For the 20th year running, the Austin African American Book Festival is taking over the George Washington Carver Museum and Library in East Austin this Saturday, turning the campus into a one-day hub for readers, writers, and families. The free, public celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and keeps its focus firmly on Black literature and ideas, with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Operation HOPE founder John Hope Bryant headlining a full slate of panels, readings and a family-friendly Kids Zone.
Festival founder Dr. Roz Oliphant-Jones traces the event back to her years as a bookseller and says the festival was created "to spotlight works by and about African Americans," according to CBS Austin. The preview piece also features a conversation with Austin artist SaulPaul about the festival's Kids Zone and wider community programming.
Lineup and schedule
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carver and opens with an Indie Author Showcase in the Boyd Vance Theater. Conversations and readings include Nikole Hannah-Jones at 11 a.m., John Hope Bryant at 12:30 p.m., ReShonda Tate at 2 p.m. and a salute to Austin poet laureate Zell Miller III at 3 p.m. The full schedule and moderator assignments are listed on the festival site Austin African American Book Festival.
Kids Zone and family activities
Families will find storytimes, art sessions, and hands-on activities in the Carver Library's Kids Zone, with author-performers and creatives scheduled throughout the day. Local performer SaulPaul is billed for a "Musician with a Message" set, while Vanessa Brantley-Newton and Brentom Jackson lead interactive sessions, according to CBS Austin.
A two-decade run
The festival was conceived by Dr. Roz Oliphant-Jones and Evelyn Martin Anderson in 2006, with the inaugural event held the following year, and it has since grown into a cornerstone of East Austin's literary calendar. Organizers say it regularly draws several hundred attendees and highlights both national voices and Central Texas authors, per the background page on the Austin African American Book Festival.
Plan your visit
The main festival remains free to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to Visit Austin. Earlier in June, the festival presented a ticketed evening with Chuck D at KMFA Studios, with attendees asked to register in advance through Eventbrite, per local listings on Kids Out and About. Expect indoor theater conversations and outdoor vendor tables at the Carver, and bring water and sun protection for the East Austin summer heat.
