Virtual Texas Book Festival 2020: An Inside Look
Join TBF Staff for a behind-the-scenes preview of this year’s online event,
the 25th annual and first ever online festival!
The Texas Book Festival will go entirely virtual from October 31 through November 15. Moving to an all-virtual event will give them the opportunity to expand the beloved annual Festival weekend to two full weeks of virtual programming. The schedule will feature more than 125 authors, including programming for adults, young adults, middle-grade readers, and children. Join us for this #TXBookChat with the Texas Book Festival’s Deputy Director, Claire Burrows and Matt Patin, Literary Director, for the inside scoop.
Claire Burrows, Deputy Director. Claire joined the Texas Book Festival in 2014. Claire has a PhD in Comparative Literature from Stony Brook University, a master’s degree in Aesthetic Studies from UT Dallas, and a bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies from UT Dallas. Before joining the Festival, Claire was an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University teaching film, literature, and cultural studies. Her literary interests include comics and graphic novels, literary fiction, and memoirs.
Matt Patin, Literary Director. Matt joined the staff in 2020, after having previously served as a TBF volunteer committee co-chair, session moderator, and Lit Crawl advisor. He has nearly fifteen years of experience in books, editing, and publishing and since 2009 has edited, collaborated with, or advised nearly 200 authors, including award winners and bestsellers. Matt has contributed to Kirkus Reviews and the Austin Chronicle and has since 2015 served on the board of directors at Austin Bat Cave—a literary and education nonprofit and TBF community-partner organization. He is a graduate of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas Austin.
The #TXBookChat series offers brief discussions and programs with authors, librarians, and literary professionals. These informal “coffee chats” last about 30 minutes and offer a quick look into different aspects of the state’s literary world. The #TXBookChat series seeks to bring together diverse voices and perspectives.
For a full schedule of the #TXBookChat series, please visit: www.tsl.texas.gov/txbookchat
Past #TXBookChat Discussions