What to check out at the Louisiana Book Festival this month

From left, Jessica McDaniel, Josh Hill and Stephanie Roan of East Baton Rouge Parish Library give out information about library programs at last year’s festival. Wil Norwood

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The Louisiana Book Festival returns this year with literary treats for the whole family. Adults will find many of their favorite authors speaking at the State Library and State Capitol and signing books, while Focus on the Youth events will provide plenty of activities for teens and kids.

As always, expect to see plenty of celebrated Louisiana authors at the festival.

Tom Piazza will receive this year’s Louisiana Writer Award and will also speak about his new novel, A Free State (read an interview with Piazza here). Baton Rouge locals M.O. Walsh and Missy Wilkinson will speak and sign their books—My Sunshine Away and Destroying Angel, respectively—as will LSU professor Randolph Thomas with his book of stories, Dispensations. Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Leavell Haymon will moderate two panels, including a discussion of the work of incoming Louisiana Poet Laureate Jack Cooley.

Several panels will highlight important milestones and anniversaries throughout the day. The Southern Review will mark the end of its 80th anniversary year, and LSU’s creative writing program will celebrate 30 years. Of course, there will be several authors and books representing the decade since Hurricane Katrina, including John Biguenet’s Rising Water trilogy of plays and the photography of David Spielman in The Katrina Decade.

This year’s One Book One Festival selection is the controversial Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee’s early draft of what became To Kill a Mockingbird, with a community discussion of the book to take place at the festival.

And because no festival in Louisiana would be a festival without excellent food and live music, food vendors and a music stage will provide the perfect break between panels.

The festival is a giant annual undertaking that attracts plenty of out-of-state visitors. For information about volunteer opportunities and the schedule of author appearances, go to louisianabookfestival.org.

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Go to the festival:

The Louisiana Book Festival is Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., around Capitol Park, inside the Capitol building, the State Library and the Capitol Park Museum.

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Reading list:

Some other books and their authors worth checking out this year include:

Jami Attenberg and her novel Saint Mazie, Harrison Scott Key’s memoir The World’s Largest Man, T. Geronimo Johnson’s novel Welcome to Braggsville, Skip Horack’s novel The Other Joseph, Ellen Gilchrist’s new short story collection Acts of God, Mary Helen Lagasse’s novel Navel of the Moon, Kent Wascom’s novel Secessia, Susan Larson and Rick Bragg representing New Orleans’ Literary Landmark Hotel Monteleone and Bill Loehfelm’s third Maureen Coughlin book Doing the Devil’s Work.