As the clock struck 9 a.m. on Nov. 1, tents, tables and even an antique car surrounded the State Library of Louisiana in the shade of the grand State Capitol. Bustling about were authors, volunteers and eager fans preparing for a long day at the annual Louisiana Book Festival.
The Louisiana Book Festival is keeping literature alive in the Pelican State for readers and authors of any age or genre alike. The State Library has been bringing this festival together since 2002. In that time, it has garnered national attention as a must-see literary festival.
This year sees over 200 writers from all over the state coming together to share their passion for literature with the people of Baton Rouge. This year’s event coincides with the 100th birthday of the State Library as well.
State Librarian Meg Placke finds pride in this hefty milestone occurring alongside this grand festival. In an excerpt from the program for this year’s festival, Placke explained that this event helps to express the library’s mission.
“This comprehensive approach to programming reflects the mission that has guided the State Library of Louisiana since its founding,” wrote Placke, “fostering a deep and lasting love of books, reading and literacy throughout our state.”
The festival itself was sectioned off into several tents and tables with different themes. The first few tents featured a mix of works by local authors, non-fiction works and news publications, as well as selections from the museums.
To the left of these was the children’s section. A few tents featured presentations by children’s authors (though adults were still encouraged to attend too). Alongside the presentations were many activities for these kids to enjoy from facepainting to balloon animals.
Just past all this was one of the main events: the Cavalier House Books tent. Cavalier House Books is a Denham Springs- and Lafayette-based publisher with a wide array of authors of all genres.
Here, attendees could find an endless selection of their books, as well as books of featured authors that did signings periodically throughout the day. One such author, New York Times bestseller Julie Clark, was promoting her new book “The Ghostwriter,” which stirred up quite a crowd.
The sections across the museum walkway and Spanish Town Road were what really encapsulated what the festival is all about. In these areas, a whole slew of local authors set up tents with themselves and their loved ones to promote their books, all without a publisher or marketer.
One of them is horror aficionado Jason Cavallaro, author of “Cracking Spines: Three Decades of Horror.” Cavallaro, as a self-described introvert, is not a huge fan of having to try and advertise his book. Despite this, he sees the pros in getting to meet the various people at events like this.
“One thing that sort of gives me courage to do this part of it, which I knew going in I would not like, is my book is like an icebreaker of sorts to talk about other books that aren’t my book, you know,” Cavallaro said. “And I like that.”
The streets were full of book fans, from pre-teens breaking into horror novels to long-time readers with tote bags full of new books. Everyone was happy to be there and speak about their special interests. People would be at tables for long stretches of time just getting to know these new authors.
The State Library’s mission seems to be successful, and it is not going anywhere. While this year’s festival has come and gone, check out the Louisiana Book Festival website to keep an eye out for the 2026 dates.
