Texas Book Festival reveals the first 12 authors for 2017 festival weekend

Festival to showcase acclaimed authors Claire Messud, Mark Bittman, and Angie Thomas

AUSTIN — The Texas Book Festival announced the first twelve authors in the lineup for the 2017 Texas Book Festival Weekend, Fri¬–Sat., Nov. 4–5, including artist, illustrator, and Caldecott Medal honoree Javaka Steptoe, bestselling young adult novelist Angie Thomas, and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons.

“Each year, we try to surpass what we’ve done before to engage and delight book lovers from all corners of the state who come to the annual Texas Book Festival to see their favorite authors and to discover new ones,” says Lois Kim, Festival executive director.

Following the success of the record-breaking Festival last year, the first round of 2017 Festival authors includes acclaimed young adult novelists, food and cookbook writers, illustrators, and bestselling authors. The roster includes the following:

Claire Messud will present her latest novel, The Burning Girl, which is already one of the most anticipated books of 2017. A bracing, hypnotic coming-of-age story about the bond of best friends, The Burning Girl is sure to follow the success of The Emperor’s Children and The Woman Upstairs.

Angie Thomas will present her debut novel, The Hate U Give, which launched at the top of the New York Times Young Adult bestseller list. The searing novel has received starred reviews from eight literary journals — one of the highest amounts ever garnered by a young adult novel — and is about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances who addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty.

Margarita Engle, the national 2017–19 Young People’s Poet Laureate, Newbery Honor winner, and PEN USA Award winner, will present two new books at the Festival: Forest World and All the Way to Havana. Forest World is a lively middle grade novel in verse, and All the Way to Havana offers “a child's view of Cuba that is extremely accessible and as striking as it is unforgettable. A vibrant snapshot of modern Cuba, full of rich, sensory detail” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Lisa Ko will present her highly acclaimed novel The Leavers, a vivid and moving examination of borders and belonging, which won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction.

Mark Bittman, the celebrated author of twenty acclaimed and bestselling cookbooks and former New York Times food-focused op-ed columnist, will discuss the forthcoming tenth anniversary edition of his bestselling cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Top Chef judge and beloved figure in the food world Gail Simmons will present her new cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, in which she shares her best recipes and food experiences.

Young readers will be able to meet Javaka Steptoe, a Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Illustrator award-winning artist, designer, and illustrator, present his stunning new picture book which won the 2017 Caldecott Medal, Radiant Child.

The sneak peek of twelve authors along with the works they will be presenting at the TBF includes:

●     Jami Attenberg, All Grown Up

●     Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

●     Matthew Dowd, A New Way

●      Margarita Engle, All the Way to Havana and Forest World

●     Roger D. Hodge, Texas Blood

●     Lisa Ko, The Leavers

●      Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid

●      Claire Messud, The Burning Girl

●     Tomás Q. Morín, Patient Zero

●      Gail Simmons, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating

●      Javaka Steptoe, Radiant Child

●      Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

In addition to the above authors, the 2017 TBF lineup will feature 250 celebrated and emerging writers, including journalists, artists, scientists, and more.

The 2017 Texas Book Festival poster was created by artist Joel Salcido, an Austin-based photographer and author of the new book The Spirit of Tequila. His stunning image of a pitayo cactus at sunset evokes the sense of possibility and awe that draws us west and south to the limitless vistas of Texas and beyond. The Spirit of Tequila includes nearly ninety photographs that reveal not only the tequila-making process but also the culture and traditions of the region where it’s made.

The Festival Weekend includes acclaimed authors at readings, panel discussions, and signings; exhibitor booths and food vendors; tents and venues, including cooking, C-SPAN, children’s entertainment, and live music performances.

For more information on the Texas Book Festival, visit www.texasbookfestival.org and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @texasbookfest.

Compiled from organization’s press release