Every year since 1996, thousands of people gather around the Texas Capitol building in early November for the Texas Book Festival, which draws in readers from around the state. Founded by former first lady Laura Bush, who was a teacher and librarian, the event lets people engage themselves in book-related activities and events. The fair includes author talks and panels, book signings and programming for children, young adults and exhibitors.
The children’s programming is a favorite among many local families including Randy Mathisen, a father of three. Mathisen, an assistant principal in Elgin ISD, said he’s been bringing his family to the fair for years.
“I have been to the Texas Book Festival for many years, so many I can’t count,” Mathisen said. “We come about every year, I would say maybe about 15 years. The thing I enjoy most about the Texas Book Festival is bringing my family here and seeing everything through the eyes of children.”
Mathisen attended the festival with his wife and three young children. He said the event is very beneficial to his children because of the experience with literature that they don’t normally get on a day-to-day basis.
“The thing that I think that my children get the most out of it is to see a community built around reading,” Mathisen said. “It’s all these people who love books, so to see that and to reinforce how many people really like reading, I think that’s very important. So many things are going digital. I mean, you still read, but to actually have the physical book in your hand is something that I am happy that they are getting.”
The fair doesn’t just appeal to parents and little kids; it has something for everyone. Lots of high school students enjoy it as well, like junior Ella Piston, who has gone back to the festival time and time again.
I’ve been going every year since I was young and I think it’s a great tradition.
— Junior Ella Piston
“I thought it was really fun,” Piston said. “I’ve been going every year since I was young, and I think it’s a great tradition. I really love seeing the authors, getting my books signed and meeting the authors I have grown up reading.”
Piston met authors like Alexandra Bracken, Gabi Burton and David Bowles while she was there.
In addition to those like Piston and Mathisen who attended the fair to enjoy it, hundreds of booths were also set up with exhibitioners displaying their work. Austin Community College’s creative writing department is just one of those tents. ACC has been promoting its creative writing department at the fair for around 15 years. Prudence Arceneaux, chair of ACC’s creative writing department, says she’s been sharing creative writing at the fair for a little over 10 of those years. Arceneaux and Robert Crowl, who teaches creative writing, composition and literary studies at ACC worked the booth for the weekend. Arceneaux shared that the goal of the creative writing department is to help writers feel more comfortable with what they want to write.
“So many people have a fear of writing, which I think has been instilled in us K-12 with our English classes, and we forget just how important our individual stories are,” Arceneaux said. “So here at creative writing, that’s what we want to remind people: our individual stories are just as important Shakespeare and Hemingway and all the other things that we read. The classes we offer give people the opportunity to write those stories, and maybe those stories last as long as Shakespeare.”
So many people have a fear of writing, which I think has been instilled in us K-12 with our English classes, and we forget just how important our individual stories are.
— Prudence Arceneaux
The event gives ACC the oppurtunity to get off campus and into the community.
“We are here to remind people, this is a thing you can do,” Arceneaux said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be based in the classroom. We want to come out in to the community and let people know, right here today, we’re starting a story; let’s build on that story.”
Though this year’s Book Festival has come to an end, it will have a lasting impact. Someone got a new recipe in the cooking tent. Someone found a perfect gift. Someone found their new favorite book. Some elementary students will never forget the day they introduced the author of a new children’s book. Someone got inspired to write their own story. That’s why this time next year they’ll do it all over again.
