The 31st annual L.A. Times Festival of Books drew an estimated 168,000 attendees to the USC campus last weekend, making it the festival's largest iteration in recent years. Featuring over 550 authors and 350 exhibitors, the nation's largest literary celebration showcased the enduring power of storytelling through two days of packed panels and bustling exhibitor booths.
L.A. Times Festival of Books draws record 168,000 with star-studded lineup
The weekend festivities began on Friday, April 17, with the 46th annual Book Prizes, where celebrated author Amy Tan received the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement and We Need Diverse Books was given the Innovator's Award for its dedication to increasing diversity and inclusion in publishing. In a celebration of literary excellence, 13 additional Book Prizes were awarded to winners across a wide range of genres.
Over the next two days, esteemed authors and cultural luminaries, spanning literary heavyweights, performers, celebrity authors, poets, politicians and journalists, engaged in meaningful, thought-provoking conversations across the event's eight outdoor stages and 12 indoor panel rooms.
Highlights from the festival included: * Star-studded appearances from Stacey Abrams, David Archuleta, Young Bae, Garcelle Beauvais, Valerie Bertinelli, Hannah Brown, Taylor Cassidy, Cari Champion, Larry David, David Duchovny, Reza Farahan, Fab 5 Freddy, Jennie Garth, Debbie Gibson, Joey Graceffa, Emma Grede, Callie Hart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jayne Kennedy, Hayley Kiyoko, Tina Knowles, Anne Lamott, Susan Lucci, Tamika D. Mallory, Chanel Miller, Elyse Myers, Abby Phillip, Meghan Quinn, Eli Rallo, Raegan Revord, Lionel Richie, Lisa Rinna, Tom Selleck, Jurnee Smollett, Blair Underwood, Julio Vaqueiro, Wil Wheaton, Bellamy Young and many more. * Cooking demonstrations on the L.A. Times Food Stage, by content creator Cassie Yeung and actor Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira), among others. Additionally, culinary celebrity Phil Rosenthal and his daughter Lily Rosenthal discussed their new book. * A new Audiobook and Podcast Stage, presented by Spotify, which featured a diverse mix of authors, podcast hosts, industry experts and audiobook narrators. Highlights included: authors Shelby Van Pelt and S.A. Cosby; a panel with some of the most notorious romance narrators, including Tor Thom of "Heated Rivalry"; and sessions with L.A. Times Studios' "Live & Well" and "Crimes of The Times" podcast hosts. * The De Los Stage in association with L.A. Times en Español featured Spanish-language programming highlighting Latinx voices in the literary world. The lineup included children's book readings and music from Mariachi Corazon Hispano, plus panels on migration and motherhood. * The Children's Stage, presented by Epic, featured authors Mychal Threets, Danika McKellar, Max Greenfield, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, and the popular children's performers, Blippi and Meekah. * Page-to-screen highlights featured virtual appearances by literary icons: Margaret Atwood previewed Hulu's "The Testaments" and Isabel Allende joined for a screening of episode one of Prime Video's "The House of the Spirits." * An array of exhibitors, including bookstores, publishers, artists, authors and literary organizations, filled the campus. Among them were: Angel City Press, Angry Little Girls, Annabelle's Book Club L.A., Arvida Book Co., Cinephile, DIESEL, Fartsylee, Figueroa Press, HarperCollins Children's Books, Haymarket Books, Hi De Ho Comics & Books, Jane Austen Society, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Korean Cultural Center, Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, La Librería, Lil' Libros, Loni Belle, Lonnie Millisap, Macmillan Publishers, Malik Books, Melodie McBride, Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, Natalie Andrewson, PAGES: A Bookstore, Skylight Books, Small World Books, Steamy Lit, Sunny's Bookshop, The Fleuria, The Ripped Bodice, Village Well Books & Coffee, Vroman's Bookstore and Wild Sisters Book Co. * L.A. Times' "Ask a Reporter" discussions featured Times newsroom staff sharing insights from their reporting on a variety of topics. The Times' Food, Plants, Image and design teams were also onsite talking to festival-goers and showcasing merchandise and limited-run art prints. Plus, L.A. Times Games hosted an interactive hub with word puzzles and prize giveaways. For those looking to revisit the weekend's biggest moments, L.A. Times Studios' The Stream offers highlights from Saturday and Sunday, including culinary demonstrations on the L.A. Times Food Stage, celebrity authors on L.A. Times Stage, audiobook narrators on the Audiobook and Podcast Stage, presented by Spotify, as well as panel discussions on world affairs, social justice and AI from the Newman Recital Hall.
The L.A. Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. For more information and updates on next year's festival, scheduled for April 17-18, 2027, visit L.A. Times/festivalofbooks. For a look at all the literary fun, check out the Festival of Books portrait gallery or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok (#bookfest).
