July 28, 2017
In Texas, a badge is passed to a new bookseller
by Delia Davis
Move over, Barnes and Noble — the Texas Book Festival has a new bookseller sweetheart, just in time for its twenty-second year. Readers of Texas, say hi to BookPeople. (Maybe you’ve already met?)
Joe Gross reports in Tuesday’s Austin 360 that, beginning in 2017, Austin’s indie bookselling juggernaut BookPeople will take over responsibilities as the official bookseller for the festival, replacing Barnes and Noble in the role. Both booksellers were community partners for the festival in 2016.
Another major change to bookselling operations this year (for those who can’t attend the festival) is the option to pre-order signed copies of select books by festival participants. Once ordered, these books will be available for pick-up after the festival. Or—if you don’t live in Austin—the good book people of BookPeople will ship them anywhere in the world.
BookPeople and the Texas Book Festival are also partnering on a year-round series of events, including a special day of sales at the store, with a percentage of profits going to benefit a specific Book Festival outreach program.
This year’s lineup includes 275 authors (including our very own Ladee Hubbard!) working in fiction, journalism, science, and more. Books will be sold in the adult sales tent, the children’s sales tent, and the cooking tent, as well as in designated indoor venues.
This year’s Texas Book Festival will take place November 4-5 at the Texas State Capitol grounds in downtown Austin.
Delia Davis is an intern at Melville House.