You’ve read every book in your house… twice. You’ve been downing novels like bad coffee at an AA meeting. Well, you are not alone. But relief is right around the corner at the LA BookFest.
Come out to the LA BookFest on Saturday, May 9th – or if you can’t be there when it airs, check out the archives after the event. Meet new and upcoming authors and replenish your supply of boredom-busters. The best part? This festival is virtual. So, you’ll not be battling traffic and breaking quarantine to find out what’s hot off the presses. Better still, you can hang out with all the other bibliophiles that have been going mad looking for some quality books to bring some joy back into their days.
Enjoy the Laid-Back Atmosphere
Picture meeting your favorite author and being able to ask them about their inspirations, style, and maybe even a bit about their personal lives. Now picture getting to do it in your pajamas. Do you feel like someone needs to pinch you? Not at all. This is the reality of the LA BookFest because it is all happening online. There’s no dress code here. From the intimacy of your own home, you can engage with both established, best-selling authors as well as some up-and-comers you might not know yet but will be thankful when you do.
What you Won’t Find
Alas, an online festival does have its limitations. You won’t be able to circle endlessly trying to find expensive parking. Gone is the bonding experience of standing in line being coughed on while waiting for a $10 cup of coffee. When you attend one of the panels, you’ll sadly not be able to find any seating with an obstructed view and the unrivaled acoustics of a sound deprivation chamber.
What you will find is unfettered access to all panel discussions, speaking events, and activities. There’s no limiting seating to prevent you from seeing who you want to see. As to cafés and bars? You’re an adult. It’s your kitchen. So, help yourself and enjoy the lack of lines.
A Day of Celebration for the Written Word
The LA BookFest is a celebration of all things written. Join authors, journalists, and modern thought leaders alike in a day of fun and intellectual stimulation. In fact, if you didn’t find “fun” and “Intellectual stimulation” in the same sentence jarring, this festival was made for you.
The festivities open with a keynote speech by none other than NJ Ayuk, author of the Amazon number-one bestseller, Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, a thoughtful exploratory on the current state of the African energy industry. NJ Ayuk will be exploring the impact of COVID-19 and the historically low oil prices as it impacts this particular energy sector.
Hear Mitch Albom talk about his current project, a unique, serialized story that is being written a week at a time during the pandemic. Human Touch is being written and offered for free to raise funds for COVID-19 related charitable activities. Mr. Albom will also be discussing his recently released Finding Chika and his personal journey during the writing of his best-selling novel Tuesdays with Morrie.
The list of authors and speakers includes: Bilal Alaji; Mitch Albom; Maria Alexander; NJ Ayuk; Sheryl Benko; Scott Brody; Diana Lee Brown; Jenna Busch; LaFern Cusack; Bob Difornio; John Dracup; Celeste Duckworth; Debra Eckerling; Lisa Goich; Gerald Everett Jones; Steven Joseph; Sarah Kendzior; Kathleen Kaiser; Deborah Kobylt; Paul S. Levine; Dan Lothian; Kiera Lyons; Joanna Dodd Massey, Ph.D.; KJ Matthews; Jonathan Maberry; Monica Matulich; Bill MicCormick; Ray Mitchell, Esq.; Ora Nadrich; Russell Nohelty; Claudia Puig; David Ruggerio; Edgar Scott; Robin Quinn; Ray Richmond; Sue William Silverman; Ryan Southwick; Danny Trejo; Sara Winokur; plus more to be announced.
All the Trappings of a Brick and Mortar Book Festival
You’ll find most everything you would expect of a physical festival, from the vendor and sponsor booths to panels and live author discussions. You can check out all that will be available on the LA BookFest website and go ahead and get registered to attend. So, sign up today and get into your favorite convention pajamas. The LA BookFest is brought to you by the Greater Los Angeles Writing Society and several other partners like Black Château Enterprises, Books That Make You, and TEDxResedaBlvd to name a few.