The San Antonio Book Festival's 2026 lineup is here
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The book festival as seen in 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the San Antonio Book Festival
Celebrated writers Julia Alvarez and George Saunders are among the more than 110 authors coming to this year's San Antonio Book Festival.
The big picture: The free, one-day festival returns to the Central Library and UT San Antonio Southwest Campus on April 11, 9am-5pm.
- It typically draws more than 20,000 visitors and also features food trucks and kids activities.
What they're saying: "We hear so much in the news about the decline in reading for pleasure," Lisa Ayres, book festival executive director, said in a statement. "We want to welcome both avid readers and those who hope to become avid readers to the festival."
The latest: This year the festival will kick off with a ticketed event on April 9 featuring Jenna Bush Hager and her new publishing imprint, Thousand Voices.
- Tickets ($43) include a signed copy of "Liar's Dice" by Juliet Faithfull, the imprint's latest book.
The vibe: The lineup includes a mix of local, regional and national authors.
- "We work hard to build an author lineup that reflects San Antonio culture, and there will be discussions related to both local and national conversations," literary director Anna Dobben said in a statement.
Zoom in: Saunders will speak on his new novel, "Vigil," and Alvarez will speak on her forthcoming poetry book, "Visitations."
- San Antonio-born actor Jeff Hiller will discuss "Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success."
- YouTube sensation Arnie Segovia will talk about his new cookbook, "ArnieTex: Over 100 Recipes for Mexican-American Cooking and Texas-Style BBQ."
- The James-Beard nominated chefs behind San Antonio's popular Curry Boys will discuss their new cookbook, "Asian Smoke: Thai and Southeast Asian Barbecue From the Curry Boys."
What's next: A more detailed schedule with panel times will be released in mid-March.