Readings, conferences, contests – let the new year of
Texas literary events begin! I’m listing a sample, in order of urgency. Don’t
let frightful weather keep you from venturing out.
Now
– March 18: Dallas Mavs winter reading challenge for
kids 0-18. Family members can help kids too young to read by reading to them.
Register here or at any Dallas library branch for fun and prizes.
January
18: Authors LIVE! continues with its first author
appearance of 2018. Melanie Benjamin will discuss and sign The Girls in the Picture at 7 p.m. at Highland Park United
Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Free, or choose a
reservation-only reception at 6 p.m. for $30, which includes a copy of the
book. Contact 214-523-2240 for reservations/more information, or visit the site for additional
Authors LIVE! programs.
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| image: pixabay |
January
23: Interabang Books, 10720 Preston Road, Suite 1009B (in
the shopping center at the corner of Preston and Royal), Dallas, hosts a panel
of local authors from 7 – 9 p.m. on “Building Your Writing Community: How to
Find Writing Groups & Support Other Writers.” Free, courtesy of the Texas
Writers’ League. See the League’s site for a complete list of programs.
January
27-28: Need more bookishness? The Dallas Central Library,
1515 Young St., hosts its gargantuan semi-annual book sale. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
January 27, 1-4 p.m. January 28. Or join the Friends of the Dallas Public Library for a January 26
first dibs preview.
January
31: This is the deadline for the Texas Writers’ League’s
2018 Manuscript Contest. Show them the (approximately) first 10 pages of your
unpublished manuscript, get written critiques and a chance to win both free
admission to the League’s 2018 Agents and Editors Conference this summer and a
session with a literary agent in your genre. See the League’s site for details and
contest fees.
February
8-10: Lone Star Ink hosts its premiere literary conference at the Dallas Central Library,1515 Young
St., Dallas. Cost is $125 for two full days of workshops plus Friday keynote
address. And remember – if you’ve already signed up for Lone Star’s first pages
contest, entries are due January 20! See the site for details and a list of
instructors and editors.
February
16-18: North Texas science fiction/fantasy conference
ConDFW welcomes author guest of honor Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire series), at Radisson Fossil Creek hotel, 2540
Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth. Three-day tickets for adults $35, kids (ages 6-12)
$15, with discounts for educators and military members. See the site for details.
February
22: The Highland Park Literary Festival hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson (The Orphan Master’s Son) at Highland Park High School, 4220
Emerson, Dallas. Johnson gives the festival’s keynote address at 7 p.m., with
book signing to follow from 8-8:45 p.m. Free and open to the public.
February
28: Deadline for the new book award contest of the
Writers’ League of Texas, for books published in 2017. See the site for details and
contest fees.
March
12: DL Hammons announces the return of WRiTE Club, the
readers’-favorite, knock-‘em-dead contest writing contest. He’d also appreciate
a little help from his friends – judges to sort through the slushpile of 500-word
contest entries. See the WRiTE Club site for details.
Whew – that’s all for now, folks! Stay warm, and I'll see you later at
this site for spring events.
