I'm writing this from the land of ice and snow known as North Texas, but neither Arctic temperatures nor a pandemic can keep Texas literary events down. Still, some are hesitating -- will they go in-person, virtual, or hybrid? I'll update as information becomes available.
(Updated February 9 with information about Highland Park Literary Fest, North Texas Teen Bookfest and Dallas Literary Festival)
Now-February 28: Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest. OK, I don't mean to turn this into a writing contest post. That will come later. For now, consider it a warmup for the Writers League's big event -- its Agents and Editors Conference, which bravely returns (as of this writing, at least) in person June 24-26.
In the meantime, the WLT invites us to submit the opening pages of our unpublished manuscripts for constructive feedback and, maybe, a one-on-one discussion with a top literary agent in our genres. All we need are the first, approximately 10 pages and a synopsis of what we have planned for the rest of the manuscript. Fees: $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers (includes written critique). Or $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers who opt out of receiving written feedback. See the site for details.
February 15-May 31: The Dallas Museum of Arts program of writers, Arts & Letters Live, returns in-person but with virtual options. In-person tickets start at $30, virtual tickets at $12, in both cases with discounts for DMA members, educators, and students. See the site for details, venues, and ticket purchases.
February 23: Keynote speaker for the 2022 Highland Park Literary Festival is New York Times best-selling writing Amor Towles, author most recently of The Lincoln Highway, as well as A Gentleman in Moscow, and more. Although the event is free and open to the public, please register your attendance at the site. I also opted for $20 valet parking, since parking space is limited. At the Highland Park High School auditorium, 4220 Emerson Ave., Dallas. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Valet parking starts at 6 p.m.
March 4-5: The North Texas Teen Book Festival keeps going! Although details are still skimpy, it promises more than 90 authors and illustrators of middle grade and young adult books. Although the educators event March is virtual, the public festival March will be in-person at the Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas. Free, but additional parking fees apply. (Or try DART, which has a stop within walking distance of the convention center.) 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
March 18-22: The SMU-sponsored Dallas Literary Festival presents featured authors Nikole Hannah-Jones, Davie Treuer, and Jelani Cobb. Assistant director Katherine Delony has informed me that the festival will be in-person with most events either on the SMU campus or at the African American Museum of Dallas. Registration information will be on the website as soon as a schedule is available.
April 22-24: Ready, Set, Pitch -- the annual spring conference of the Houston Writers Guild is emphatically hybrid. Sessions Friday (April 22) and Sunday (April 24) will be held in person with a Zoom option. Main day programming Saturday (April 23) will be fully virtual, including agent and acquisition editor pitch sessions. Tickets are $50 for a three-day pass, $25 for Friday's marketing options panel, and $35 for Sunday's workshop. Agent pitch sessions are an additional $25 each. A processing fee applies to all transactions. See the site for complete schedule and in-person venue locations.
April 29-May 1: Also in Houston, Writefest returns with a virtual book fair, a conference, and social events around the city. Social events are free and open to the public. Registration and complete schedules are available at the website.
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Then there are the "save-the-date: and even "to-be-determined" events, including major conferences outside the state.
May 31-June 4: Thrillerfest XVII plans a completely in-person conference at New York City's Sheraton Times Square hotel. Agents galore, master and craft classes, and more, more, more. Check out the free Best First Sentence contest and examples from 2021's winners at the site. Too many options to list here, so see the site for schedules and prices, and to reserve a hotel room. Note that attendees must follow NYC's COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
June ?: Will the beloved DFW Writers Conference return for 2022? The best information I can find is that it may take place sometime in June at the Hurst Convention Center, Hurst, Texas. This follows numerous setbacks in 2021, including date changes and a decision to go completely virtual at that time. Again, I'll update.
June 24-26: Agents and Editors Conference of the Writers League of Texas at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Austin, Texas. Registration not yet available but note that winners of the WLT's manuscript contest (above) receive free entry to the conference.
July 27-30: Romance Writers of America have a date and place for their 2022 conference -- Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center, National Harbor, Maryland, but no other details as yet.
September 1-5: WorldCon (also known this year as Chicon 8) takes place in Chicago. The festival anticipates starting discussions this spring about public health issues. More to come.
September 8-11: Bouchercon 2022, the world mystery writers conference, is schedule at the Hilton Minneapolis, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More to come.
September 16-18: Fencon, the Dallas/Fort Worth science fiction and fantasy convention, will convene at the Sheraton DFW Airport hotel, 4440 W. John Carpenter Freeway, in Irving, Texas. Adult tickets start at $40. No word yet on whether there will be a writers workshop but the site asks us to stay tuned for more information.
November 3-6: The World Fantasy Convention 2022 is scheduled for New Orleans, at the Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Ave. Again, details to come.
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