Many stories. One weekend.
Find your spark at the 2024 L.A. Times Festival of Books, April 20-21 on the USC campus.
General admission is free and the festival will also feature ticketed events with authors and celebrities.
Explore this year’s indoor and outdoor events including over 200 conversations and performances, book signings, cooking demos, poetry readings, bilingual programming and more.
Saturday, Apr 20
L.A. Times Main Stage Emcee: Stuart K Robinson
10:00 AM
L.A. Times Main Stage
Do the Right Thing: Social Justice and Dystopias in Young Adult Fiction
10:00 AM
YA Stage
Paula Yoo, Sharon Levin, Kim Johnson, Jennifer Baker
Lynne Thompson, reading from 'Blue on a Blue Palette'
10:00 AM
Poetry Stage
Lynne Thompson
Festival Kickoff with the Trojan Marching Band
10:00 AM
USC Stage
Trojan Marching Band
Children's Stage Emcee: Andrew & Polly
10:00 AM
Children's Stage
Andrew & Polly
Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham, author & illustrator of 'Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn'
10:15 AM
Children's Stage
LeUyen Pham, Shannon Hale
Maggie Milner, reading from 'Couplets: A Love Story'
10:20 AM
Poetry Stage
Maggie Millner
Ask a Reporter: The Immigrant Experience - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Liz Hamel, Drishti Pillai, Kiran Saluja, Brittny Mejia
Standouts in Audio: A Conversation with the Audiobook Award Finalists - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Norris Theatre
Maria Bamford, Dion Graham, Diana Dapito, Helen Laser, Adam Lazarre-White, and 3 more...
The Never-Ending Plague: Guns in America - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall
Celeste Fremon, Cameron McWhirter, Ieva Jusionyte, Zusha Elinson
George Stephanopoulos, author of 'The Situation Room,' in conversation with Lorraine Ali - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Bovard Auditorium
George Stephanopoulos, Lorraine Ali
Religion in the Public Sphere - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Wallis Annenberg Hall Presented by USC
Diane Winston, Varun Soni, Duncan Ryƫken Williams, Sherman Jackson
Hora de cuentos con la Biblioteca Pública de Los Ángeles
10:30 AM
Latinidad Stage
Los Angeles Public Library Librarians
L.A. Times Book Club Presents: Abraham Verghese, author of 'The Covenant of Water,' in conversation with Miwa Messer - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Town and Gown
Abraham Verghese, Miwa Messer
Max Greenfield, author of 'I Don't Want To Read This Book Aloud,' in conversation with Samantha Melbourneweaver
10:30 AM
L.A. Times Main Stage
Max Greenfield, Samantha Melbourneweaver
Writing in Public - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Seeley G. Mudd 123
Hari Kunzru, David L. Ulin, Maggie Nelson
Crafting Romance Across Time and Genre - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Taper Hall 201
Jesse Q. Sutanto, Felicia Grossman, Claire Legrand, Emma R. Alban, Katie P. Streit
Drawing the Story: A Conversation on Graphic Novels - Tickets Required
10:30 AM
Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre
Tracy Brown, Sammy Harkham, Emily Carroll, Katie Skelly
Simon Shieh, reading from 'Master: Poems'
10:40 AM
Poetry Stage
Simon Shieh
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, author of 'Dr. Ochoa's Stellar World: Arts'
10:50 AM
Children's Stage
Ellen Ochoa
Welcome to the Underworld: Crime, Gangsters, and Hitmen - Tickets Required
11:00 AM
Seeley G. Mudd 124
Susan Straight, Gary Phillips, Lou Berney, Joe Ide, Tod Goldberg
Fiction: The Political is Personal - Tickets Required
11:00 AM
Hoffman Hall, Edison Auditorium
Ben Fountain, Ed Park, Lydia Kiesling, Vinson Cunningham, Carolyn Kellogg
11:00 AM
K. Iver, reading from 'Short Film Starring My Beloved's Red Bronco'
Poetry Stage
K. Iver
Science Writing: Unraveling the Big Questions - Tickets Required
11:00 AM
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Rebecca Boyle, Eugenia Cheng, Jaime Green, Daniel Lewis, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Jeff and Jordan Kim, 'Cooking with the CrunchBros,' Cooking Demo
11:00 AM
Cooking Stage
The CrunchBros
11:00 AM
All Hell Breaks Loose: Chaos and Camaraderie in Contemporary Fiction - Tickets Required
Taper Hall 101
Clare Mackintosh, Meg Shaffer, David Francis, Elle Cosimano, Jennifer Croft
Fiction: When Work Gets Weird - Tickets Required
11:00 AM
Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Ben H Winters, John Scalzi, Tim Blake Nelson, Jesse Andrews
Lil' Libros
11:05 AM
Latinidad Stage
YAF (musical performance—jazz, funk, R&B)
11:10 AM
USC Stage
Yafeu Tyhimba
Dean Rader, reading from 'Before the Borderless: Dialogues with the Art of Cy Twombly'
11:20 AM
Poetry Stage
Dean Rader
Discovering Your Voice: Race & Gender in Young Adult Fiction
11:20 AM
YA Stage
Samira Ahmed, Olivia A. Cole, Sarah Myer, Renée Watson, Julia Torres
Bess Kalb, author of 'Buffalo Fluffalo'
11:20 AM
Children's Stage
Bess Kalb
Cyrus Cassells, reading from 'Is There Room for Another Horse on Your Horse Ranch?'
