Today the L.A. Times announces the lineup for the 23rd annual Festival of Books. Featured authors include Junot Diaz, Walter Mosley, Gabrielle Union, Patton Oswalt, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Joyce Carol Oates, Jorge Ramos, John Scalzi, Tayari Jones, Lawrence Wright, Rick Riordan, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Dennis Lehane, Janet Mock, Kate DiCamillo, Reza Aslan, Dave Eggers and, for the first time, Diana Gabaldon.
But that’s only scratching the surface. More than 400 authors, illustrators, performers and new media creators will participate in the two-day festival April 21-22. See the complete schedule HERE.
Gabaldon, author of the “Outlander” series, will be there on Saturday, her first appearance at the Festival of Books.
Although Eggers and Diaz are known for their literary fiction for adults, both are coming to Los Angeles to present their books for children; Diaz’ is “Islandborn” and Eggers’, “The Lifters.”
Riordan, famous for his own kids book series, will come to the festival with an author he is publishing with his imprint at Disney: Roshani Chokshi, who is launching her new Pandava adventure series.
Some favorite young adult authors coming to the festival include Melissa de la Cruz, Gayle Forman, Nic Stone, Marie Lu, Maureen Johnson, Gloria Chao, Robin Benway, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.
L.A. Times critcs at large Nguyen and Alexander Chee will be in conversation (Chee’s upcoming book is the memoir “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel”); critic at large Rebecca Carroll will interview novelist Jones, Oprah’s latest pick for her book club; and critic at large Scalzi, whose upcoming novel is “Head On,” will be in conversation with actor and writer Wil Wheaton.
Discussions of politics, activism and America in the age of President Trump will include Sarah Kendzior, David Cay Johnston, co-authors David Corn and Michael Isikoff, broadcaster Ramos, activists Paola Mendoza and Patrisse Kahn-Cullors, all of whom have new books.
Also talking about their books are actors Union, Vivica A. Fox, Ed Asner, Jenna Fischer, Mike Epps and Leslie Odom Jr. Valerie Bertinelli will appear on the cooking stage for her new cookbook.
Musician Viv Albertine of the Slits will join a discussion about women changing culture; chef Edward Lee will be discussing America and food; Erwin Chemerinsky discusses our endangered Constitution; Justina Blakeney will talk about bohemian home design; Tim O’Reilly talks about business innovation; Antonio Damasio will talk about writing about big science ideas; Caitlin Doughty tells us what we should know about death and Geoff Dyer will talk about photography and narrative.
Mystery writers who will participate include Mosley, Lehane, Attica Locke, T. Jefferson Parker, Ryan Gattis, Joe Ide, Lee Goldberg, Stuart Woods, Naomi Hirahara and Ivy Pochoda.
Other writers coming to the festival include novelists Jenny Zhang, Edan Lepucki, Luis Alberto Urrea, Leni Zumas, Claire Messud, Victor La Valle, Madeline Miller and Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi; popular historians Mark Bowden and Yunte Huang; poets David St. John and Carol Muske-Dukes, graphic novelist Mimi Pond and hundreds more.
The event takes place on the campus of USC, where entrance is free. Presale passes, which include entry to ticketed events, are available for sale beginning today; on April 15, individual event tickets will go on sale.