Saturday April eleventh 2026 sees the return of the San Antonio E book Competition! Free to attend, this yr’s competition takes place between the Central Library and the UTSA Southwest Campus downtown, and welcomes readers of all ages.
Now in its 14th yr, this annual guide competition contains greater than 110 native, nationwide, and worldwide authors. Among the many featured authors for 2026 are famend novelist and poet Julia Alvarez, together with her newest assortment of poetry known as Visitations; and San Antonio native Jeff Hiller, an actor finest identified for his look within the HBO collection Someone Someplace. You’ll find the complete line up for 2026 right here. No matter you might be into, there may be heaps to discover: creator displays, panel discussions, and meals vehicles; in addition to guide gross sales and signings on the Nowhere Bookshop tent.
“There actually is one thing for everybody from inventive memoirs to critical historical past, from poetry to cooking. On the fiction facet there may be each style, together with horror, thriller and thriller, romance and romantasy, and so many extra,” says Lisa Ayres, government director of the San Antonio E book Competition.
When you’ve been to the guide competition earlier than, there may be nonetheless lots that’s new to get pleasure from this yr. For the primary time, the 2026 SABF will kick-off with a ticketed night occasion on Thursday April ninth. Positioned at Central Christian Church, Jenna Bush Hagar and creator Juliet Faithfull shall be in dialog about Faithfull’s debut novel, Liar’s Cube, which was printed by Hagar’s media firm Thousand Voices in partnership with Random Home. Tickets to the occasion will embody a signed copy of the guide. Additionally new this yr, cookbook authors can showcase their literary skills for the primary time. Amongst them are San Antonio’s personal Curry Boys (Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen) and tex-mex BBQ grasp ArnieTex, each of whom have new books bursting with native taste.
The competition additionally contains prolonged programming for kids and youths, together with guide signings, displays, and actions. This yr’s schedule options an look by Tiffany Hammond, creator of the No.1 New York Occasions bestselling image guide, A Day With No Phrases. Budding illustrators shouldn’t miss cartoonist and illustrator Zeke Peña’s session on his Caldecott-honored Texas-set Sundust. An enormous collection of image books, middle-grade favorites, graphic novels and younger grownup titles shall be accessible, in addition to character appearances within the devoted kids’s space. H-E-B may also be offering complimentary snacks, and there shall be a free efficiency from ACM favourite, the Magik Theatre.
The goal of the SABF is to unite readers and writers collectively in celebration of the concepts, libraries, and literary tradition within the Alamo Metropolis. To that finish, Anna Dobben, the competition’s literary director, stated in a Press Launch: “We work exhausting to construct an creator lineup that displays San Antonio tradition, and there shall be discussions associated to each native and nationwide conversations.” Of the 110 authors attending the competition, 28 are from San Antonio, and 39 from Texas — an unimaginable displaying of native expertise.
The competition is totally free to attend, and runs from 9:00 a.m. to five:00 p.m. on Saturday eleventh April. Please notice that it’s going to price $5 to park contained in the Central Library storage, with no time restrict for festival-goers, on the day of the SABF. Fee is due upon entry, solely playing cards shall be accepted (no money), and locations replenish quick — so arrive early. There are additionally free parking locations close by due to Baptist Well being System. The free heaps are:
Lot 3 – 316 E. Quincy
Lot 7 – 509 Baltimore
Lot 9 – 503 Camden
If the library storage and free heaps replenish, there are many paid parking choices. For a full listing of parking spots, click on right here.
No matter sort of guide you get pleasure from getting misplaced in, I hope you and your loved ones benefit from the ambiance of the San Antonio E book Competition! It’s an incredible alternative to search out your subsequent favourite title or collection, and instil a life-long love of studying among the many subsequent technology of readers.
