This week, there are tons of wonderful authors coming to Austin both new and well-seasoned. From super storytimes to book releases, it’s bound to be a week full of literary excitement. There’s something for all readers of all ages – so make sure to make it out and join in on the fun in the Austin book community!

Lit City:
What’s Happening in the Austin Book World Oct. 22 – 28

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7PM @ BookPeople bestselling author, Austin Kleon will be speaking and signing The Steal Like an Artist Journal: A Notebook for Creative Kleptomaniacs. Wristbands are required for the signing and only available with the purchase of a copy of the book from BookPeople.

Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2PM @ BookPeople there will be a Super Storytime with Liz Garton Scanlon and Susan Kralovansky. They will be signing and reading their books In the Canyon (Scanlon) & Twelve Cowboys Ropin’ (Kralovansky). Bring your young readers down to the store today to celebrate for a special Sunday afternoon storytime with two of our favorite Austin authors!

Also on Sunday at 4PM @ Malvern Books, E. Kristin Anderson will be celebrating the release of her new chapbook, Pray, Pray, Pray: Poems I wrote to Prince in the middle of the night (Porkbelly Press). Kristin will be joined by writers M. Mack, Stacey Balkun, Erika Jo Brown, Ava Love Hanna, BJLove, Liz Belile and Nettie Reynolds.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7PM @ Malvern Books, writers Jasmina Tešanović and Bruce Sterling will be speaking and reading. Jasmina Tešanovićis a writer, journalist, musician, film director, feminist, and political activist (Women in Black; CodePink). Bruce Sterling is a novelist and journalist. While acting as “Visionary in Residence” at Art Center College of Design in 2008, he wrote Shaping Things, one of the first books about the Internet of Things.

Also on Tuesday at 7PM @ BookPeople, bestselling author Richard Ford will be signing and speaking about his book Let Me Be Frank with You. Ford has written a trio of bestselling novels and returns with four deftly linked stories narrated by the iconic Bascombe.

Wednesday on October 28th at the Carter Auditorium at St. Edward’s University, Dinaw Mengestu, Ethiopian-American novelist who has garnered widespread critical acclaim for his intimate depictions of the immigrant experience in America, will be doing a reading. The author of three novels, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, How to Read the Air, and All Our Names, Mengestu has received numerous awards, including the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35,” The New Yorker’s “20 under 40,” and the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Books sold by Bookwoman

Upcoming Events and Classes at The Writing Barn

Need a change of pace, or a special writing escape? The Writing Barn welcomes writers from Austin and beyond to a Write Away Day event, Sunday, October 25th @ 9:30AM-3:00PM. We’re going above and beyond the experience of spending the day writing at a café- enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks, chat with local creatives and maybe even find a new writing partner and friend! Wifi access is available and outlets are aplenty throughout the Barn and porch area. If the wall comes, take a breather with a lovely stroll around the 7.5 acres of Writing Barn property. Meals are not included, so please bring your own lunch!

Meditation and writing are two practices that compliment each other beautifully. Meditation is an act of deep listening, and writing is taking notes on what you hear. But what if all you hear is senseless chatter, nagging doubts, and critical voices? Keep listening! There’s a quiet beyond the noise. It’s in this quiet that stories are born. It’s the source of our innate wisdom and creativity. The Writing Barn is offering a Meditation for Writers: A Four Week Class with Paige Britt that will focus on learning how to “write from the quiet.” This class is offered starting November 1, 2015  and runs for four sessions.