Podcasts about book festival

To unpack how ticket sales are going, why this year’s Open Book festival is drawing so much attention, and what audiences can expect, Pippa Hudson speaks to Mervyn Sloman, CEO of the Open Book Festival. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newport Police Chief Alex Lee is here as we talk about the Libary Art Center's Apple Pie Craft Fair / Richards Free Library's Book Festival, back to school, the police cruiser show and more.

Alexander London, award winning author, discusses why he worked in libraries and why he became an author. During our conversation, he mentioned the Virginia Children's Book Festival.

Book Besties Season 8 Episode Bonus Episode 3: Love and Intrigue Through The Ages Live at the Columbus Book FestivalIn this season 8 bonus episode, the Besties serve as moderators for the Love and Intrigue Through the Ages Panel for the Columbus Book Festival on July 12, 2025. The panel featured authors Dianne Freeman, Ann H. Gabhart, and Darcie Wilde. This will be the third of four bonus episodes recapping the 2025 Columbus Book Festival. All four episodes were filmed live at the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus. Things talked about in this episode:Columbus Book Festival: https://www.columbusbookfestival.org/Dianne Freeman: https://difreeman.com/ Ann H. Gabhart: https://www.annhgabhart.com/ Darcie Wilde: https://www.darciewildeauthor.com/ Meet Molly and April, they bonded over books and became Book Besties. So, what do you do when you find your book bestie? Start a podcast of course. Hang out with April and Molly as they talk about everything they love and hate about books. Follow the Book Besties on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube. If you'd like to contact the Book Besties, please email us at bookbestiespod@gmail.com or visit our website bookbestiespodcast.com. You can support the Book Besties by joining our Patreon at Book Besties Podcast.

Gray and Mark head to beautiful Belfast to chat to novelist and Agatha Christie fan Jan Carson. Jan has been tackling the Troubles in her work for some time, and we want to discuss with her Christie's Troubles references in Passenger to Frankfurt, as well as Irish characters and references in other Swinging books - all the way from The Pale Horse to By the Pricking of My Thumbs!A handful of tickets are still available⁠ for our first ever live episode recording in Torquay this September as part of the International Agatha Christie Festival 2025!You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠. Our YouTube account is @TheSwigingChristies. Please subscribe to the podcast so you're notified every time an episode drops!Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠.The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.Next episode: we're going global… again…!00:00:00 - Opening titles00:00:47 - Introductory chat in Belfast00:02;46 - Interview with Jan Carson and discussion of Ireland in the Swinging Christies00:37;58 - The Troubles00:52:46 - Next episode, how to get in touch00:54:03 - Closing titles00:54:31 - CodaSolutions revealed! - The Pale Horse, At Bertram's Hotel, Endless Night, Passenger to FrankfurtTW: Racist and xenophobic language quoted

From the songs of Taylor Swift to the skate parks of the Midwest, not to mention pep talks for writers and a guide to Columbus hot spots, this episode has something for everyone. Recorded during a panel discussion at the 2025 Ohioana Book Festival, authors Annie Zaleski, Mandy Shunnarah, Maggie Smith, and Shawnie Kelley discuss the art of nonfiction, including their research, writing, and publishing processes. How does one analyze a songwriter's work without quoting the lyrics? What's it like to eat your way around town in the name of writing research? Why is the Midwest an important part of American skate culture? How does one concoct a recipe for creativity? Finally, who's going to make the horror film Tethered to Word Count? Listen to find out.   Shawnie Kelley is the author of all three editions of the Insiders' Guide to Columbus, as well as several books about Cape Cod and food and travel-related articles appearing in national and international magazines. She owns Wanderlust Tours, a cultural and culinary travel company, and teaches cooking classes for The Mix at Columbus State.   Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Keep Moving, and others. Her poems have appeared in Best American Poetry, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, the Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Her latest book is Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.   Mandy Shunnarah is a Southern-born, Midwest-loving journalist, essayist, poet, and roller-skating enthusiast who calls Columbus, Ohio home. Their work has been featured in the New York Times, Electric Literature, the Rumpus, and more. Midwest Shreds is their first book.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.   Annie Zaleski is the New York Times bestselling author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, as well as books or illustrated biographies about Beyoncé, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and many other musicians. She's a Cleveland-based journalist whose work has appeared in dozens of publications, including NPR Music, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Salon, Billboard, and others.

