There is no mistaking the banners on McAlister Place and tents on Berger Family Lawn this weekend — the New Orleans Book Festival has returned to Tulane University. This year’s festivities come with changes based on feedback from previous year’s participants.
“We’re always trying to bring in younger people, in particular Tulane students,” Book Fest director Cheryl Landrieu said, outlining the motivation for many of the new changes.
Landrieu said that there is a new student advisory committee to make the festival more engaging and accessible for Tulane students. There will be more cooking and comedy programming that Landrieu hopes will engage students, along with new spaces where students can meet authors in a more intimate setting.
“[Tulane students] have the ability that you don’t get most times in a college university, to have that kind of access to as many national writers and journalists and thought leaders on a variety of issues,” Landrieu said.
Facilities have also been added to increase capacity. Landrieu said that both Dixon Performing Arts Center and McAlister Auditorium, along with another programming tent, would be added to increase the physical capacity.
This year’s Book Fest will have around 200 authors spread over the course of 90 sessions. Landrieu pointed to the new cooking sessions and the fact that music will be embedded throughout the festival as ways this year’s Book Fest is bigger than ever.
The festival is tied to the city, welcoming chefs from local restaurants to panels and hosting local authors among the internationally recognized writers.
“The thing that imbues [Book Fest] with the New Orleans spirit is the fun that we put in,” Landrieu said.
Comedy author Mike Sacks, who will be on two panels for the festival, said the weather and social atmosphere of the city bring value to the festival.
“You can enjoy spring in New Orleans while talking about books and listening about books. To me, it’s just a perfect fit,” Sacks said. “To me, it’s just the perfect marriage of a city, a culture and a book atmosphere that everyone can just enjoy.”
Sacks also helped organize more comedy writers for the event. He said that the organizers were very open to his ideas and suggestions, unlike other festivals he has been a part of.
“A lot of book fairs, you don’t find that, you don’t find that openness, but they were open to the idea,” Sacks said. “I think it’s a real advantage to the students and the attendees, because they’re going to see people that they wouldn’t see otherwise.”