11:40 AM
Poetry Stage
Cyrus Cassells
Ask A Reporter: Our Climate Change Challenge - Tickets Required
11:45 AM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Russ Mitchell, Rosanna Xia, Sammy Roth
Hollywood Representation
11:45 AM
Latinidad Stage
Ana-Christina Ramón, Christopher Rivas, Luis I. Reyes
Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran, author & illustrator of 'Piper Chen Sings' in conversation with Jenny Gold
11:50 AM
Children's Stage
Maris Pasquale Doran, Phillipa Soo, Jenny Gold
Arts & Culture: Live Your Best Life, Girl - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Town and Gown
Jamie Kern Lima, Tinx, London Hughes, Kailyn Brown
The 2024 Election--Politics, Media, and Culture - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Wallis Annenberg Hall Presented by USC
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Brett Carter, Roberto Suro, Manuel Pastor, Erin Baggott Carter
Middle Grade Superstars - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Norris Theatre
Donna Barba Higuera, Lois Lowry, Aida Salazar, Robin Benway
Science Fiction: Strange & Sublime Stories - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Taper Hall 201
Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Daniel Kraus, Bora Chung, E. Lily Yu
Out of Office: The Workplace Comedy-Drama in Contemporary Fiction - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre
Molly McGhee, Amy E Wallen, Sarah Rose Etter, Adelle Waldman
Shelley Wong, reading from 'As She Appears'
12:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Shelley Wong
This is Your Brain on Art: Cultural Critics Speak on Life, Art & Society - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 123
Adriana E. Ramírez, Amanda Montell, Claire Dederer, Myriam Gurba, Geoffrey Mak
Biography: Compelling & Revealing Portraits of the Past - Tickets Required
12:00 PM
Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall
Gregg Hecimovich, Jonny Steinberg, Elizabeth R. Varon
My Betsy (musical performance—indie folk/rock)
12:20 PM
USC Stage
My Betsy
Sabotage: Democracy, Disinformation, and Conspiracies - Tickets Required
12:30 PM
Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Mark Z. Barabak, Stuart Stevens, Carlos Lozada, Barbara McQuade, Robin Reames
Royal Biographies: You Can Call Me Queen (or King) Bee - Tickets Required
12:30 PM
Taper Hall 101
Leah Redmond Chang, Sally Bedell Smith, Jane Marguerite Tippett, Patt Morrison
Screening of 'Will Trent,' followed by a Conversation with Author and Creators, Presented by ABC - RSVP Required
12:30 PM
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Liz Heldens, Karin Slaughter, Daniel Thomsen
Ideas Exchange: RuPaul, author of 'The House of Hidden Meanings' - Tickets Required
12:30 PM
Bovard Auditorium
RuPaul, Matt Brennan
Gender Bending: Sexuality, Metamorphosis, and Identity in Fiction - Tickets Required
12:30 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 124
Alvina Chamberland, Anna Dorn, James Frankie Thomas, Alex Espinoza
Jenny Martinez, 'My Mexican Mesa, Y Listo!,' Cooking Demo
12:30 PM
Cooking Stage
Jenny Martinez
Broken: America's Flawed Child Welfare System - Tickets Required
12:30 PM
Hoffman Hall, Edison Auditorium
Roxanna Asgarian, Jeff Hobbs, Charity Chandler-Cole, Dr., Mark Daley
L.A. Times Book Prize Poetry Finalist Roundtable
12:30 PM
Poetry Stage
K. Iver, Airea D. Matthews, Maggie Millner, Jenny Molberg, Simon Shieh, and 1 more...
Station Little & Friends
12:35 PM
Children's Stage
Stefan Benz, Jordan Cairo, Ally Lewber, Lil' Eddie, Coco Quinn, and 1 more...
