Louisiana Book Festival

06/04/2026

More LBF alum news: Congratulations to Nicholas Patler, whose book PINCHBACK: AMERICA'S FIRST BLACK GOVERNOR, featured at last year's Festival, was named the winner of the 2025 Kemper and Leila Williams Prize by The Historic New Orleans Collection and Louisiana Historical Association. More: https://hnoc.org/news/hnoc-lha-select-pinchback-americas-first-black-governor-for-2025-williams-prize

Congratulations to PINCHBACK: AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK GOVERNOR, winner of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s 2025 Kemper and Leila Williams Prize in Louisiana History!

https://buff.ly/2k49HIp

06/03/2026

NEXT WEEK: Join us at the State Library in Baton Rouge for AMERICA 250: LOUISIANA AT THE FRONTIER OF A NEW NATION, Wednesday, June 10 at 9:00 AM. This free program includes a historical seminar focused on Spanish colonial Louisiana’s role in the American Revolution and a special exhibition of related maps and documents from the Library’s Louisiana Collection. See today’s news release for more details: https://library.la.gov/about-us/news/state-library-marks-americas-250th-with-a-look-at-louisianas-role-in-the-american-revolution/

Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana
America 250 Louisiana
America250

06/01/2026

Congratulations to 4-time Festival featured author John Dufresne for his inclusion on the longlist for the 2026 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, one of the nation’s leading literary honors. Now in its 10th year, the MTAVL recognizes fiction writers that carry forward Mark Twain’s legacy of American storytelling. More: https://marktwainhouse.org/2026/05/28/the-mark-twain-house-museum-announces-2026-longlist-for-american-voice-in-literature-award/

The Mark Twain House & Museum

May 28, 2026, Hartford, CT — The Mark Twain House & Museum is pleased to announce the Longlist for the 2026 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (MTAVL). Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, the MTAVL is one of the nation’s leading literary honors, recognizing distinguished fiction th...

05/28/2026

The Louisiana Center for the Book has announced the two “Great Reads” selections that will represent LA at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on August 22. The selection for Young Readers is SOGGY LIKE CUSH CUSH by Karly Pierre, illustrated by Kristen Uroda, and the Adult Readers selection is YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE: JIMMIE DAVIS AND THE BIOGRAPHY OF A SONG by Robert Mann. Every year the national Center for the Book asks its affiliates to select “Great Reads” books that represents the literary heritage of its state or territory. More: https://library.la.gov/about-us/news/louisiana-selects-two-outstanding-books-for-2026-national-book-festival/

The Library of Congress
Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana

05/06/2026

The Louisiana Book Festival celebrates festival alum Daniel Kraus for receiving the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his book ANGEL DOWN.

We still remember Daniel’s 2024 visit to Baton Rouge to talk about PAY THE PIPER; a Bayou Gothic story steeped in the folklore found in our own backyards. To see him honored in this way fills us with pride.

Congratulations, Daniel, on this well-deserved accolade!

05/01/2026

2026 Just Listen to Yourself: Louisiana's Poet Laureate Presents Louisiana Poets

04/28/2026

04/27/2026

REMINDER! Voting ends this Friday, May 1 for the 2025-26 Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards. Each year, young readers and teens across the state select their favorite books from the list of nominated titles. Learn more, see this year’s list, and access online voting forms here: https://library.la.gov/services/for-the-public/louisiana-readers-choice/

Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana

01/20/2026

The Louisiana Library Association is calling for presenters for the "Authors Row" at its upcoming annual conference in Lake Charles on March 5-7. Learn more about the event and how to participate here: https://llaonline.org/page-18273