The festival will return to USC April 23-24 with hundreds of authors, experts and storytellers, including Amanda Gorman, Josh Peck, Valerie Bertinelli, Terry Crews, Ziggy Marley, Tony Alva, Roxane Gay, Amor Towles, Lisa See, Billy Porter and Don Winslow
The Los Angeles Times today announced the lineup for the Festival of Books, the nation’s largest literary festival, to be held the weekend of April 23-24 at the University of Southern California. More than 500 writers, musicians, artists and chefs, hundreds of exhibitors and an expected 150,000 attendees will transform the 226-acre campus into a vibrant cultural festival in the heart of the Downtown Arts and Education Corridor.
Amanda Gorman, Valerie Bertinelli, Meena Harris, Ziggy Marley, Terry Crews, David Duchovny, Justine Bateman, Megan Abbott, Kelly Rowland, Adam Schiff, Rachel Lindsay, T.C. Boyle, Billy Porter, Michael Connelly, Veronica Roth, Attica Locke, Josh Peck, Chrishell Stause, Father Greg Boyle, Rumaan Alam, Tony Alva, Amelia Brodka, Alton Brown, Janelle Brown, Mark Harris, DJ Envy, Jean Chen Ho, S.A. Cosby, Eric Dickerson, Akwaeke Emezi, Jonathan Franzen, Roxane Gay, Sharon Gless, Max Greenfield, Jasmine Guillory, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Ali Hazelwood, Craig Johnson, Laila Lalami, Jonathan Lethem, Casey McQuiston, Nnedi Okorafor, Imani Perry, John Scalzi, Gina Schock, Michael Schur, Lisa See, Clint Smith, Hector Tobar, Amor Towles, Kenneth Turan, Marcela Valladolid, Claire Vaye Watkins, Joy Williams, Ibi Zoboi and Don Winslow are scheduled to appear, along with others to be announced in the coming weeks.
“In its 27th year, the Festival of Books continues to celebrate the diversity of voices and forms of storytelling that enrich all of our lives,” said Anna Magzanyan, Los Angeles Times head of strategy and revenue and chief of staff to the executive chairman. “We’re thrilled to welcome everyone to one of L.A.’s most beloved community events.”
The festival will also feature an installment of the Ideas Exchange speaker series. On Saturday, April 23, singer-songwriter and actress Janelle Monáe will appear in conversation with The Times to discuss her upcoming short fiction collection, “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer.” This event will be ticketed with VIP packages available.
Additional festival highlights:
8 outdoor stages and activity areas: L.A. Times Main Stage, L.A. Times en Español Stage, Cooking Stage, Poetry Stage, Children’s Stage, USC Stage, USC Friends and Neighbors Stage and YA Stage
Celebrity authors, family-friendly entertainment, cooking demonstrations, Spanish-language programming, live music and poetry readings
Dozens of expert panels on a variety of subjects ranging from politics to pop culture
More than 250 exhibitors with books and merchandise for sale, activities and giveaways
Musical performances, food trucks and more
As a prologue to the festival, on the evening of Friday, April 22, The Times’ 42nd annual Book Prizes will honor Luis J. Rodriguez with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, Reginald Dwayne Betts with the Innovator’s Award and 12 outstanding literary works published last year.
ADVERTISING
The 27th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. Admission to the festival is free. Friend of the Festival packages (advance ticket packages), which include reservations for indoor conversations, weekend parking and festival merchandise, among other exclusives, are available for purchase now. Individual conversation tickets will be available April 17th. Schedule, location, ticket and transportation information can be found on the festival website with updates and highlights available on the Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram feeds (#bookfest).
