Whether you are a bookworm, festival fiend, or just looking for something to do, USC is the place to be this weekend.
The L.A. Times Festival of Books will include live performances, famous speakers, vendor booths, and much more. Many USC students plan to make a weekend of it.
Senior Jackie Gibson, a music industry major, said she’s been three years in a row.
“Seeing the love of books and everyone come here is like the coolest thing. My favorite part was seeing Leslie Odom Jr. and his wife speak two years ago. It’s just great to see how the creators feel beyond their actual creations,” Gibson said.
Dane Sprague, a junior studying economics and philosophy, can’t make it this year, but he’s been to the festival before and is a fan.
“I think it’s a great thing that the Los Angeles Times does to support local book publishing and also to support reading in Los Angeles,” Sprague said.
For authors, the festival is validation that their hard work is paying off.
One author who’ll be speaking this weekend is Manuel Betancourt, whose books include ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘The Male Gazed.’
“It means the world and reminds me that there’s someone on the other side of the page. That is always very heartwarming,” Betancourt said.
The festival was first held on Saturday, April 20th, 1996 at UCLA. Thirty-five thousand people attended, two times the amount expected. Now the festival boasts a yearly attendance of up to one-hundred-fifty-thousand people.
One might think, wait, THAT many readers gathered in the same space? Sort of, for many, the festival is about much more than books.
For Carlee Nixon, a double major in art and communication, it’s an opportunity to connect and talk with like-minded people. ,
“Last year, I came on my birthday, and I just kind of talked with everyone. Everyone was super personable,” Nixon said.
Morgan Huang, a senior in psychology, can’t wait to check out the talks and performances during her fourth year attending.
“A lot of authors aren’t just authors. They’re also like TV stars, they’re singers, everyone’s coming together, so it’s really fun,” Huang said.
The book festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.