With only five Literary Landmark sites designated in our great and vast state, the Texas Center for the Book (TCFB) launched the 2021 Literary Landmark Roundup to double the number of landmarks in Texas.

TCFB is seeking nominations from libraries, historical associations, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, museums, and literary societies, among others. Literary Landmarks are special places located across the country that attract tourists, book lovers, and history buffs and serve to educate the public about the important literary works and history in their state. The Summerlee Foundation is making this special push for more landmarks possible by providing funds for the application fee, which also includes cost of the foundry-made Literary Landmark plaque.

The first step in this process is identifying a site in your community that could be a Literary Landmark. A Literary Landmark is a location tied to a deceased literary figure, author(s), or their work. It could be an author’s home or birthplace, a library where work was crafted or is housed, an author’s burial site, a special place where literary figures met and discoursed, or an establishment where an author worked or did research. Feel free to be creative.

The second step is collecting the information needed to nominate a Literary Landmark for the Literary Landmark Roundup. If you have a site for consideration, you must provide the following as part of your nomination:

1. Site location/description
2. Background material that corroborates the role of the site
3. Bibliography of author’s or authors’ work and related writings
4. List of organizations, groups, or individuals who will be responsible for the site and guarantee its continued designation
5. The outline of plans for a dedication ceremony (in person or virtual), including potential sponsors, speakers, special guests, performances, and site tours
6. Strategy for publicizing the dedication
7. Ideas for educational programs and materials

The deadline for Literary Landmark Roundup nominations is Feb. 8, 2021. Nominations should be submitted using the nomination form on the TCFB website.

By March 15, 2021, the five selected sites will be notified of their acceptance in the Literary Landmark Roundup. These qualifying sites will receive funding and support to finalize their Literary Landmark. With assistance from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), the Literary Landmark Roundup recipients must submit their official application to United for Libraries, the national organization that administers the program, by May 1, 2021.

Once sites are approved, TSLAC will pay the required fees to United for Libraries and will begin working with local organizations to finalize the plaque language in conjunction with the planning for the dedication ceremony. TSLAC will place the order for the Literary Landmark plaque and will also pay for the plaque order.

If you have questions, need more information, or if you would like to discuss the prospect of a potential literary landmark, please contact the TCFB at (512) 463-5460 or cftb@tsl.texas.gov.

Check out the Literary Landmarks across the country by state at the United for Libraries website. Read about TSLAC's own Literary Landmark, dedicated in 2009.