Annual Texas Word Wrangler Festival Scheduled for November
Book festival brings together authors, readers
The 15th annual Texas Word Wrangler Festival will be held Nov. 20-21 at the Giddings Public Library. In the past, the large gathering of authors and readers has been held in September. With COVID-19 gathering restrictions still in place, however, the Word Wrangler committee decided by unanimous vote to hold this year’s festival in November.
“We didn’t want the Word Wrangler festival counted among the large number of book festivals deciding to cancel this year,” said Jessi Akins, director of the Giddings Public Library. “During the information-gathering process, we sought input from a variety of stakeholders. We had a lot of feedback by the time we held our committee meeting, and everyone agreed that November was the best timeframe to ensure a successful book festival this year.”
The festival is a joint effort between the Giddings Public Library and the Giddings Chamber of Commerce. Each year, 20-30 authors convene at the library to celebrate the craft of writing. During the two-day festival, authors schedule book readings and presentations for the community, sell books, visit local schools, and sign autographs. Hundreds of community members typically attend the book festival, and local schools schedule field trips to inspire students to love reading and writing.
“What’s unique about this festival is the large amount of community involvement we have,” Akins said. “We absolutely could not run this festival without the help we get from the community. Many people come together to promote a love of literature—local businesses, the City of Giddings, community members, school districts, students, parents, educators, the Chamber of Commerce, local authors, volunteers, library staff—we all come together to support the importance of the written word.”
Authors who wish to be considered for the festival should submit an application, a book, and an author bio to the Giddings Public Library at 276 North Orange Street; Giddings, TX, 78942. Visit https://www.giddingspubliclibrary.org/word-wrangler for more information or to download the author application.