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Spring forward to this year’s book festivals [1]

['Fatima Shaik', 'More Fatima Shaik', 'Verite News New Orleans']

Date: 2026-03-17  

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story.

The spring season of books is one of my favorite times in the city. The New Orleans Book Festival was last week, and it is followed closely by the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. Both offer a way to get the pulse of the publishing industry and learn about many contemporary ideas circulating in the nation and around the world.

Here are a few books, however, that cover different aspects of the programming—local history, current fiction, and a debut book.

Following the New Orleans Book Festival’s panel called “A Century of Faith, Education & Service: The Xavier University of Louisiana Story” is the keepsake book of the school’s 100 year history. Originally sold at the 2025 reunion, it is still available. Get a copy of the “2025 Xavier Centennial Book” through the link or pick it up at the Advancement and Alumni offices at Xavier South if you want a rare history of Black New Orleans Higher Education.

Another special book from an expert writer who appeared at the festival at Tulane is a collection of stories, “The Eleventh Hour,” by Salman Rushdie. Other works that have been published in the last four years are the novel “Victory City” and “Knife,” a memoir. His first book of stories since “East West” in 1994.

The Tennessee Williams Festival is celebrating its 40th year on March 25-29. Among the speakers is Addie E. Citchens, a Mississippi author of a debut novel called “Dominion.” Her publisher notes that the book “illustrates how we enable the everyday violence and casual sins of the patriarchy.”

BOOK FESTIVALS THAT ARE UPCOMING

Books Along the Teche Literary Festival is taking place from April 10-12 in New Iberia, featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Bragg.

Blk Ink Book Festival is celebrating its fourth year in New Orleans City Park at the Pavillion of the Two Sisters on June 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features more than 80 authors. Louisiana Book Festival will be held in Baton Rouge on October 31, 2026 with over 200 authors.

To read more of Fatima’s literary musings, check out her previous Lit Louisiana columns.

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