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More than 200 authors and about 40,000 book fans will descend on the Texas Capitol October 26-27 for the 2013 Texas Book Festival. Throughout the year KUT News speaks with authors about their lives and their work. To celebrate the upcoming festival, we have collected some of those interviews here. From 9-11 to Scientology to the Kennedy assassination, it's a diverse set of works from a fascinating group of authors.

Here's Your Insider Guide to Navigating the Texas Book Festival

Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Vistors stroll through one of the outside tents at the 2012 Texas Book Festival

Texas Book Festivalwill take center stage on the weekend of Oct. 25-26 as it expectedly brings more than 40,000 book lovers to the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and surrounding areas. The festival will host more than 280 authors - the largest lineup in the festival’s history.

Transforming Texas’ political arena into a platform for literary discussions and performance arts, Texas Book Festival will feature author panel discussions, readings, literary performances and interviews. 

Despite being a national event, the festival has maintained its strong Texan character and emphasis on the rich and vibrant writing scene in Texas. The festival is free and open to the public.

Texas Standard’s David Brown spoke with Clay Smith, former literary director of the Texas Book Festival and current editor-in-chief of Kirkus Reviews, to gain insights about the event. Listen to their talk in the player above.

David entered radio journalism thanks to a love of storytelling, an obsession with news, and a desire to keep his hair long and play in rock bands. An inveterate political junkie with a passion for pop culture and the romance of radio, David has reported from bases in Washington, London, Los Angeles, and Boston for Monitor Radio and for NPR, and has anchored in-depth public radio documentaries from India, Brazil, and points across the United States and Europe. He is, perhaps, known most widely for his work as host of public radio's Marketplace. Fulfilling a lifelong dream of moving to Texas full-time in 2005, Brown joined the staff of KUT, launching the award-winning cultural journalism unit "Texas Music Matters."
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