9 things to know about this weekend's L.A. Times Festival of Books

Close the caller and unfastened your tote bag. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is close astir the corner.

This weekend, the festival volition beryllium returning for its 31st year. Held astatine USC, the lawsuit honors storytellers crossed genres, hosting readings, screenings and performances. It kicks disconnected with The Times’ Book Prizes ceremonial Friday night, followed by 2 days of literate fervor.

What is the Festival of Books?

The Festival of Books is simply a yearly solemnisation of authors successful California. It began successful 1996 and has evolved into a staple of outpouring successful Los Angeles. The lawsuit includes panels and booths featuring artists, publishers and authors; publication signings; philharmonic performances; movie screenings; and poesy readings. It showcases contented crossed genres, from storybook readings astatine the Children’s Stage to cooking demonstrations astatine the Food Stage.

Who volition beryllium speaking?

The festival volition big much than 550 storytellers, with “Ask a Reporter” panels and interviews with celebrities similar multihyphenate businesswoman (and Beyoncé’s mother) Tina Knowles.

On Saturday, histrion Sarah Jessica Parker volition articulation writer Alexandra Oliva astatine the festival to sermon Oliva’s caller caller “The Radiant Dark” from Parker’s SJP Lit, an imprint from the autarkic steadfast Zando. TV property Lisa Rinna volition “own it” and get candid astir her caller memoir, “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.”

On Sunday, vocalist Lionel Richie volition beryllium down with Times popular euphony professional Mikael Wood to sermon Richie’s caller memoir, “Truly,” arsenic portion of the Ideas Exchange talker series. You tin besides drawback Larry David and Times quality and civilization professional Lorraine Ali talking astir Ali’s caller book, “No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Other notable personalities include: Pat Benatar, Blippi, Mark Harmon, David Duchovny, Susan Lucci, Jennie Garth, Hannah Brown, Anne Lamott, Chanel Miller, Stephanie Garber, Jon Klassen, Mac Barnett, Meghan Quinn, Hayley Kiyoko, Megan McDonald, Elyse Myers, Eli Rallo, Raegan Revord and Molly Jong-Fast.

Do I request a ticket?

General admittance to the festival is free. Programs astatine the outdoor stages bash not necessitate tickets. You tin acquisition tickets for indoor panels and screenings online. Attendees indispensable beryllium seated 10 minutes earlier the panel’s commencement time, oregon they hazard losing their seat. Indoor events volition person a standby enactment that does not necessitate tickets; however, determination is nary warrant you volition beryllium seated.

Attendees tin besides acquisition the Friends of the Festival package, which includes 50% disconnected wide admittance to ticketed events, 4 tickets to the Book Prizes ceremony, a poster from the festival, 15% disconnected festival merchandise and 4 months of escaped integer entree to The Times. The Friends of the Festival+ bundle is besides available, with the added benefits of a Festival mug, six tickets to the Book Prizes ceremonial and valet parking.

What is the Book Prize?

The 46th yearly L.A. Times Book Prizes, held Friday astatine Bovard Auditorium, admit 61 works crossed 13 categories successful summation to 2 accomplishment awards. This twelvemonth the ceremonial volition grant “The Joy Luck Club” writer Amy Tan with the Robert Kirsch Award for beingness accomplishment and We Need Diverse Books with the Innovator’s Award.

What’s caller this year?

The lawsuit volition debut the Audiobook and Podcast Stage presented by Spotify. The signifier volition big personalities similar “Remarkably Bright Creatures” writer Shelby Van Pelt, and panels with publication narrators Dominic Hoffman, January LaVoy, Julia Whelan, Scott Brick and Karen Grigsby Bates.

What are the different stages?

In summation to the Audiobook and Podcast Stage, the festival hosts the Poetry Stage, L.A. Times Stage, Children’s Stage, YA Stage, USC Stage, De Los Stage and Food Stage.

How bash I get there?

The closest freeway exit to USC is the 110 onto Exposition Boulevard. After exiting, you’ll spot the field connected the right-hand side. You whitethorn besides exit the 10 connected Vermont southbound to Jefferson Boulevard.

To entree the festival by Metro, instrumentality the E Line (Gold) and get disconnected astatine the Expo Park/USC Station, oregon instrumentality the J Line (Silver) to 37th St/USC stop.

Where tin I park?

Event parking is $25 and is wholly cashless. Parking is disposable successful the Jefferson, USC Shrine, Figueroa, Downey and Grand Avenue garages. The Downey and Figueroa structures are unfastened to first-come, first-served sales, but you tin acquisition prepaid parking for the Shrine, Grand Avenue and Jefferson structures.

Pro tip: If you’d similar to brave thoroughfare parking, instrumentality a rotation down Ellendale Place oregon Menlo Avenue to cheque for unfastened spots.

What volition The Times’ booths feature?

The L.A. Times Plants Booth volition beryllium giving distant hundreds of four-inch plants, plant-inspired stickers and packets of sunflower seeds and California poppy seeds if you motion up for the Plants newsletter. Experts from the California Native Plant Society and the Theodore Payne Foundation volition besides beryllium moving the booth, answering questions astir California gardening, and offering visitors opportunities to halt and odor their flowers.

Image volition beryllium giving distant copies of the magazine, and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, emotion proposal columnist Goth Shakira volition beryllium holding escaped astrology readings. You tin besides acquisition tickets to Image’s “Ask a Reporter” sheet connected Saturday astatine 11:45 a.m.

The Times creation section volition merchantability limited-run posters and zines, alongside poster giveaways to existent and caller subscribers. From 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, illustrator Luke McGarry volition beryllium gathering fans, and Sunday from noon to 1 p.m., Todd Martens volition beryllium speaking to visitors astir his caller newsletter astir taxable parks.

The Food section volition big respective cookbook authors, including Joanne Lee Molinaro, Joshua Farrell, Ifrah F. Ahmed, Tara Punzone and Roxana Jullapat connected Saturday, and Arnold Myint, Maxine Sharf, Pyet DeSpain, Jorge Gaviria, Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth connected Sunday. The squad volition beryllium offering merch that includes tote bags, spices, sweatshirts, aprons and zines.