In today's final visit to Dumfries House and the Boswell Book Festival we get out in nature as we forage for Free Food with Mo Wilde and find the Wilderness Cure, we go to Bird School with Adam Nicolson and we travel behind the former Iron Curtain with Charlie English and the CIA Book Club. Plus we'll find some new books in the RNIB Library.

Book Besties Season 8 Episode Bonus Episode 1: Romantasy-esque Panel Live at the Columbus Book FestivalIn this season 8 bonus episode, the Besties serve as moderators for the Romantasy-esque Panel for the Columbus Book Festival on July 12, 2025. The panel featured authors Ehigbor Okosun, Jennifer K. Lambert, and Andrea Stewart. This will be the first of four bonus episodes recapping the 2025 Columbus Book Festival. All four episodes were filmed live at the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus. Things talked about in this episode:Columbus Book Festival: https://www.columbusbookfestival.org/Ehigbor Okosun: https://www.ehiokosun.com/ Jennifer K. Lambert: https://www.jeffekennedy.com/homeAndrea Stewart: https://www.andreagstewart.com/ Meet Molly and April, they bonded over books and became Book Besties. So, what do you do when you find your book bestie? Start a podcast of course. Hang out with April and Molly as they talk about everything they love and hate about books. Follow the Book Besties on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube. If you'd like to contact the Book Besties, please email us at bookbestiespod@gmail.com or visit our website bookbestiespodcast.com. You can support the Book Besties by joining our Patreon at Book Besties Podcast.

In this episode of We Booked It, Rose and Nichols review the two best days of the year: the Columbus Book Festival. Follow the girls and their two separate but intertwining perspectives as they relive the best time of their lives. (Also, make sure to grab a snack and a drink for this one, it's a long one!)Follow us on Instagram @webookedit - we have the funniest reels from Book Fest on there!

Biesler, Jörg www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

In today's Read On we hear from Andrew O'Hagan after his keynote address on humour, sponsored by RNIB Connect Radio, and discuss his book Caledonian Road which is set to become a recurring series on Netflix.  Former News at Ten host John Suchet goes In Search of Beethoven in his latest book about the composer, plus in the sprit of Boswell we find some new biography and memoir in the RNIB Library. 

Seit 2018 gibt es das African Book Festival in Berlin, das in diesem Jahr vom 18. bis 20. Juli in der Alten Münze stattfindet. Das Motto für 2025 lautet "In other Wor(l)ds" und stellt Fantasy, Horror und Sci-Fi-Literatur aus Afrika in den Fokus. Im Zentrum steht Literatur aus Ghana. Über die Höhepunkte sprechen wir mit Chiponda Chimbelu. Er ist Journalist und Mitglied des Kreativbeirats des African Book Festivals.

In this episode, the Creeps try Britte's favorite chip of all time: Herr's Old Bay Cheese Curls. If they ever get rid of these there will be nothing left for her to eat. Kelsey brought 7-Eleven's Limited Time flavor for summer, Seven Select Big Bite Hot Dog flavored wavy potato chips. Not sure we washed any of this down.Then, Kelsey has to briefly explain some of BookTok and Netflix's Trainwreck series to a not quite oblivious Matt. Because she's covering A Million Lives Book Festival - a first time supposed indie book festival that disastrously took place this year in Baltimore. The festival included barely any vendors, nearly no decoration, and a "ball" on par with others we've covered previously.Also, they talk about filled expectations, tongue twisting, old Patton Oswalt earworm bits, gas station food cravings, Marylander "crab" obsession, badge shattering, and playing God with snacks. Shoutout to DJ Steve.