Lectura en español
12:40 PM
Latinidad Stage
Luis García Martín, Carla Guelfenbein, Marisol Schulz Manaut
Ordinary Kids, Extraordinary Adventures in Middle Grade Fiction
12:40 PM
YA Stage
David Anthony Durham, Alyson Gerber, Iva-Marie Palmer, Justine Pucella Winans, Gillian Engberg
Sophia Bush and Kerri Kolen Discuss 'Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver'
12:50 PM
L.A. Times Main Stage
Sophia Bush, Kerri Kolen
Ask A Reporter: The Best West Coast Experiences - Tickets Required
1:00 PM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Michelle Woo, Christopher Reynolds
Sarah Maclay, reading from 'Nightfall Marginalia'
1:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Sarah Maclay
Dora Wang, author of 'Pocket Peaches'
1:05 PM
Children's Stage
Dora Wang
Craig Santos Perez, reading from 'from unincorporated territory [åmot]'
1:20 PM
Poetry Stage
Craig Santos Perez
Poetry Reading
1:20 PM
Latinidad Stage
Politics and History: Roots of Black Resistance - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall
Blair LM Kelley, Adam Shatz, Bettina L. Love, Nikki M. Taylor, Carla Hall
The Kids Are All Right: Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Taper Hall 201
Amber McBride, Renee Roberson-Tecco, Ream Shukairy, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Love & Friendship: Miranda July & Maggie Nelson in Conversation with Jessica Ferri, in partnership with USC Arts Now - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Town and Gown
Maggie Nelson, Jessica Ferri, Miranda July
Small Towns, Big Crimes in Noir and Crime Fiction - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Norris Theatre
Jeffrey Fleishman, Brian Panowich, Jahmal Mayfield, S. A. Cosby
Fiction: Women (and Men) on the Edge - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 123
Elizabeth Crane, Elizabeth McKenzie, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, J. Ryan Stradal, Sarah Tomlinson
Los Troyanos de USC Mariachi
1:30 PM
USC Stage
Los Troyanos de USC Mariachi, Eduardo Cardenas
Stories of Resistance and Protest - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Wallis Annenberg Hall Presented by USC
Wolf Gruner, Allissa V. Richardson, Susan H. Kamei, Hajar Yazdiha
Got Books? Why Reading Matters - Tickets Required
1:30 PM
Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre
Rebecca Constantino, Shannon Reed
David Shannon, author of 'No, David! 25th Anniversary Edition'
1:35 PM
Children's Stage
David Shannon
Street Vendors: A Core Part of L.A.’s Culture
1:35 PM
Latinidad Stage
Rocio Rosales, Soudi Jiménez
Jenny Molberg, reading from 'The Court of No Record: Poems'
1:40 PM
Poetry Stage
Jenny Molberg
Fiction: Desire, Love, and Identity - Tickets Required
2:00 PM
Hoffman Hall, Edison Auditorium
Stephen Buoro, Xochitl Gonzalez, Khashayar J Khabushani, Dinika Amaral
Airea D. Matthews, reading from 'Bread and Circus: Poems'
2:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Airea D. Matthews
AutobioGRAPHICal Storytelling: Real Life on the Page - Tickets Required
2:00 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 124
Derek M. Ballard, Maria Bamford, Scott Marvel Cassidy, Mariko Tamaki, Deborah Vankin
Middle Grade Fiction: Girls Run The World
2:00 PM
YA Stage
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Rachael Briner, Kekla Magoon, Jennifer Chen, Meghan Boehman
Does A.I. Dream of Electric Sheep? AI and Technology in Contemporary Society - Tickets Required
2:00 PM
Taper Hall 101
Joanne McNeil, Brian Merchant, Malcolm Harris
Josh Scherer, 'Rhett & Link Present: The Mythical Cookbook,' Cooking Demo
2:00 PM
Cooking Stage
Josh Scherer
Henry Winkler, author of 'Being Henry,' in conversation with Mary McNamara - Tickets Required
2:00 PM
Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Mary McNamara, Henry Winkler
Tamron Hall, author of 'Watch Where They Hide,' in conversation with LZ Granderson
2:00 PM
L.A. Times Main Stage
LZ Granderson, Tamron Hall
Elle Duncan, author of 'For You I Will'
2:05 PM
Children's Stage
Elle Duncan
Ask a Reporter: Inside the L.A. Times News Quiz - Tickets Required
2:15 PM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Adam Tschorn, Matthew Ballinger
Kristina Marie Darling, reading from 'Daylight Has Already Come: Selected Poems'
2:20 PM
Poetry Stage
