Fall in Texas, y'all -- football, fairs & writing

 I feel like Rip Van Winkle -- as if I've slept since last posting here in January. All I can say is, it's been a year: multiple international trips (not necessarily for fun stuff), as well as typical Texas weather -- monsoon rains followed by months of hellish heat, both with power outages.

But TGIF -- which in Texas means, thank God it's fall, with its abundance of literary events. Most of these listings are in the state, particularly in my corner of North Texas. But if there's something particularly juicy in another region, I'll dish it up too, starting this weekend.

September 21: The Writer's League of Texas presents Texas Writes with free workshops by authors Alex Temblador ("Prep Your Book: Going from Idea to Opening Pages") and Diana Spechler ("Writing Our Lives: The Art of the Personal Essay"). At Chico Public Library (that's north of Fort Worth), 106 W. Jacksboro St., Chico, TX. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Refreshments provided. Free. Pre-register by calling the library at (940) 644-2330.

Now-December 1: The Historical Novel Society North America presents its first short story contest. In honor of the society's 205 conference setting in Las Vegas, entries must be set in or around Vegas at any time up to 1975. Stories must be historical, but any subgenre is acceptable. Unpublished stories only, with a 4,000-word limit. Entry fee $25. Cash prizes and anthology publication for finalists and grand prize winner, chosen by a panel of best-selling historical fiction writers. See the site for details.

September 24: Richardson Reads One Book presents author Brendan Slocumb ("Symphony of Secrets") at 7:30 p.m. in First United Methodist Church Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway, Richardson. Free, but tickets are only available online, on a first-come, first-served basis at bit.ly/RROBLecture24.

September 25: Dallas indie bookstore The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St., hosts "Banned Book Trivia," 7-9 p.m. Assemble a team and grab a beverage from the bookstore's bar as you test your knowledge of banned books. There's a general discussion of book bans, including Dallas' favorites, to bring you up to date! Free, except for food and drink selections.

October 4-6: Houston Writers Guild hosts the AuthorPalooza conference with craft workshops, industry panels, and literary fun! A few acquisition editors will also be available October 5 (Saturday) to take pitch sessions. Events at Rick University, 6100 Main St., Ley Student Conference Center. See the site for schedule and tickets.

October 5-6: The DFW Writers Conference at the Hurst Convention Center, Hurst, TX, offers craft and business workshops and panels, keynote speakers Steve Berry and A.S. King, and literary agents from around the country. Registration includes one free pitch selling, with additional sessions offered for sale.

This year's agenda also includes a Romance Forum, with a panel of New York Times best-selling authors. See the site for schedules. Regular registration (ends September 22!) is $449 for both days or $250 for one day. Late registration through October 4 is $99 (two day) or $299 (one day).

The adjacent Hilton Garden Inn is sold out, but other nearby hotels include Hampton Inn Suites Dallas, Holiday Inn Express & Suites DFW, and Hyatt Place Fort Worth/Hurst. Or drive in. Traffic should be less than fiendishly awful on a weekend.

October 11-13: HAY Festival Forum Dallas 2024 returns to the city's Bishop Arts District with 25 artists across 21 events over four venues! The festival includes both free and ticketed options. Opening night at the Wild Detectives bookstore, 314 E. Eighth St., opens with a free session by Pulitzer Prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. See the site for a complete list of events. Day passes which ensure admission to all ticketed and free events are $85 for October 12 (Saturday), $65 for October 13 (Sunday, or $100 for an all-weekend pass.

November 13: Dallas indie bookstore Interabang Books presents best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell in conversation with Krys Boyd of KERA's Think. At Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 East Mockingbird, Dallas, 7 p.m. Tickets are free, although seating is limited, or $32 for exclusive "meet and greet" with the author. Gladwell will share his new book, Revenge of the Tipping Point. Books for sale which supplies last. See the site for ticket purchases/reservations.

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Want more? Of course you do! Stay tuned for these and other Texas literary events!