Off the Page
Storybook Old West Austin estate sets scene for Texas Book Festival launch party
What: Texas Book Festival Author Lineup Reveal Party
Where: Home of John Little and Heather Stallings
The lowdown: On August 27, Austin's literati gathered at the palatial Pemberton Heights estate of John Little and Heather Stallings to celebrate the upcoming Texas Book Festival, which returns to Austin this fall.
To reveal the 2019 festival author lineup, the splendid home was transformed into a makeshift bookshop, with each room (as well as the property's belvedere overlooking a koi pond) highlighting a separate category — fiction, kids' books, nonfiction, etc. The bibliophiles and writers, festival organizers, and philanthropists in attendance were given a map detailing each room's location. Inside each room, they found copies of books and learned more about this year's authors.
Maps in hand, partygoers embarked on a miniature treasure hunt across the grounds, passing live peacocks on rolling hills, a greenhouse, and other picturesque scenes. Each room was covered with books and featured a stocked bar of sparkling rose, wine, and Independence Brewing ales, a dream come true for many attendees — including this writer.
The Texas Book Festival returns to downtown Austin October 26-27 with hundreds of writers, comedians, chefs, and storytellers joining in the literary fun. Attendees to the free event can take part in Q&As, listen to panel discussions, enjoy special activities such as LitCrawl, and more. For more information and to peruse the full author list, visit the Texas Book Festival website.
Who: Lois Kim,Julie Wernersbach,Sofia Sokolove, Callie Collins,Kristen Roupenian, Kathy Blackwell,Stephanie Kaynes, Don Tate, Dana Kunik, Jennalie Lyons, Maya Perez, Maya Smart, Darryl Tocker, DJ Stout, Terry Tocker, Jill Meyers, Natalia Sylvester, Lauren Earthman, David Honeycutt, Gerry Tucker, Karen Brimble, Ray Brimble, Liliana Valenzuela, Elizabeth Davis, TC Waugh,and Laura Donnelly.