Author Visits

Teen Author Visits

In the summer of 2011, Irving Public Library began hosting Young Adult (YA) author visits. As the number of author events and panels have expanded over the years, the support and praise for these programs, from both teens and adults, also has grown exponentially.

In 2015, YA author events at the Irving Public Library took off with 14 YA author visits that brought in more than 1,300 avid fans. This inspired staff to try something more ambitious. The library teamed up with Half Price Books, the Friends of the Irving Public Library, local school districts, museums, other local libraries, and the DFW chapter of the Forever YA book club, to launch the inaugural North Texas Teen Book Festival (NTTBF). The event, held that March, attracted more than 3,500 middle grade and YA fans to meet 63 bestselling and relevant authors. NTTBF, now an annual event in North Texas held at the Irving Convention Center, regularly attracts crowds of over 12,000 with a guest list of approximately 75 authors, many of national fame, such as Cassandra Clare, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, Veronica Roth, Gayle Forman, Maggie Stiefvater and Angie Thomas. View images and author lists from previous festivals on the North Texas Teen Book Festival website.

Irving Public Library also hosts author events and panels at its locations throughout the year. These events are often characterized by a short author talk, Q&A session and a time for book signings. At author events, books will be available for sale by the Friends of the Irving Public Library or an established library bookseller partner.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own copies to be signed. Some authors may require a purchase of their latest book to gain entrance to the signing line. Call ahead for more information, call (972) 721-2606.