Big authors coming to the San Antonio Book Festival this year
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Hanif Abdurraqib is coming to the San Antonio Book Festival. Photo: Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Politicon
Some big names in literature are heading to the San Antonio Book Festival this spring.
The big picture: Nearly 100 authors will gather at the Central Library and UTSA's Southwest Campus for the free festival on April 13.
Zoom in: The full lineup, announced Wednesday, includes:
- Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times-bestselling author known for "The Daughter of Doctor Moreau" and "Mexican Gothic." Her latest book, "Silver Nitrate," is a thriller about a curse that haunts a legendary lost film.
- Hanif Abdurraqib, a poet, essayist and culture critic whose latest book, "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension," is forthcoming this month.
- Steve Inskeep, the longtime host of NPR's "Morning Edition." His nonfiction book "Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America" published last year.
- Becky Albertalli, known for her book "Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda" and its film adaptation "Love, Simon." Her newest novel "Imogen, Obviously" is a love story with a focus on personal identity.
- Tim O'Brien, whose first novel in decades, "America Fantastica," is a satire that follows a disgraced journalist on a criminal road trip.
- Lawrence Wright, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for the New Yorker who has written for Texas Monthly. His book "Mr. Texas" is focused on the state's politics.
- Lauren Groff, a New York Times-bestselling author who wrote "The Vaster Wilds," an adventure about a servant girl who escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness.
Bring the kids to hear from some family-friendly authors:
- Children's author Chris Barton will promote his book "Glitter Everywhere! Where It Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going."
- Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia will read from "Remembering," a children's book in which a family remembers a beloved pet dog through Dia de los Muertos.
- There will also be a free performance from Magik Theatre and interactive activities for kids from The DoSeum and others.
By the numbers: The festival typically draws anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 attendees, organizers say.
What they're saying: "In a city with many festivals, this one is different — a free, family-friendly event designed to motivate all ages to get excited about books and reading," executive director Lilly Gonzalez said in a statement.
If you go: The festival runs from 9am-5pm on April 13. A more detailed schedule will be released in late March.
- There will be food trucks on-site.