This weekend marks the 20th LA Times Festival of Books, and for the fifth straight year it will be held on the campus of USC. Once again, the event is free to the public, easily accessible from the Metro Expo Line and features a wide-variety of discussions, readings, and workshops. While it might be too late to secure a spot for some of the high-profile talks, the following four events do not require any ticket and appeal to a wide range of interests.
1. Ludo Lefebvre (Saturday, 12:30pm, Cooking Stage). Ludo Lefebvre’s empire continues to grow in Los Angeles. He gained local notoriety with his legendary pop-up restaurant LudoBites, and more recently as chef/partner of the critically acclaimed Trois Mec and Petit Trois in Hollywood. This culinary demonstration will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his cookbook Crave: The Feast for the Five Senses.
2. Tavis Smiley (Saturday, 2:30pm, Los Angeles Times Stage). As a former aide to Mayor Tom Bradley in the late 80's, Tavis Smiley’s Los Angeles connections run deep. He has since gone on to host compelling talk shows on both PBS and NPR, and his latest book My Journey with Maya details his friendship with the late Maya Angelou.
3. Jeff Kinney (Sunday, 10:50am, Children’s Stage). If you have a young bookworm in your life, you’re likely aware of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. They have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide, and the seventh book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, came out last fall.
4. Luis J. Rodriguez (Saturday, 2:30 pm, Poetry Stage). Recently named the official poet laureate of Los Angeles, Luis J. Rodriguez will be reading selections from his work Sunday afternoon. A major figure in Chicano literature, his best-selling memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA was bestowed with the Carl Sandburg Literary Award. As co-founder of Tia Chucha Press, he continues to shine a light on the works of others.
To see the complete schedule for the festival and more information, click here.
Besides books, you should go to the LA Times Festival of Books for the food.