This November, join us for a live experience featuring the engaging stories and insightful discussions that define Texas Monthly. The magazine’s celebrated writers and editors will step out from behind the pages to connect with audiences at two of Texas’s premier fall events: the thirtieth annual Texas Book Festival from November 8–9 and the vibrant Open Congress segment of the Texas Tribune Festival on November 15.

For two weekends in a row, Texas Monthly will be leading panels, moderating conversations, and spotlighting the voices shaping the Lone Star State’s cultural and civic landscapes.

“We at the magazine are once again looking forward to engaging with the community at two of the state’s most important annual events,” said Texas Monthly executive editor Kathy Blackwell. “Both are bringing some of the state’s—and country’s—biggest thought leaders to downtown Austin, and I can’t think of anywhere else we’d rather be.”

Texas Book Festival

November 8–9: Various Locations Around the Capitol Grounds

Texas Monthly proudly returns as a longtime supporter and featured presenter at the Texas Tent, the festival’s signature space dedicated to Texas-centered storytelling. Readers and festival-goers can meet and hear from key editors and writers through a robust lineup of panels that explore everything from gripping true crime to cultural myths.

Here’s where you can find Texas Monthly’s editorial team at the festival: 

Saturday, November 8

11 a.m. (Capitol Auditorium) — Megan Creydt, executive producer of story development, moderates the panel “Lifting the Yellow Tape: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers.” 

12:15 p.m. (Book TV on C-SPAN2) — Senior writer Dan Solomon interviews whistleblower and author Reality Winner about her memoir I Am Not Your Enemy.

1 p.m. (First Baptist Church) — Executive editor Kathy Blackwell hosts a marquee conversation with comedian and author Chelsea Handler on her latest book.

3:15 p.m. (Texas Tent) — Legendary true crime writer Skip Hollandsworth talks to award-winning journalist Pamela Colloff about his new book, She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales.

4:15 p.m. (Kirkus Tent) — Senior writer Katy Vine will lead a discussion between two authors, Susannah Cahalan and John Lisle, whose fascinating books explore the forgotten histories of psychedelics.

Sunday, November 9

11:30 a.m. (Capitol Extension Room E2.014) — Research chief Doyin Oyeniyi moderates the panel “You Can Never Go Home Again”, bringing together two authors—Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo and Lilas Taha—whose Nigerian- and Palestinian-centered stories examine the price of immigration, exile, and healing.

12 p.m. (Texas Tent) — Senior engagement editor Amanda O’Donnell chats with Texas authors Claire St. Amant and Kate Winkler Dawson about their experiences writing true crime for television in the panel “Texas Authors Writing True Crime.”

3 p.m. (Texas Tent) — Senior writer Josh Alvarez hosts a discussion with two legendary Texas writers, Bryan Burrough and Stephen L. Hardin, in the panel “Lone Star Legends: Rewriting the Texas Myth.”

Beyond Texas Monthly–led sessions, the Texas Tent will showcase dozens of authors whose works capture the state’s rich diversity, offering festival attendees a chance to connect deeply with Texas’s literary scene.

“Texas Monthly has been an invaluable partner since the earliest days of Texas Book Festival,” said Texas Book Festival chief operations officer Dalia Azim. “Every year we are proud to feature an exciting array of Texas voices in our Texas Tent, presented by Texas Monthly, a space where we platform our shared mission of celebrating storytelling and connecting with readers across Texas and beyond. Join us in the Texas Tent this year to hear from some of today’s leading voices, and stay connected with us year-round by joining the Texas Book Club, our latest collaboration.”

For the full festival lineup and to plan your itinerary, visit: texasbookfestival.org/schedule.

Texas Tribune Festival

November 15: Texas Tribune Festival Open Congress, Congress Avenue — Free to attend!

Join Texas Monthly at Open Congress, the free street party within the Texas Tribune Festival, where the publication hosts a curated stage exploring the crossroads of culture, politics, and identity in Texas.

Texas Monthly’s not-to-miss sessions include: 

9:15 a.m. — Senior writer Forrest Wilder leads a roundtable on this summer’s tragic Hill Country floods with Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley and senior writers Mimi Swartz and Peter Holley.

11 a.m. — The owners of three independent bookstores in Texas talk about challenges they face with author and bookstore owner Ryan Holiday.

12:45 p.m. — Senior writer Robert Downen interviews Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today, in a thought-provoking, one-on-one discussion. 

2:30 p.m. — Senior writer and restaurant critic Paula Forbes moderates a candid conversation about culinary innovation and heritage with top Texas chefs in the panel “Kitchen Confidential.”

4:15 p.m. — Executive editor Kathy Blackwell leads a discussion on the state of the film and TV industry in Texas in the panel “Roll Credits.”

Catch all sessions and plan your day at: festival.texastribune.org/schedule. 

Both events are free and open to the public, and Texas Monthly is proud to be at the heart of them.