2026/2027 Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series
The 46th season of the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series will present 10 of the world’s leading authors from August 2026 through April 2027. Season tickets are on sale now!
"Inprint has brought the royalty of world literature to town… John Updike, John Irving, Louise Erdrich, Seamus Heaney, Salman Rushdie, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sandra Cisneros—those are just a few of the A-list authors who have read for the Inprint Brown Reading Series."
"Inprint is one of the top three author venues in the country, and you're my #1 favorite organizer."
"Thank you as ever for being the very best host for our authors!"
The Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series is one of the nation's leading literary showcases, featuring an inclusive roster of award-winning fiction writers, poets, memoirists, and essayists.
The 46th season of the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series presents a wonderful array of carefully curated and dynamic literary evenings from August 2026 to April 2027. The lineup features the world’s leading authors with new work, many appearing in the series for the first time and other favorite returning authors, including Ayad Akhtar, Andrea Bajani, Hernan Diaz, Marlon James, Lily King, Emily St. John Mandel, Adrian Matejka, Claire Vaye Watkins, and Colson Whitehead. Each evening features the author reading from and talking about their new book, followed by a conversation with a local writer, a book sale and, when possible, a book signing. All readings are held in person starting at 7:30 pm.
For more information about season subscriptions, click here.
In-Person Readings
Season Subscriptions
Premium Subscription $450
- Seating for 1 in the reserved section for each of the Series readings
- Signed books, when available, by all of the season’s featured authors, for pickup at the venue on the night of each event, at Brazos Bookstore after the reading*, or sent via U.S. mail
- Access to the first-served season subscriber book-signing line
- Free parking for all Series readings
- Free access to the online recording of each reading
- Recognition as a Premium Subscriber in each reading program and on the Inprint website
Premium + Partner Subscription $575
- Seating for 2 in the reserved section for each of the Series readings
- Signed books, when available, by all of the season’s featured authors, for pickup at the venue on the night of each event, at Brazos Bookstore after the reading*, or sent via U.S. mail
- A second copy of Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine
- Access to the first-served season subscriber book-signing line
- Free parking for all Series readings
- Free access to the online recording of each reading
- Recognition as Premium Subscribers in each reading program and on the Inprint website
Classic Subscription $275
- Seating for 1 in the reserved section for all of the Series readings
- A copy of Marlon James’ The Disappearers, Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party, and Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine, available for pickup at the venue on the night of the events or at the Inprint office afterwards
- Access to the first-served season subscriber book-signing line
- Free parking for all Series readings
- Free access to the online recording of each reading
- Recognition as a Classic Subscriber in each reading program and on the Inprint website
* Please note that select books will only be available at the event or sent via snail mail.
General Admission Tickets
General Admission Tickets
General admission tickets for in-person readings are $5 each (unchanged since 1980), except for the Inprint Colson Whitehead Reading, which will cost $35 and which includes a copy of his new book Cool Machine as part of the ticket. Tickets for each reading will go on sale via the Inprint website several weeks in advance of the event. Check each event page for specific on-sale dates.
Students and senior citizens tickets
Students and senior citizens (65+) get free access to readings upon request, except for sold-out readings and the Inprint Colson Whitehead Reading (November 12) that includes a book as part of the ticket price. Students and seniors who wish to receive free access to a reading should email info@inprint.org two weeks prior to the event; such access must be requested one event at a time. Student group tickets are also available to high school and college-level educators; please contact the Inprint office for more information about reserving a block of tickets (info@inprint.org or 713-521-2026).
Book Signings and Book Sales
Since 1980, Brazos Bookstore has served as the official bookseller for the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series. To receive a 10% discount on books by the 46th season’s featured authors, buy the featured author’s select book on the night of the reading at the Brazos Bookstore table or visit brazosbookstore.com.
We are delighted to have Kindred Stories as the bookseller for Claudia Rankine’s reading on September 14, 2026, Colson Whitehead’s reading on November 12, 2026, and Marlon James’ reading on April 12, 2027.
Select authors will sign books after the readings. Attendees who would like to have their books signed will be asked to form a line, with season subscribers given priority access to the book-signing line. Inprint reserves the right to limit the number of books an individual may have signed.
About the Series
Nationally renowned, the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series has featured more than 400 of the world’s most accomplished literary writers from 40 countries on six continents, including winners of 13 Nobel Prizes, 74 Pulitzer Prizes, 71 National Book Awards, 57 National Book Critics Circle Awards, and 20 Booker Prizes, as well as 23 U. S. Poets Laureate.
Thanks to the Inprint Brown Reading Series, participating in a book event is an exciting and enlightening part of the Houston cultural scene. Thousands of individuals attend the readings annually, and the Series continues to receive enthusiastic media coverage. Readings are held at the city’s leading performing arts venues, such as the Alley Theatre and Cullen Theater in Wortham Center in Houston’s downtown theatre district and elsewhere.
Inprint receives generous support from The Brown Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation, The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. The series is proud to hold the Margarett Root Brown name in its title. Ms. Brown, an educator who was passionate about books and literature, was one of The Brown Foundation’s directors when it was formed in 1917, and the Series aims to honor Ms. Brown’s service to Houston, her love of books, and her philanthropic support of the arts.
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the cost of general admission tickets – $5 since 1980 – has remained the best cultural bargain in town. Free rush tickets are available for students and senior citizens for most readings, and visiting writers often give free talks to area students.
To see highlights from past seasons of the Series, click here.
To see the full list of authors the Series has presented, click here.
Sponsors
