22nd Louisiana Book Festival Draws 200-Plus Authors to Baton Rouge, Free to Public
BATON ROUGE, La. — The 22nd Louisiana Book Festival took place downtown on October 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., centered on the State Library of Louisiana and the Capitol Park Museum, and free to the public.
Organizers said more than 200 Louisiana authors, poets and presenters took part in panel discussions, programs and book signings spanning more than 20 literary genres, with about 20,000 book lovers from Louisiana and across the country expected. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser noted the festival is widely considered one of the top 10 one-day book festivals in America.
Highlights included a full day of poetry hosted by Louisiana Poet Laureate Gina Ferrara and the popular poetry-on-demand program, where writers compose free personalized poems for visitors on antique typewriters in the State Library lobby. The festival presented its Louisiana Writer Award to bestselling romance author Farrah Rochon, with a ceremony and conversation. The first biography of New Orleans music icon Irma Thomas also launched at the festival, with Thomas appearing alongside the author.
Founded in 2002 to promote reading and celebrate Louisiana's literary tradition, the festival has grown into one of the nation's leading literary events.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana from Tiger Stadium (LSU)。Spatms 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana from Tiger Stadium (LSU). By Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
