Festival of Books

Yesterday, I joined tens of thousands of other Southern California residents who stood in line to get free tickets for this year’s Once-Upon-an-LA-Times’ Festival of Books. I managed to snag tickets for some phenomenal speakers and events! Check this list: 


Writers: Born or Bred?
Moderator Ms. Barbara Isenberg
Mr. Greg Iles
Ms. Amy Tan
Mr. Scott Turow

First Fiction: Breaking Out
Moderator Ms. Susan Salter Reynolds
Ms. Kirstin Allio
Ms. Olga Grushin
Mr. Uzodinma Iweala 

Frank McCourt in Conversation with Mitch Albom
Interviewer Mr. Mitch Albom
Mr. Frank McCourt

Young Adult Fiction: Rites of Initiation
Moderator Ms. Sonja Bolle
Mr. John Green
Mr. Per Nilsson
Mr. Andreas Steinhöfel
Mr. Markus Zusak

Book Biz: The Insiders
Moderator Ms. Bridget Kinsella
Ms. Betsy Amster
Ms. Kim Dower
Mr. Laurence J. Kirshbaum
Mr. Steve Wasserman

The Devil in the Details: Quirky Nonfiction
Moderator Ms. Meghan Daum
Ms. June Casagrande
Ms. Veronica Chambers
Mr. Martin Smith

Creating New Worlds: Young Adult Fantasy Writing
Moderator Ms. Denise Hamilton
Ms. Cornelia Funke
Mr. Adam Gopnik
Ms. Margo Lanagan

Biography: On Their Own Terms
Moderator Ms. Elizabeth Taylor!
Ms. Deborah Martinson
Ms. Hazel Rowley
Ms. Annalyn Swan

I wish that I could join Nadia and some of my fellow Firebranders at the North Chicago RWA conference this weekend. But going up to UCLA on Saturday for the Festival is an exciting substitute, for sure!

UPDATE: If you’re going, be sure to drop by the Mysterious Galaxy/Penguin booth between 12:00 and 1:00 on Saturday: moschus is having a book signing you won’t want to miss!

32 Comments

  5. Anonymous

    Oh wow, the teen one looks GREAT!

    Love me some John and Markus — and I adore Per Nilsson, but I assumed he lived in Sweden or something!? No? (He’s still sort of an unknown quantity around here, but I have just loved all his books)

  6. I’ll be there! — signing books in the Mysterious Galaxy/Penguin booth from noon til 1 — if you’re in the area, drop by and say hello. 🙂

    • Thanks for telling me. I’ve got back-to-back events about that time, but I’ll see how close your booth is to the buildings I’ll be in. Will you be attending any of the sessions, or hanging out for more than that one hour of time?

    • A while back, you left a book recommendation on one of my blog entries(about young YA authors):

      “Show me a teenage girl who can write something as good as Richard Peck’s ‘Princess Amy’ (told from the perspective of a 15 year old girl. Have you read it? I love that book…).”

      Could there be perhaps another title for the book? I’d love to read it, given your high recommendation, but I’m having trouble locating anything by that author with that title. Maybe it’s just me… (?)

      Thanks for your recommendation and for your help!

      • I got the title wrong! It’s ‘Princess ASHLEY’!!!

        Hate it when that happens.

        Peck has written some great stuff — I grew up just loving that guy.

    • My, that was practically illiterate. Here it is in standard English:

      I second the love for Nilsson. His latest from Frontstreet is terrific. He is a master craftsman with POV and description.

      • LOL I’ve not read any of his books, but I’m looking forward to the session. I’m sure I’ll leave with lots of books — Nilsson’s among them. Thanks for the recommendation!

    • I feel the same way. McCourt’s a great writer, and I loved “Tuesdays With Morrie.” Albom’s latest work? Notsomuch.

      Thanks for the good wishes!

      • i liked his other book..it was the five people you meet in heaven.
        i cried so much in tuesdays w/ morrie..morrie reminded me so much of my papa, who died when i was 10. he is one of my writing subjects when i write my nonfiction. he died on valentines’ day 1980. this past Val. Day, i wrote an essay about him. if you ever want to read it, i’ll be happy to email it to you.

        Hope your day is a great one, Eileen

        • How wonderful, to have someone in your life like Morrie. I think that’s one of the reasons that book strikes such a chord…

          I’d love to read your essay — thanks! Send it to newport2newport [at] gmail dot com

          Hope you have a great day, too!

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