✦ World Listening Day, coming up on July 18th, celebrates the simple yet profound act of listening. As we tune in to the world around us, more of us are also experiencing our favorite stories through sound. City Lights Collective member and "Bookmarked" contributor Alison Law recently explored the growing popularity of audiobooks and what's next for this booming industry. ✦ The Happy Black Parent 4th annual Children's Book Festival is coming to Pittsburg Yards on Saturday. WABE arts reporter Summer Evans has more. ✦ After over three decades on Atlanta walls, streets, stickers, wheatpastes, and flyers, the iconic art of R. Land is now on view at Atlanta Contemporary through September 7th. His work, like "Pray for ATL" and "Loss Cat," has previously been preserved for posterity at the Atlanta History Center and the Georgia State Capitol. Still, those pieces only represent a fraction of his artistic career. City Light Collective co-host Kim Drobes recently caught up with Land to discuss his first-ever retrospective solo exhibition, "Landmarks: The World of R. Land." ✦ City Lights Collective members Jasmine Hentschel and EC Flamming, the creatives behind Atlanta's visual art print magazine, "GULCH", want you to get out and engage with the city's art scene. Each week, they spotlight five standout happenings, and today their mix includes: an outdoor film screening on the Beltline by Off the Wall, art in three dimensions at Kai Lin's group show opening, and discussions about fine art curation on Edgewood Avenue with the Obsidian Collective. ✦ WABE's 'Sounds Like ATL' documentary series delves into the heart of Atlanta's music scene. Each week, it spotlights a local artist, sharing their creative process and a few live performances. You can catch new episodes every Wednesday on the YouTube channel, @WABE ATL. Today, we preview their latest episode with the band Anna Kramer and Easy Now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's edition of Read On, we're once again on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Wayne Sleep OBE about his book, Just Different, artist Juano Diaz tells us about Slum Boy, his heart-breaking memoir that he insisted be available in audio and comedian Dom Joly becomes The Conspiracy Tourist and asks if Finland really exists.  We step away from the festival for some book recommendations from author Clare Furniss and find new memoir and biography in the RNIB Library.

Sally Bernie, from the  Richards Free Library, , is here as we talk about Summer Reading, fly fishing lesson, the Book Festival in August, the Hale Award, upgrades needed at the Library and lots more.

In today's edition of Read On, we're on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Hollywood Icon Rupert Everett about his book, The American No, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author Gelong Thubten tells us about his Handbook for Hard Times and comedian Helen Lederer tells us about her memoir, Not That I'm Bitter. Plus in the spirit of the festival we find some new biographies in the RNIB Library.

Press the link to find out about the FREE Second Annual Look Who's Reading Book Festival, Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 11am to 5pm, at the Thibodaux Civic Center, 310 North Canal Blvd in Thibodaux.  For more information, email triparishorganizers@gmail.com Something for everyone. Free School Supplies and much more. Authors, Illustrators, Songwriters, Podcasters, Journalists, Playwrights, Wellness Support, Workshops, Performances, Storytime and so much more. #bookfestival #reading #childrensbooks

Gary Younge and Carys Afoko in conversation with broadcaster and writer Ola Majekodunmi discussing their trailblazing podcast, Over The Top Under The Radar. Join this entertaining and topical conversation about the changing media landscape. Expect scrutiny, real talk and exclusive insights into the making of the podcast. We are honoured to be able to bring the conversation to our platform, as a thank you for your support of Over The Top Under The Radar. If you enjoy the pod and find value in what we do, please consider donating. The packages start at just £5 plus VAT a month, and if you already donate, please consider upgrading your membership.  Visit Over The Top Under The Radar on Patreon and put your money where your ears are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spektakle, happeningi, słuchowiska, a do tego dziewięć książkowych premier i spotkania z autorami - Big Book Festival wraca z rozmachem i nieoczywistym spojrzeniem na literaturę. Od trzynastu lat pokazuje, że czytanie nie musi oznaczać siedzenia w ciszy z książką w dłoni. Tegoroczna edycja, zatytułowana "Ślady", prowadzi uczestników przez historie zapisane na kartach książek, w pamięci i w przestrzeni miasta. O festiwalu, który idzie pod prąd schematom, opowiada jego kurator Bartosz Kamiński.

