handler, I’ll Have What She’s Having (Ticketed Session)November 8, 1pmNearly every little thing on the Texas E-book Pageant is free, however prior to now few years the competition has added “ticketed periods,” which grant of us entry to extra well-known authors’ periods, plus a signed copy of their newest ebook. One of many many periods this yr is with none aside from comic Chelsea Handler, who’s selling her new ebook, I will Have What She’s Having. The entire ticketed periods ought to provide one thing fascinating, however Handler is an entertainer by means of and thru. This session at First Baptist Church is sure to be hilarious and trustworthy, and it’ll in all probability promote out. Attendees hoping to buy tickets ought to accomplish that quickly. ($44)
2025 Lit Crawl AustinNovember 8, 7-10:30 pmThe Lit Crawl is an annual custom on the E-book Pageant the place the ebook nerds take over downtown at night time. It is a enjoyable approach to expertise the fest after hours at bars like Speakeasy and Cheer up Charlies. There will probably be stay readings, video games, trivia, storytelling, and extra occasions embracing the literary-meets-nightlife power. The Lit Crawl schedule will be discovered right here.
Spanish and Bilingual Occasions All through the weekendAt the Leamos Tent, competition goers can expertise all kinds of Spanish and bilingual occasions, from kids’s ebook story instances to discussions about Chicana identification and tradition in Texas. These occasions are scattered all through the weekend, so examine the 2025 Spanish and Bilingual Program for a full schedule, or simply swing by the Leamos Tent anytime throughout the competition.
Salsa Daddy: Cooking Demo with Rick MartínezNovember 9, 11:30 am to12:15 pmFestival-goers are invited to affix James Beard Award winner and New York Instances bestselling creator Rick Martínez for a cooking demo and dialogue within the Central Market Cooking Tent. The dialogue will concentrate on his new ebook, Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Method into Mexican Cooking, that includes greater than 70 distinctive salsa recipes. It can in all probability shortly veer into silliness and tales, as this native Austinite has an enormous persona.
Revenue vs. Planet: Billionaires, Business, and the Future We InheritNovember 9, 1:15-2 pmAttendees can swing by the CSPAN-2 Tent for an interesting dialogue on how company energy is reshaping our world — together with issues like contaminating consuming water and claiming land on the moon — that includes veteran journalists Christian Davenport and Mariah Blake. An occasion description from the competition web site says, “With knowledgeable reporting and vivid storytelling, Davenport and Blake study the excessive stakes of unchecked trade and problem us to ask who advantages and who pays. Can we reclaim the longer term earlier than it is too late?”
Ibram X. Kendi, Malcom Lives (Free with RSVP)November 9, 2 pmParticipants can be a part of creator, educator, and winner of the Nationwide E-book Award, Ibram X. Kendi, for a dialogue on his new ebook, Malcom Lives! This distinctive ebook is an official biography of Malcom X for younger readers. This occasion on the Paramount’s State Theater is free with RSVP, and spots are restricted.
Matthew McConaughey, Poems and Prayers (Ticketed Session)November 9, 4:15 pmIt would not actually be an Texas occasion with out the Minister of Tradition making an look, would it not? McConaughey was final on the ebook competition in 2022, selling his ebook Inexperienced Lights. Now this apparently prolific author will probably be discussing his newest ebook, Poems and Prayers, on Sunday at First Baptist Church. This occasion was marked “bought out,” however new tickets look like accessible on Eventbrite. If these run out, there’s nonetheless hope to see McConaughey focus on the brand new ebook: he is additionally set to look on the College of Texas’ Bass Live performance Corridor in September.
Since there are a whole lot of issues to select from at this competition, and we won’t even start to record out all of our favorites intimately (ahem, YA Royalty: A Celebration of Beloved Younger Grownup Fantasy Novels), listed here are just a few extra highlights that Texas E-book Pageant organizers put collectively in an earlier press launch:
Peter Brown, The Wild Robotic on the IslandKatherine Middle, The Love HatersAli Hazelwood, MateSkip Hollandsworth, She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Financial institution Robber, and Different True Crime TalesStephen Graham Jones, The Buffalo Hunter HunterStephen Harrigan, An Anchor within the Sea of Time: Essays; Sorrowful Mysteries: The Shepherd Kids of Fatima and the Destiny of the Twentieth CenturyKiese Laymon, Metropolis Summer time, Nation SummerAda Limón, Startlement: New and Chosen PoemsRick Martínez, Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Method into Mexican CookingMeg Medina, Graciela within the AbyssNnedi Okorafor, Demise of the AuthorImani Perry, Black in BluesJason Reynolds, CoachMaggie Stiefvater, The Listeners; The Raven Boys: The Graphic NovelR.L. Stine, The Final SleepoverAngie Thomas, Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The E-book of AnansiMartha Wells, Queen Demon
