The L.A. Times Festival of Books is back for another year of readings, discussions, panels, signings and demonstrations featuring an eclectic lineup of authors including filmmaker Miranda July, actors Kerry Washington and Lauren Graham, drag star RuPaul, reality TV personality Ariana Madix and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen.
On Wednesday, The Times released a list of more than 550 speakers and authors to be featured at the annual event, scheduled for April 20 and 21 on the USC campus.
Other notable authors and personalities appearing over the weekend include Maggie Nelson, Lance Bass, Ed Begley Jr., Maria Bamford, Blippi, Sophia Bush, Tiffany Haddish, Jonathan Lethem, Lois Lowry, Octavia Spencer, George Stephanopoulos, Amber and Russ Tamblyn, Hector Tobar, Henry Winkler, Radhi Devlukia, John Green, Tamron Hall, Hayley Kiyoko and Ed Zwick.
After a year’s hiatus, this year’s festival will see the return of the cooking stage and with it an assemblage of well-known chefs, internet personalities and cookbook authors, including Mozza’s Nancy Silverton, whose cookbook “The Cookie That Changed My Life” came out late last year, and actor Tiffani Thiessen with her cookbook about upping your leftovers game, “Here We Go Again.”
Three special ticketed events are on offer. RuPaul will be part of The Times’ Ideas Exchange series, and will discuss his new memoir, “The House of Hidden Meanings.” James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés will also partake in an Ideas Exchange conversation about his new cookbook, “Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon.” Finally, Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor will preview their upcoming book, “Democracy or Else.” Their talk is being presented in partnership with Crooked Media/Pod Save America.
Book to Screen events include the Max feature film “Turtles All the Way Down,” which will debut on the streaming service in May. Author John Green , director Hannah Marks and cast members will participate in a panel discussion following the screening. Next, author Karin Slaughter and the showrunners for ABC’s “Will Trent” will be on hand for an episode screening of the police procedural. There will also be a screening of Hulu’s eight-part drama series “Queenie,” based on Candice Carty-Williams’ eponymous novel, scheduled to premiere in June.
The L.A. Times en Español Stage is now the Latinidad Stage, and is being produced by The Times’ Español and De Los teams. This stage will feature a wide variety of programming including children’s readings, conversations about fútbol with Angel City FC, a 30th anniversary celebration of the 1993 cult crime classic “Blood In Blood Out” with director Taylor Hackford, and a conversation with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Valentina in an event titled “Everything Latinidad: Challenging the Myth of the Monolith.”
The fest will kick off with the annual L.A. Times Book Prize Awards ceremony on April 19. The event will honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement and present Access Books with the Innovator’s Award. It recognizes outstanding literary achievements in 13 categories, including a new prize for achievement in audiobook production.