Billy is in Nantucket for the weekend, but he called in to tell us about it! We run through all the prizes for the Mega Match Game which starts on Monday! Listen to Billy & Lisa weekdays from 6-10AM on Kiss 108!   

We have a brand-new contest kicking off next week, the mega match game, and it has some incredible prizes! Billy will be at the Nantucket book festival this weekend, and Tim Talks Books called into the show! Listen to Billy & Lisa weekdays from 6-10AM on Kiss 108!   

Hey well read baddies! Today we have a very special recap episode where we'll be talking all about our experience at the Inaugural Black Romance Book Festival! You'll also get the chance to hear some Q&A from some of the authors that were there (boy did they give us plenty of recs for our TBR- list on our bookshop)! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! Tickets for next years festival go on sale August 15th and y'all this is about to be like trying to get tickets to see Beyonce so make sure your alarms are ready!! Substack- https://substack.com/@shewellread Bookshop Storefront- https://bookshop.org/shop/shewellread We can't wait to hear from you! :) Please send any questions or comments about this episode to shewellread@gmail.com or use the form at the bottom of the SWR Podcast page: https://www.shewellread.com/contact OR leave us a Voice Note at https://www.speakpipe.com/shewellread‬ Follow SHE WELL READ! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shewellread/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeDCLdTX/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@shewellread More links including discount codes: https://bio.site/shewellread Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pippa speaks to Frankie Murray, organiser of the Open Book Festival, about Workshop Week from 2-7 June. It’s where experts and authors host workshops and master classes to help aspiring writers hone their craft and develop the skills they need to succeed in the competitive literary landscape Lunch with Pippa Hudson is CapeTalk’s mid-afternoon show. This 2-hour respite from hard news encourages the audience to take the time to explore, taste, read and reflect. The show - presented by former journalist, baker and water sports enthusiast Pippa Hudson - is unashamedly lifestyle driven. Popular features include a daily profile interview #OnTheCouch at 1:10pm. Consumer issues are in the spotlight every Wednesday while the team also unpacks all things related to health, wealth & the environment. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Lunch with Pippa Hudson Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 13:00 and 15:00 (SA Time) to Lunch with Pippa Hudson broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/MdSlWEs or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/fDJWe69 Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

POLITICO's California Playbook joins with the latest on state politics. Also, the challenges of the general public to weigh in on legislation. The Sacramento Book Festival is back for its second year. POLITICO's California Playbook

Join the adventure as we dive into the wild world of bookish chaos at the A Million Lives Book Festival, where things went off the rails faster than you can say "fold-up tables." With humor and camaraderie, Melissa and Ellie bring you an engaging discussion filled with firsthand accounts, unexpected twists, and a fresh perspective on how it all went so wrong. From broken promises to a ball that looked more "bingo night" than Bridgerton, we're spilling all the tea on this literary journey. Plus, you'll hear about the indie authors who were left in the lurch—and how one amazing bookstore owner is turning things around to support them.    

On this month's show, we speak to Brighton-based writers Marisa Linton, Kerry Downes and Jill Johnson, plus Althea from Brighton Book Festival tells us about this year's offering. We break our own Brighton-based rules to have E.C. Nevin on the show... the book was just that good! 

