Close the novel and open your tote bag. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is right around the corner.
This weekend, the festival will be returning for its 31st year. Held at USC, the event honors storytellers across genres, hosting readings, screenings and performances. It kicks off with The Times’ Book Prizes ceremony Friday night, followed by two days of literary fervor.
What is the Festival of Books?
The Festival of Books is a yearly celebration of authors in California. It began in 1996 and has evolved into a staple of spring in Los Angeles. The event includes panels and booths featuring artists, publishers and authors; book signings; musical performances; film screenings; and poetry readings. It showcases content across genres, from storybook readings at the Children’s Stage to cooking demonstrations at the Food Stage.
Who will be speaking?
The festival will host more than 550 storytellers, with “Ask a Reporter” panels and interviews with celebrities like multihyphenate businesswoman (and Beyoncé’s mother) Tina Knowles.
On Saturday, actor Sarah Jessica Parker will join author Alexandra Oliva at the festival to discuss Oliva’s new novel “The Radiant Dark” from Parker’s SJP Lit, an imprint from the independent publisher Zando. TV personality Lisa Rinna will “own it” and get candid about her new memoir, “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.”
On Sunday, singer Lionel Richie will sit down with Times pop music critic Mikael Wood to discuss Richie’s new memoir, “Truly,” as part of the Ideas Exchange speaker series. You can also catch Larry David and Times news and culture critic Lorraine Ali talking about Ali’s new book, “No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Other notable personalities include: Pat Benatar, Blippi, Mark Harmon, David Duchovny, Susan Lucci, Jennie Garth, Hannah Brown, Anne Lamott, Chanel Miller, Stephanie Garber, Jon Klassen, Mac Barnett, Meghan Quinn, Hayley Kiyoko, Megan McDonald, Elyse Myers, Eli Rallo, Raegan Revord and Molly Jong-Fast.
Do I need a ticket?
General admission to the festival is free. Programs at the outdoor stages do not require tickets. You can purchase tickets for indoor panels and screenings online. Attendees must be seated 10 minutes before the panel’s start time, or they risk losing their seat. Indoor events will have a standby line that does not require tickets; however, there is no guarantee you will be seated.
Attendees can also purchase the Friends of the Festival package, which includes 50% off general admission to ticketed events, four tickets to the Book Prizes ceremony, a poster from the festival, 15% off festival merchandise and four months of free digital access to The Times. The Friends of the Festival+ package is also available, with the added benefits of a Festival mug, six tickets to the Book Prizes ceremony and valet parking.
What is the Book Prize?
The 46th annual L.A. Times Book Prizes, held Friday at Bovard Auditorium, recognize 61 works across 13 categories in addition to two achievement awards. This year the ceremony will honor “The Joy Luck Club” author Amy Tan with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement and We Need Diverse Books with the Innovator’s Award.
What’s new this year?
The event will debut the Audiobook and Podcast Stage presented by Spotify. The stage will host personalities like “Remarkably Bright Creatures” author Shelby Van Pelt, and panels with book narrators Dominic Hoffman, January LaVoy, Julia Whelan, Scott Brick and Karen Grigsby Bates.
What are the other stages?
In addition to the Audiobook and Podcast Stage, the festival hosts the Poetry Stage, L.A. Times Stage, Children’s Stage, YA Stage, USC Stage, De Los Stage and Food Stage.
How do I get there?
The closest freeway exit to USC is the 110 onto Exposition Boulevard. After exiting, you’ll see the campus on the right-hand side. You may also exit the 10 on Vermont south to Jefferson Boulevard.
To access the festival by Metro, take the E Line (Gold) and get off at the Expo Park/USC Station, or take the J Line (Silver) to 37th St/USC stop.
Where can I park?
Event parking is $25 and is completely cashless. Parking is available in the Jefferson, USC Shrine, Figueroa, Downey and Grand Avenue garages. The Downey and Figueroa structures are open to first-come, first-served sales, but you can purchase prepaid parking for the Shrine, Grand Avenue and Jefferson structures.
Pro tip: If you’d like to brave street parking, take a spin down Ellendale Place or Menlo Avenue to check for open spots.
What will The Times’ booths feature?
The L.A. Times Plants Booth will be giving away hundreds of four-inch plants, plant-inspired stickers and packets of sunflower seeds and California poppy seeds if you sign up for the Plants newsletter. Experts from the California Native Plant Society and the Theodore Payne Foundation will also be working the booth, answering questions about California gardening, and offering visitors opportunities to stop and smell their flowers.
Image will be giving away copies of the magazine, and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, love advice columnist Goth Shakira will be holding free astrology readings. You can also purchase tickets to Image’s “Ask a Reporter” panel on Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
The Times art department will sell limited-run posters and zines, alongside poster giveaways to current and new subscribers. From 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, illustrator Luke McGarry will be meeting fans, and Sunday from noon to 1 p.m., Todd Martens will be speaking to visitors about his new newsletter about theme parks.
The Food department will host several cookbook authors, including Joanne Lee Molinaro, Joshua Farrell, Ifrah F. Ahmed, Tara Punzone and Roxana Jullapat on Saturday, and Arnold Myint, Maxine Sharf, Pyet DeSpain, Jorge Gaviria, Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth on Sunday. The team will be offering merch that includes tote bags, spices, sweatshirts, aprons and zines.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.latimes.com ’
