Now in its 13th year, the San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) returns Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Central Library + UTSA Southwest Campus. Expect a fun-filled day that celebrates national + local authors with literary entertainment for all. The best part? It's entirely free — aside from that tote bag full of books you're going to buy.

A little history

SABF’s inaugural event took place in April 2013 as a way to unite readers + writers as they share ideas, books, and literary culture. The event has featured anywhere from 75 to 100 authors from around the country annually. SABF has also welcomed 20,000+ visitors and generates more than $1 million for the city's economy. Attendees can expect:

Author presentations
Panel discussions
Books sales + signings
Art stations
Festival marketplace
Local food trucks + more

If you're interested in volunteering for this year's festival, the organization is currently accepting application. Get started here.

Since its inception, nearly 3,500 people have volunteered at SABF. | Photo by San Antonio Book Festival

Featured authors

This year, SABF will feature over 100 local, regional, and national authors. Here's a few that we want to meet:

Isa Arsén | Newsletter Editor Nicholas is reading her latest book "The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf" and can't get enough of it.
Martín Espada | With more than 20 books under his pen, he's a winner of the National Book Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Nita Prose | You may know this author from her 2022 mystery best seller "The Maid," which is currently being adapted into a feature film starring Florence Pugh.
Jonny Garza Villa | This queer writer from Texas is known for his Chicano and LGBTQ+ young adult novels.

Pro tip: Authors are holding autographing sessions at the Book Sales & Signing tent, but your book must be purchased at the event for it to be signed.

Newsletter Editor Nicholas was able to attend SABF's Get Lit series where he listened to a discussion between Literary Director Anna Dobben and award-winning author Eve L. Ewing. | Photo by SATXtoday

Year-round fun

If festivals aren't your genre of event, don't worry, we got you covered. The San Antonio Book Festival hosts the Get Lit Author Series throughout the year.

The series invites best-selling authors for intimate panel discussions. Authors that have been featured in Get Lit include John Paul Brammer, Paola Ramos, and most recently, Eve L. Ewing.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, subscribe to SABF's newsletter for the latest Get Lit event + festival updates.

Happy reading, SATX.