Lorraine & Trish's reading list for your summer holiday which covers comedy, crime, love, 90s nostalgia and a memoir about the surprise demise of a marriage. Trish road tests an author new to her whose comedic wedding scene resonates and Lorraine reunites with one of her favourite, award winning writers of all time for a murder mystery. Plus which book festivals do the duo think you should head off too this year? Handy linksDiscover our content website & sign up for our newsletters: Postcards From Lorraine & TrishContact us: hello@postcardsfrommidlife.comFollow us on Instragram: @postcardsfrommidlifeJoin our private Facebook Group here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brea and Mallory give tips on interacting with authors in person, test out a bookish candle, and recommend plot driven books to keep your attention. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!www.maximumfun.org/joinDracula DailyManderly CandleBooks Mentioned -Dog Flowers by Danielle GellerThe Night Guest by Hildur Knuttsdotir, translated by Mary Robinette KowalEveryone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Jacke talks to D.G. Rampton, Australia's Queen of the Regency Romance, about her love for the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer - and what it's like for a twenty-first-century novelist to set her novels in the early-nineteenth-century world of intelligent heroines, dashing men, and sparkling banter. Find PLUS Jacke dives into the story of a book festival gone horribly wrong, searching for signs of hope amid the literary wreckage. Additional listening: 280 Romance Novels 303 The Search for Darcy: Jane Austen, Tom Lefroy, and the World of Pride and Prejudice 535 The Australian Novelist Who Writes History Through Women's Eyes (with Pip Williams) The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Baltimore book festival proves disasterous in 2025.More Ghost Town: https://www.ghosttownpod.comSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpod (7 Day Free Trial!)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions today at https://www.RocketMoney.com/DWKT  Try Dry Bar's NEW Blowout Defense Collection & All-Inclusive™ Air + Active Heat 8-in-1 Multi-Styler at https://drybar.com Join the Other Girlies over at https://patreon.com/doweknowthem and/or check out their short form content era that has begun on TikTok and Instagram: https://tiktok.com/@doweknowthempodcast https://instagram.com/doweknowthempodcast  In today's episode, the girlies cover their favorite genre of topics.... an event gone wrong. And while we've covered several disastrous events in the past that are often called scams.... none of those compare to today's star: The "A Million Lives Book Festival". It has been dubbed the Fyre Fest of Book Tok, and at first that sounded extreme but it may be more accurate than we anticipated lol  We Love the Internets: https://www.tiktok.com/@ogninabee/video/7498442184983629099 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI1t0DgzZyW/ 00:00 Introduction 00:13 A Million LIES Booktok Scam Event 1:08:32 We Love the Internet We hope you enjoyed this episode! Please let us know on Twitter or Instagram if you have any topic suggestions for next Sunday! (@lily_marston & @jessismiles__) Business Inquiries: doweknowthempodcast@gmail.com

As I'm off recording at Dumfries House at the moment, here's selection of interviews from past Boswell Book Festival events including Lady Anne Glenconner, founder of Private Eye Richard Ingrams, biographer Ben McIntyre, Winston Churchill's granddaughter Emma Soames, Andrew Cotter with Olive and Mabel, and we're Cloistered with Catherine Coldstream.

Episode 1705 - brought to you by our incredible sponsors: Better Help: Your well-being is worth it. Visit BetterHelp.com/HARDFACTOR today to get 10% off your first month. FitBod: Level up your workout. Join Fitbod today to get your personalized workout plan.  Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE for seven days at fitbod.me/hardfactor  Factor Meals: The Best Premade Meal Delivery Service on Earth - Get started at factormeals.com/hardfactor50off and use code hardfactor50off to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Lucy: Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy.  Go to lucy.co/hardfactor and use promo code (HARDFACTOR) to get 20% off your first order. Lucy products are ONLY for adults of legal age. Timestamps: 00:01:05 India attacks Pakistan   00:08:22 Man goes ballistic with an air dust can, getting high, assaulting his husband, then flame-throwing cops 00:22:15 A man walking fully naked around the neighborhood in Kansas disturbs neighbors  00:32:00 FyreFest book festival goes horribly wrong 00:38:45 Man suing the NFL for 100 million in emotional damages for Shedeur Sanders' late drafting  00:41:45 Georgia jail goes into lockdown for a missing murderer who ended up not missing  Thank you for listening! Go to patreon.com/hardfactor to join our community, get access to bonus podcasts and the Discord chat server with the hosts, but Most Importantly: HAGFD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month we speak to three Brighton-based writers; Emma Jane Unsworth (SLAGS), Lauren Bravo (PROBABLY NOTHING) and Andrew Flewitt (DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOSS?). We also talk to Phil Viner about BEYOND THE BOOK festival which takes place on May 10th.

