By Mindy Reed
While the Texas Book Festival brings in authors from around the country and around the world, The Austin Public Library’s (APL) Greater Austin Book Festival aka GAB Fest featured 80 authors from the greater Austin area. I contend that authors are celebrities to readers, and GAB Fest proved that to be the case on May 11, 2024. Attendees had the opportunity to meet favorite authors, meet new authors, and have their books signed. APL offered a full schedule of events, including author panels on graphic novels, historical fiction and nonfiction, horror, speculative fiction, and poetry. Aspiring authors got advice from panels on the creative process and paths to publishing.
APL staff appeared on the May 1, 2024 broadcast of KOOP’s Writing on the Air and the event was as promised.
GAB Fest was for readers of all ages, from picture books to YA, including story time readings for youngsters and Meet the Young Authors for YA fans. Book collectors could register for Bookbinding Workshops with the Austin Books Arts Center.
The Central Library and the branch libraries of APL offer events to the public all year round. Information can be found at https://library.austintexas.gov/events