Every year the Patrick Heath Public Library organizes the Boerne Book Festival as its signature event. The 2023 festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Main Plaza and we have another stellar lineup planned.
The Writers’ League of Texas is the largest literary arts organization in Texas, and they join us for the first time this year. They are bringing in three young authors for a panel discussion you will not want to miss: Kimberly Garza, Stacey Swann, and James Wade.
“The Last Karankawas” by Kimberly Garza is beautifully written and set in Galveston in the years leading up to Hurricane Ike. The novel deftly blends a mixture of cultures, and their ties to the land and sea. Garza is an assistant professor of creative writing and literature at UTSA. Author Stacey Swann holds a master’s of fine arts degree from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Her novel “Olympus, Texas” is a family saga set in a small town in East Texas. Bestselling author Sarah Bird gave this book rave reviews during a panel discussion at last year’s festival.
James Wade should be named the official Boerne Book Festival mascot; this will be his third year back to the festival.
Wade is extremely popular. His first novel “River, Sing Out” won the Spur Award for Best Historical Novel, and his latest book “Beasts of the Earth” won the Spur award in 2023 for Best Contemporary Novel.
The panel discussion, presented by the Writers’ League of Texas, is “Obsessed with Texas,” and will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Main Plaza on Oct. 7.
Another panel discussion at this year’s festival centers on the new book from State House Press “Comanches, Captives, and Germans: Wilhelm Friedrich’s Drawings from the Texas Frontier.” Co-authors Daniel Gelo, Bryden Moon, and Christoher Wickham will all be on hand for a fascinating discussion of this book. The moderator is Kathryn Adam Hurst, vice chair with the Kendall County Historical Commission. This panel discussion’s start time is 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7.
These two panel discussions are just a sampling of what we’ll have throughout the day at the festival. Please check out the full schedule, featured authors, books, and vendors on our website: www.boernebookfest. com.
The Boerne Book Festival literally could not take place without the kindness of our sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Kay and Bryden Moon, H-E-B, Frost Bank, The Boerne Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Boerne Public Library, Bandera Electric, Susan and Skipper Nelson, The Kendall, and Bending Branch Winery.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the Boerne Book Festival on Saturday, October 7. The festival is free and open to the public.
AT THE LIBRARY
CAREN CREECH
PATRICK HEATH PUBLIC LIBRARY
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