Fourth Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Announced

Posted on March 23, 1999

Deepak Chopra, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Sidney Sheldon, Terry McMillan, Esmeralda Santiago and Betty Friedan are a few of the top authors who will be featured at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which is being presented in association with UCLA the weekend of April 24 and 25 at UCLA's Dickson Plaza. Admission to the Festival is free to the public, and parking on campus is $5. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Last year's Los Angeles Times Festival of Books drew approximately 110,000 people from all segments of the Southern California community.

``The Festival of Books is the only event of its kind in Southern California,'' said Narda Zacchino, The Times' associate editor and vice-president, and Festival co-chair. ``It's become a major literary event where hundreds of authors gather over a weekend to educate and entertain book lovers of all ages and backgrounds.''

The 1999 Festival of Books will feature more than 90 author panel discussions held in classrooms and lecture halls. The panels will focus on diverse topics such as global politics; The Art of Fiction; Coming of Age: Women Writers; and Religious Conversion. Also included will be panels featuring African American and Latino writers, bilingual panels, as well as the winners of the Times Book Prizes.

Celebrity reading and storytelling will take place at the Los Angeles Times Storytelling Stage and the Target Stage. The Target Stage will also feature performances by popular characters including Spiderman, Spidergirl and Bear in the Big Blue House. The Barnes & Noble Stage will feature Discover Award winner Carrie Brown, E. Lynn Harris, David Guterson, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, and actors Suzy Amis and Viggio Mortensen. More than 350 exhibitor booths will feature booksellers, publishers, libraries and literacy organization selling books and other reading-related merchandise.