The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

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 Ryūken 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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