TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Gabriel Cardenas
Phone: 512-462-5372
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IN AUSTIN, FIRST BOOK FESTIVAL TO FEATURE DEAF AUTHORS
Friday-Saturday, May 6-7, 2022
Austin, Texas – Twenty published authors from across the country are in Austin for the first Deaf Authors Book Festival (DABF), May 6-7, hosted by Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) at 1102 South Congress Avenue.
The two-day event with author signings, panel discussions and informal chats, brings together a diverse selection of written works in a variety of genres by authors from Deaf, hard of hearing, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC communities. Free and open to the public, everyone will find something to their appeal, including the Deaf culture buff, the sci-fi geek, the sports fanatic, comic book lovers, and even RVs whose home is on the road.
The festival begins Friday morning with a TSD schoolwide assembly at the R.L. Davis Auditorium. The complete schedule of events is listed on the DABF Facebook page.
TSD Superintendent and DABF co-host, Claire Bugen, says, “this festival brings a wonderful representation of diverse authors of different backgrounds to the state’s oldest continuous public school for Deaf students.
“We are thrilled for the rich knowledge these authors bring for students to learn from, as well as the variety of writing techniques.”
Co-host, Dr. Steve C. Baldwin, president of Deaf Television Foundation, says, “the event is not only beneficial to the students of TSD, but also bridges the Deaf and hearing communities.”
Interpreting and support services are available for those needing assistance, and a certificate of attendance can be requested for teachers and university students who attend.
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ABOUT THE DEAF AUTHORS BOOK FESTIVAL
The Deaf Authors Book Festival brings together contemporary authors who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and BIPOC from across the United States for the first event in Austin, Texas. The event, free to the public, is co-hosted by Texas School for the Deaf Superintendent, Claire Bugen, and Deaf Television Foundation President, Dr. Steve Baldwin, with support from the National Association of the Deaf’s Deaf Culture & History Section.