The Martha's Vineyard Author Series.Get all the news you need by listening to WBZ NewsRadio 1030 on the free #iHeartRadio app! Or ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio.

The Woodstock Book Festival begins tonight and runs through Sunday. From the sold-out Story Slam to their closing panel, Memoir-A-Go-Go, they have huge authors and something for every book lover in your life.

Celebrated novelist and screenwriter, Alice Hoffman in conversation with the Director of the Multnomah County Library Vailey Oehlke at Wordstock: Portland's Book Festival.

Jennifer Alexander is the Chair of the Middletown Downtown Business District. She talks about what she does and a great book festival in the area.

Paid parental leave is close to being an option for state employees in Alabama and Mississippi. Bills to make this law are working their way through both state legislatures, and comes as a trend as more states, including Louisiana, are providing paid parental leave to their employees. The Gulf States Newsroom's Stephan Bisaha tells us why the push for paid parental leave has champions on both sides of the political aisle.The New Orleans Ballet Association presents the return of the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The dance company, which celebrates Black American cultural experiences and dance traditions, will perform two completely different performances. Choreographer Ronald K. Brown tells us about his piece, “Grace”, and Alvin Ailey's iconic “Revelations,” and how you can see the shows. The fourth annual Tulane Book Festival is coming to New Orleans at the end of March. The event brings together over 180 authors and journalists for panel discussions, book signings and family-friendly activities. Some of this year's guests include Connie Chung, Maureen Dowd, John Grisham and Bob Woodward. Festival co-chair Cheryl Landrieu tells us what to expect at the three-day event. __Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR app, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Last Saturday was the culver city book festival and book club for kids was there, gathering great suggestions for your next favorite read. We've got a different take on Shakespeare, a it of underwear humor, and a debate about which does a better job of telling the story; the book or the movie. Favorite Books from the Culver City Book Festival: The Apothacary - Sarah Penner These Violent Delights - Chloe Gong Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey The Wild Robot - Peter Brown Dog Man - Dav Pilkey Angels and Demons - Dan Brown   If you're a teacher or librarian in LA County and you'd like your readers to star on a Book Club for Kids podcast, send us an email to bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com and we'll send you all the information.

Jewish Book Festival returns amid rising antisemitism and tensions surrounding the Gaza ceasefire GUEST: Dana Camil Hewitt, festival director Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrate Valentine's Day weekend with romance writers from the 2024 Portland Book Festival.

