If music festivals such as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits festival are testament to the city’s reputation as the Live Music Capitol of the World, the Texas Book Festival is proof positive that Austin is a hotbed of creativity in the literary world as well. Founded by Laura Bush in 1995, it has grown to become a nationally important event, featuring over two thousand authors, local, national and international, in twelve years of existence. Exciting, fun, musical and educational, this all-ages event is considered to be one of the premiere literary events in the country.

Located primarily in the State Capitol, the festival takes place every fall, drawing upwards of 40,000 spectators to delight in panels, concerts, demonstrations, and other activities in the House and Senate Chambers, as well as tents and stages erected on the sprawling green lawn of the Capitol grounds. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and other high-profile politicos have given keynote addresses, and the late Governor Ann Richards was a regular as well. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Jim Lehrer, and Roy Blount Jr., and other such notables have made appearances as well.

A variety of themes are represented at the festival, with panels dedicated to mysteries, biographies, photography, retrospectives, periodicals, journalism, and many other topics. A “Lifestyle” tent hosts discussions and activities including parenting, wineries, birding, and yard art.

In keeping with the interests and expectations of Austinites, the festival emphasizes a high level of entertainment and music, dedicating one tent to musical performances throughout the festival, and hosting events at satellite locations including the legendary Continental Club. A concert featuring Austin’s finest musicians is held on the Capitol steps. Musician authors such as Joe Ely read from their works, as do those who write books about musicians, including Kathleen Hudson and Joe Nick Patoski.

Other aspects of the entertainment world are well-represented also. Actors including Eli Wallach and Marlee Matlin have appeared there, and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi offered live cooking demos for exotic recipes. Food and cooking are also highlighted, with an entire tent equipped with cooking supplies and dedicated to cookbooks and examinations of food culture.

The Texas Book Festival has raised over two million dollars for Texas Public Libraries, and their commitment to children is clear. With one tent dedicated to children’s authors, one to children’s entertainment, and one to activities for the little ones, this festival is a perfect way to combine books and literacy with a fun and exciting event. Storytimes abound throughout the festival, and activities can include hula dance, puppet shows, drawing, and sing-alongs. When children’s authors are in town for the festival, they often take part in “Reading Rock Stars,” an affiliated program that brings them to public schools to read their works.

A truly Austin event in spirit, the Texas Book Festival is a lively, creative and exciting way to explore the literary world both on a local and national level.

Ki is a realtor and a blogger in Austin Texas. He runs his Austin real estate blog writing about market trends in Austin. His site features information about mortgage interest rates and general information about Austin real estate.

Since 1970, BookPeople has been offering a wide variety of literary works to magazine browsers and rare book collectors and all those in between. With a built-in coffee shop, and lots of comfortable seating nooks scattered throughout the store, BookPeople promotes a relaxed atmosphere that will invariably lead to a purchase or two. Located on the corner of 6th street and Lamar, BookPeople boasts a sprawling 28,000 square foot two-story store with over 150,000 titles from which to choose. If the book browser is unsure of what to buy, the very knowledgeable staff, made up of many well read UT students, is ready and willing to help. Possibly the most helpful tools in the store are the scads of “staff pick” cards located in every section, with a short description of the preferred book, and an explanation why it’s the cream of the crop. BookPeople offers a variety of other small treasures alongside their massive book collection, with a nice selection of greeting cards, locally made jewelry, soaps, and massage oils. Along the stairway to the upper level, shoppers can pick up novelty items for that certain someone who would look good with a fake mustache, or in need of a pig flashlight keychain. Current store owner, Steve Bercu, grew up in a family who owned independent toy stores (possibly leading to the aforementioned oddities available). Bercu became owner in 1999, after becoming a financial partner in 1993, and is known for his pragmatic business sense. He cofounded the Austin Independent Business Alliance, and is behind the “Keep Austin Weird” business campaign, making sure that Austin’s Independent businesses are kept viable and profitable. Bercu also spearheaded the campaign to keep Borders Books from opening a store across the street from BookPeople and Waterloo Records, another of Austin’s premiere independent establishments. Not only has BookPeople been voted as “Best Bookstore” for the last 15 years by Austin Chronicle voters, but it also won national recognition as “Bookstore of the Year” in 2005 by Publisher’s Weekly, after demonstrating their achievements in marketing, customer service, and community involvement. BookPeople schedules several events in the store weekly, and sometimes a few on the same day. They host book club meetings, trivia contests, literary movie nights (for those books lucky enough to make it to the silver screen), and many more activities. Many renowned authors have stopped by BookPeople for meet and greets and book signings such as Ray Bradbury, John Irving, and Chuck Palahniuk. For those who missed a book signing, they can join BookPeople’s “Signed First Club,” which offers signed first editions of books that could be of great value in the future. Children aren’t left out, with BookPeople’s “Storytime” event which happens almost every other day. Kids gather around to hear a classic story read aloud, which can by accompanied by story-inspired snacks or impromptu puppet shows. The store also offers Literary Day Camps, where young adults can experience a story through historical reenactments and fantasy retellings. A few years ago Bercu, with the Austin Independent Business Alliance, launched “Austin Unchained,” a push for those in Central Texas to shop local businesses for one day, instead of national chain stores; later the American Independent Business Alliance followed suit with “America Unchained.” Currently, AIBA is part of a group of organizations chosen for an economic study on the value of independent retailers, solidifying Austin and BookPeople as leaders in keeping independent shops valuable in the face of growing chain store monopolies. Ki is a realtor in Austin with a site that provides a guide to Austin Texas real estate. In addition to market analysis he provides a search of the Austin MLS. He also keeps a blog which covers the Austin real estate market.