Kristina Marie Darling
Short Stories: A Slice of Life - Tickets Required
2:30 PM
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Shannon Sanders, Bennett Sims, Ghassan Zeineddine, Lisa Teasley, Antoine Wilson
Salina Yoon, author of 'Penguin and Ollie'
2:35 PM
Children's Stage
Salina Yoon
Self Care for Latinos: When Prioritizing Wellness Becomes a Radical Decision
2:35 PM
Latinidad Stage
Adriana Alejandre, Mariel Buqué, Dr., Raquel Reichard, Paloma Esquivel
Katie Farris, reading from 'Standing in the Forest of Being Alive'
2:40 PM
Poetry Stage
Katie Farris
Sofia Gomez (musical performance—pop, singer/songwriter)
2:40 PM
USC Stage
Sofia Gomez
'Turtles All the Way Down' Screening + Panel With John Green and Special Guests, presented by Max - RSVP Required
3:00 PM
Bovard Auditorium
Isabela Merced, Cree, John Green, Felix Mallard, Hannah Marks, and 1 more...
Jonathan Lethem & Jane Smiley in conversation with Karen Grigsby Bates - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Town and Gown
Jonathan Lethem, Jane Smiley, Karen Grigsby Bates
All in the Family: Mysteries Close to Home - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Taper Hall 201
Angie Kim, Cheryl A. Head, Oline H Cogdill, Naomi Hirahara
Screen Time: Television, Society, and Identity - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Wallis Annenberg Hall Presented by USC
Karen Tongson, Anthony Sparks, Tara Lyn McPherson, David Craig
Un-Whitewashed: Conversations on Radical Reparations, Race, and Retelling History - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Norris Theatre
Michele Norris, Marcus Anthony Hunter, Tyrone Beason, Michael Harriot
World Affairs: International Relations Across the Globe - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall
Nathan Thrall, Scott Kraft, Jonathan Blitzer, Steven Coll
Hell Hath No Fury: Powerful Women in Crime Fiction - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 123
Amina Akhtar, Jessica Knoll, K.T. Nguyen, Karin Slaughter, Natashia Deón
California State of Mind: Publishing in the West - Tickets Required
3:00 PM
Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre
Michelle Tea, Steve Wasserman, Kate Gale, Chris Heiser, Laura Cogan
Lynn Emanuel, reading from 'Transcript of the Disappearance, Exact and Diminishing'
3:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Lynn Emanuel
Raj Haldar, author of 'This Book Is Banned'
3:05 PM
Children's Stage
Raj Haldar
Kerry Washington, author of 'Thicker than Water: A Memoir,' in conversation with Erika D. Smith
3:10 PM
L.A. Times Main Stage
Erika D. Smith, Kerry Washington
Poetry Reading
3:20 PM
Latinidad Stage
Melania Luisa Marte
A Whole New World: Kids Exploring the World Around Them in Middle Grade Fiction
3:20 PM
YA Stage
Chanel Miller, Rachel Renée Russell, Nikki Russell, Claudette S. McLinn, Booki Vivat
A Van Jordan, reading from 'When I Waked, I Cried To Dream Again'
3:20 PM
Poetry Stage
A Van Jordan
Ask A Reporter: Meet the Editorial Board - Tickets Required
3:30 PM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Mariel Garza, Kerry Cavanaugh, Tony Barboza, Carla Hall, Robert Greene
Game On: Money & Power in Sports - Tickets Required
3:30 PM
Hoffman Hall, Edison Auditorium
Russ Bengtson, Macaela MacKenzie, Keith O'Brien, Dylan Hernández
Fiction: New Perspectives on Genre Writing - Tickets Required
3:30 PM
Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Tananarive Due, Walter Mosley, Paula L. Woods
Science: Climate Change isn't Fiction, Presented by Getty PST Art - Tickets Required
3:30 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 124
Jeff Goodell, Dan Egan, Sammy Roth, Edward Humes, Rosanna Xia
Thicker Than Water: Modern Families, Modern Problems - Tickets Required
3:30 PM
Taper Hall 101
Scott O'Connor, Ruth Madievsky, Justin Taylor, Alexandra Tanner, Edan Lepucki
Gianluca Conte (QCP), 'Italian/American: It's a QCP cookbook, betch!,' Cooking Demo
3:30 PM
Cooking Stage
Gianluca Conte (QCP)
Fútbol en Los Ángeles (Spanish)
3:35 PM
Latinidad Stage
Catherine Dávila, Jad El Reda
Michelle Knudsen, author of 'Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten'
3:35 PM
Children's Stage
Michelle Knudsen
Sam Sax, reading from 'Pig'
3:40 PM
Poetry Stage
Sam Sax
GRL! (musical performance—indie folk/rock)
3:50 PM
USC Stage
GRL!
