In its 20th anniversary, The Louisiana Book Festival honored the authorship and artistry of Louisiana’s literary heritage through book signings, poetry readings, cooking demonstrations and much more.
The festival took place Saturday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Baton Rouge. The event was free and open for the public to attend. Tents and tables lined N. 4th St., Spanish Town Road and the Capitol Parkway with authors, publishers and more.
Families, students and adults mingled at the tents, talking with vendors and purchasing books. Local media outlets like 225 Magazine and WRKF had tables advertising their services. The festival also had tables for those with more niche literary interests. The Jane Austen Society of North America, Louisiana Region had a booth as well as the Sons of the American Revolution.
Families and adults shopped and made paper at the Print Guild of LSU’s tent.
The Print Guild of LSU had a tent at the festival, devoted to educating the public on the process of print and paper making. Individuals and families could make their own colorful pieces of paper, while shopping for prints and handmade books designed by LSU students. Sarah Lindrew, president of the Print Guild of LSU, said the guild’s annual tent is a great way to expose the art of printmaking to the public.
“I think it’s always important to show people the arts, because I think the arts are a really great way to preserve the culture of the community,” Lindrew said. “It’s also really fun to have these interactive moments with children and with the community in general.”
Festival goers could also purchase unique reads from Louisiana authors. Local authors decorated fold-out tables with pins, business cards, bookmarks and other free goods to promote their work. For first-time authors like Carla Seyler, the book festival is an opportunity to drum up some attention for her writing.
Seyler had wanted to write a book since she was 7 years old, and this past year, she finally did. Her novel, “A Place Unmade,” is an environmental thriller set in New Orleans, where Seyler grew up. She said the book festival was a great place to feel connected to Louisiana readers.
“People have stopped, and it’s been a lot of fun talking to people,” Seyler said. “It’s getting my name out there. It’s a nice way to introduce my work to a whole lot of people.”
Many of the 68 public library systems in Louisiana were represented at the book festival along with small-scale publishing companies from different parts of the state. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press sold a variety of books at its booth in one of the main tents. This small publishing firm is part of the Center for Louisiana Studies at the university. Its published works usually focus on Louisiana history and culture, which can take on many forms, from cookbooks to photography to nonfiction.
Devon Lorde, the editor in chief at UL Press, said the festival gives them the opportunity to meet new customers and authors through the Louisiana Book Festival.
Shoppers in the main tents browse for new books.
“A lot of our readership is focused in Lafayette, so it’s great when we come to this event,” Lorde said. “We meet lots of new people who never knew we existed, and so every year we see more and more engagement with customers getting our books to wider places. It’s a really great opportunity for our authors to get to speak to new audiences, so we’re really glad the festival is able to support that.”
Special talks and panels were held in the State Capitol Building, the Capitol Park Museum and the State Library of Louisiana. These talks were given by authors and guest speakers. They ranged in topics from more serious talks like “Thicker than Oil: Louisiana Novels on Disaster, Community, and Family” to more light hearted ones like “Tickling Your Funny Bone: Humorous Fiction.”
As shoppers carted around their newly purchased books or freshly made paper, they also flocked to the main merchandise tent to buy limited edition items with the artwork created for the 20th Louisiana Book Festival.
Emily Davison, a 2023 LSU alumnae, was one of the volunteers working at the information and merchandise tent. After graduating from LSU, Davison began working as an administrative coordinator at the State Library of Louisiana. The festival is the library’s biggest event of the year and an important time for community building that is centered around books.
“This is literally our superbowl,” Davison said. “Before I worked here I didn’t know the extent of this festival. Just seeing everybody come out, librarians from across the state that I’ve met at other events, just all being in one place at the same time is cool. It’s just nice to see people appreciating books.”
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