This week, I speak with Jennifer Caspar, founder and owner of Village Well Books & Coffee and one of their events coordinators, Brett Morrow. We focus on The Culver City Book Festival, Saturday, February 22nd from 10 - 5 pm. I will be there representing Books Are My People. Come say hi! We also talk about the many activities and events held at this wonderful independent bookstore. Today's episode is brought to you by MOLDed: A Memoir of Loss & Resilience - a dark yet humorous journey into the underreported experience of fighting toxic mold.Books Recommended:Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher MurrayThe Bright Sword by Lev GrossmanThe Most by Jessica AnthonyThe Great Divide by Christina EnriguezCherished Belonging by Gregory BoyleCynthia Weiner, guest author of A Gorgeous Excitement recommends Banal Nightmare by Halle ButlerEnter my The Great Divide Giveaway here. Closes March 5th, 2025.Listen to my interview with Bookshop.org founder, Andy Hunter here on the episode titled: Bookshop.org and the Importance of Independent BookstoresJennifer Caspar is founder and owner of Village Well Books & Coffee, a community-focused bookstore-café with a mission: to be a welcoming comfortable community space where people can be inspired and find connection. A life-long lover of books, coffee and third spaces, Jennifer has been focused on developing community for most of her adult life. She worked for 3 decades in Washington DC and Los Angeles in affordable housing finance and development. In 2020 she was able to realize her dream of building a supportive community space when she opened Village Well in downtown Culver City California.Brett Morrow is one of the events coordinators at Village Well Books & Coffee and is currently organizing the Culver City Book Festival.  Learn more about Village Well Books & Coffee here. Support the showGet your Books Are My People coffee mug here!I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week!

Chris La Tray didn’t grow up understanding that he was Indigenous. In fact, his father actively avoided the story. But as he got older, La Tray began to uncover the roots of his Indigenous identity. His book, “Becoming Little Shell,” follows his journey to understanding his place as a Métis storyteller, a descendent of the Pembina Band of the mighty Red River of the North, and an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians.   Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe grew up surrounded by her Upper Skagit and Nooksack Indian Tribe relatives. Her latest book, “Thunder Songs,” explores what it means to grow up in mixed heritage, and draws inspiration from her coastal heritage as well as her life in the city.   LaPointe and La Tray spoke with OPB "Weekend Edition" host Lillian Karabaic at the 2024 Portland Book Festival.  

In the last few decades, writing about romance has become big business -- from Fabio-adorned paperbacks in the 90’s, to self-published e-books like “50 Shades of Gray” in the early 2000s, to more than 39 million print copies of romance novels sold in 2023 alone. Even Portland public libraries said they’ve seen the number of romance novels being checked out double since 2018. OPB’s Crystal Ligori talked with Lily Chu, author of “The Takedown,” and Katelyn Doyle, author of “Just Some Stupid Love Story,” at the 2024 Portland Book Festival.  

Danez Smith has won and been nominated for a lot of big prizes for their poetry, including the UK’s Forward Prize, the National Book Critic Circle Award and the National Book Award. But in 2020, Smith stopped writing. In the depths of the pandemic, after the death of George Floyd in Smith’s hometown of Minneapolis, poetry began to feel less powerful as a place for social change. Danez Smith joined poet Diannely Antigua, author of two poetry collections including “Good Monster,” for a conversation with OPB’s Jenn Chavez at the 2024 Portland Book Festival to talk about the role of poetry in our fractured society and our fractured lives.

Ani DiFranco is best known for getting up on stage and belting out hard-hitting feminist songs while playing her guitar. But when she walked out in front of an audience recently at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, there was no guitar in sight. She was there for the 2024 Portland Book Festival to talk about the picture book she wrote for young readers about a child who accompanies her mother to their local polling station. DiFranco was interviewed on stage by OPB’s Prakruti Bhatt.

Sometimes in marketing, it pays to zig when everyone else is zagging. In this digital age, when authors race to do everything online, it's easy to forget the magic of face-to-face interactions. Personal connections can transform your relationship with your readers and fellow authors.A book festival is a fantastic way to meet with readers and writers at the same time in real life. But what is a book festival, and how can you organize one?In this week's episode, I asked Dave Cohen to talk with us about book festivals. He's a British writer with more than four decades of experience writing comedy for the BBC. He saw a void in his community and stepped up to the plate for readers and authors_._ You'll learn·      What a book festival is·      Three types of book festivals (and which might fit your book best)·      How the format could boost your book salesIf you've wished for an in-person venue to sell books and connect with readers and authors, listen in or read the blog version and see how you might be able to grant your own wish. Support the show