Paisley Rekdal, reading from 'West: A Translation'
4:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Paisley Rekdal
Food Memoir: Cooks with Books - Tickets Required
4:00 PM
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Joan Nathan, Rosa Jackson, Klancy Miller, Laurie Ochoa
Meera Sriram, author 'The Spice Box'
4:05 PM
Children's Stage
Meera Sriram
Mag Gabbert, reading from 'SEX DEPRESSION ANIMALS'
4:20 PM
Poetry Stage
Mag Gabbert
Ed Begley Jr., author of 'To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It!,' in conversation with Thomas Curwen
4:20 PM
L.A. Times Main Stage
Ed Begley Jr., Thomas Curwen
Setting the Scene for Change: The Future of Theatre - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Wallis Annenberg Hall Presented by USC
Luis Alfaro, Sharon Marie Carnicke, Rena M. Heinrich, Snehal Desai, Maureen Weiss
Ed Zwick, author of 'Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions,' in conversation with Dinah Lenney - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Town and Gown
Ed Zwick, Dinah Lenney
American Dreams and Nightmares: The Life of the American Suburb - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall
Becky Nicolaides, Tracie McMillan, Laura Meckler, Benjamin Herold, Miriam Pawel
Fiction: You Know What They Say About Happy Families - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Taper Hall 201
Nell Freudenberger, Kate Christensen, Heather Scott Partington, Mona Simpson
Los Angeles on the Page: Memoirs & Stories - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Seeley G. Mudd 123
Jim Newton, Zev Yaroslavsky, David Kipen
Haunted: The Contemporary Gothic Novel - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Norris Theatre
Johnny Compton, Alix E Harrow, Sarah Langan, Ashley Winstead, Leslie S Klinger
Making Your Debut: First-Time Romance Authors - Tickets Required
4:30 PM
Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre
Yulin Kuang, Etta Easton, Kelcie Pegher, Myah Ariel, Page Powars
Storytime with the Los Angeles Public Library
4:35 PM
Children's Stage
Los Angeles Public Library Librarians
Middle Grade Fiction: Ghosts, Spirits, and Other Realms
4:40 PM
YA Stage
Jonathan Hunt, Agnes Lee, Anne Ursu, Greg van Eekhout
Marsha de la O, reading from 'Creature'
4:40 PM
Poetry Stage
Marsha de la O
Ask A Reporter: Meet the Company Town Team - Tickets Required
4:45 PM
Mudd Hall 203 (Ask a Reporter)
Meg James, Stacy Perman, Richard Verrier
Adeline Jean (musical performance—rock, pop, soul)
5:00 PM
USC Stage
Adeline Jean
Katherine Coles, reading from 'Ghost Apples'
5:00 PM
Poetry Stage
Katharine Coles
Zohreh & Susie Ghahremani, author & illustrator of 'The Memory Garden'
5:05 PM
Children's Stage
Zohreh Ghahremani, Susie Ghahremani
Timothy Donnelly, reading from 'Chariot'
5:20 PM
Poetry Stage
Timothy Donnelly
Performance: Elena Secota and local musicians
5:40 PM
Poetry Stage
Elena Secota
Date: April 20-21, 2024
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