Dig into live book events, the latest appearances by authors, and more with our roundup of book and literary events taking place in Houston in November 2024.
One of the biggest literary festivals of its kind in the country takes place in Houston this month, and readers will love the lineup at the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book and Arts Festival.
Houston author Celeste Connally talks about her work at Murder by the Book. Plenty of other Houston writers are at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. Inprint welcomes Ta-Nehisi Coates and his latest book.
There’s also a modern take on a Shakespeare favorite and a memoir about a librarian caught up in a book banning controversy.
Events are listed chronologically by date and are not ranked.
Top 9 Book & Author Events in Houston: November 2024
52nd Annual Ann & Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC | Sunday, November 3 to Saturday, 16 – The multi-week celebration of books and writing returns with a host of critically acclaimed authors coming to Houston for individual ticketed events. Among them are Robert Steinfeld, author of 3…2…1…We’re On the Air: An Inside Look at Sports Television, Journalism and Gender Equity; Noa Tishby, author of Uncomfortable Conversations With a Jew; Mitch Albom, author of The Little Liar, and more. The event offers opportunities to hear authors discuss their work and see how Jewish writers and books with Jewish themes have affected the world. Prices and times vary by event.
Write Scratch at Grackle & Grackle | Every Thursday Through Thursday, November 21 – Join fellow writers in weekly early morning Thursday sessions, designed for community and writing. Short check-ins and check-outs open and close sessions, with a break midway through for snacks and walking. Writers of all stripes can connect while working on current projects. Pay-What-You-Wish; $30 suggested. 7am to 10am.
Lit with Families 2024 Texas Family Literacy Festival at Discovery Green | Saturday, November 9 | FREE with RSVP – Help your favorite kids fall in love with reading, at a celebration that includes food, prizes, face painting, author meet-and-greets, book giveaways, and more family fun. Registration required. 10:30am to 6:30pm.
Emma Ohland at Blue Willow Bookshop | Saturday, November 9 | FREE – The 20-something author visits the store to talk about her latest novel, Here Goes Nothing, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. In their retelling, Beatrice, no big fan of her neighbor Bennie, has to navigate her senior year of high school and learn how to process past trauma to be open to what the future holds. In order to go through the signing line, books must be purchased from the store. 5pm.
Celeste Connally in Conversation with Jess Armstrong at Murder by the Book | Tuesday, November 12 | FREE – The two authors discuss their work and sign books for fans. A Houston resident, Connally authored the Regency-era mysteries Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord and her latest, All’s Fair in Love and Treachery, among others. New Orleans-based Armstrong is the author of the Ruby Vaughn mysteries. Her most recent novel is The Secret of the Three Fates. Anyone wishing to have books signed by the authors must purchase them from the store. 6:30pm.
Patricia Coral at Brazos Bookstore | Friday, November 15 | FREE – The author discusses her memoir, Women Surrounded by Water, which explores the beauty, love, and language of her family and of Puerto Rico as well as the pain of yearning for more. It’s the story of an island still in a colonial system, a woman in a failed marriage, a homeland ravaged by a hurricane, and how self-discovery happens when you make a decision to leave. Books must be purchased from the store to be signed. 6:30pm.
Road Trip! Houston Writers at the Texas Book Festival | Saturday, November 16 & Sunday, November 17 | FREE – The biggest book blowout in Texas happens in Austin, but readers who head to the capital city will be rewarded with a host of authors representing H-Town. Writers like Houston natives Attic Locke and Michael Arceneaux, former Houston poet laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, Jennifer Mathieu and more will discuss their work on panels and in sessions throughout the weekend. It’s also a chance to catch other best-selling writers from across the country and around the world. Times vary.
Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Wortham Theater Center | Monday, November 18 – Coates will read from his new book, The Message, followed by an on-stage conversation with celebrated author and Rice University faculty member Kiese Laymon. Presented by the Inprint Houston Margarett Root Brown Reading Series, the evening will conclude with a book sale provided by Kindred Stories. $35 admission includes a copy of The Message. 7:30pm.
Amanda Jones at Village Books | Saturday, November 30 | FREE with RSVP – The activist, librarian and author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America comes to The Woodlands to discuss what happened when she spoke out at a public hearing about her community banning books about minority groups. Death threats and attacks from strangers and friends followed. Registration required. 7pm.
Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!
Subscribe to our free Weekend Guide newsletter and receive a round-up of great things to do every weekend in Houston, hitting your inbox on Thursday.
Don’t want to miss anything? Opt in for our Daily Updates to discover new things happening in Houston and receive special updates and offers, every weekday.
