From Pulitzer Prize winners to emerging literary voices, from children’s authors to local food experts, the third annual New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University had something for everyone, proving once again to be one of the Crescent City’s can’t-miss events.

In a city known for its festivals, this year’s New Orleans Book Festival, which has been dubbed “a Mardi Gras for the Mind,” attracted more than 15,000 book lovers, far surpassing last year’s total of 12,000. 

The festival took place March 14-16, 2024, across Tulane’s uptown campus, with attendees engaging in intimate discussions, attending author panels and lining up for book signings. The 150 authors, journalists and thought leaders included figures such as Stacey Abrams, Kwame Alexander, David Brooks, Ken Burns, James Carville, Maureen Dowd, Lawrence O’Donnell, Liz Cheney, Ronan Farrow, Eddie Glaude, Maggie Haberman, Michael Lewis, Gen. David Petraeus and Jesmyn Ward. 

“Tulane’s mission is to create, communicate and conserve knowledge,” said Tulane President Michael A. Fitts. “The Book Fest fulfills our mission on a scale that exponentially multiplies our impact, gathering Tulanians with global thought leaders and literary luminaries to engage the broader community in exploring issues and ideas that are central to the human experience.” 

Among the highlights was the festival’s collaboration with The Atlantic, the official national media partner for this year’s literary extravaganza. At the opening session March 14, editors announced a major editorial initiative focusing on the great novels of the last 100 years. In conversation with festival founder Walter Isaacson, the Leonard Lauder Professor of American History and Values at Tulane, the editors delved into the selection process while exploring the enduring impact and cultural significance of the selected books. 

The festival included a crossover day of programming with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) on March 14, as well as several NOEW co-branded sessions throughout the schedule, spotlighting discussions on entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Also new to this year’s festival: a session presented in Spanish in collaboration with Tulane’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies; author meet-and-greets with students; and Tulane Libraries “Living Library,” in which people playing the role of books shared their diverse, personal and varied life stories. 

“I am continually awed by the overwhelming turnout of book and literary enthusiasts in our local communities who come together to celebrate diversity, creativity and curiosity at our book festival,” said Isaacson, Book Fest co-chair. “The authors and participants wove stories that created a perfect dialogue, leaving their audiences with new perspectives and sparking continued literary conversations.”

Festival Co-Chair Cheryl Landrieu, who founded the festival with Isaacson, echoed his sentiments. “We are absolutely thrilled with the positive response we have received from both authors and festival-goers alike. This year’s event exceeded our expectations, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Tulane University for their unwavering support of the Book Festival.”

Isaacson and Landrieu launched the New Orleans Book Festival in 2022, convinced that New Orleans — known more for its music and food festivals — could easily support a major literary gathering. They were right, and the festival has been growing ever since, with more authors, pundits, scholars and journalists on the schedule and more attendees flocking to see their favorites. In its brief existence, the festival has become such a draw that organizers have had to add more speaking venues to accommodate the crowds.

This year, attendees were treated to an array of literary treasures, with genres ranging from fiction to biographies and from fantasy to memoir. Topics of discussion included politics, race relations, sports, business, health, climate change, international relations and much more. 

“It was amazing,” said Debra Allen of Shreveport following a session that featured one of her favorite authors, Terry McMillan. “I’ve always been a fan. In my 30s, I read all of her books. They molded me, and seeing her and hearing her read an excerpt from her new book (“It’s Not All Downhill From Here”) was phenomenal.”

Attendee Kristy Wallich attended a session titled “Rising Tides: The Past and Future of Water Management in New Orleans,” featuring a trio of experts from the Tulane School of Architecture — Dean Iñaki Alday, Professor Margarita Jover and geographer and Associate Dean of Research Richard Campanella.

“I came to the festival last year and had a wonderful time,” she said. “It’s exciting to hear old friends and discover new writers. I was sitting in that session thinking, ‘Okay, I need to read those books.’”

Honorary Co-Chair, New Orleans Saints Owner, Pelicans Governor and Board of Tulane member Gayle Benson introduced former Saints safety Steve Gleason, whose upcoming memoir, “A Life Impossible: Living With ALS: Finding Peace and Wisdom Within a Fragile Existence,” will be published in April 2024. WDSU sports anchor Fletcher Mackel moderated the session, which also included Gleason’s wife, Michel Varisco Gleason, and Gleason’s co-author, Jeff Duncan, sports columnist for The Times-Picayune. 

Other stand-out sessions included former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, author of “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” discussing her first-hand account of Jan. 6, 2021, from inside the halls of Congress; Gen. David Petraeus speaking on the evolution of war from 1945 to Ukraine; Maureen Dowd and Doug Brinkley discussing presidential journalism; Donna Brazile, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Martin conversing about the media’s role in American politics; Jesmyn Ward, a two-time National Book Award winner and a Tulane professor, discussing her latest novel “Let Us Descend;” and Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, speaking on the future of online education in the age of AI. 

As in previous years, this year’s festival included a culinary track featuring a distinguished lineup of chefs discussing New Orleans culinary family legacies. Moderated by Kevin Belton, the panel featured Meg Bickford, Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, Ashley Hansen and E.J. Lagasse. Chefs Toya Boudy and John Currence teamed up for a discussion on southern cuisine.

Family Day featured 18 talented and award-winning local and national authors and included a special screening of a new puppet musical, a free book giveaway and author book signings. Undergraduate students in the Tulane Neuroscience Association (TUNA) helped children and their parents learn more about the human brain through hands-on activities, and graduate students lead an activity based around a children’s book about the brain, then gave away copies of the book to each participant. 

Jack Irvin, who attended Family Day with his son, was impressed with the array of activities. “It’s my first time here, and he’s obviously loving it,” Irvin said, gesturing to his son who was enthralled with a book. “We’re really enjoying what’s out here.” 

The festival culminated with a crawfish boil and a concert featuring Irma Thomas, the "Soul Queen of New Orleans," before a packed house in the Hyatt Regency Festival Tent. 

“We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors who have made it possible for us to keep this event free, and to our dedicated and loyal group of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this year’s festival so special for everyone who attended,” Landrieu said. “Looking ahead, we are already excited for the 2025 book festival and the opportunity to continue spreading the love of reading and literary conversation to the New Orleans, Tulane and surrounding communities, as well as visitors from around the country.”