What to Know
- LitFest in the Dena at Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena
- Free admission; May 4 and 5, 2024; 12:30 to 6 p.m.
- Readings, panels, and special events fill the first weekend of May; food trucks, tea samples, and other delights will also festoon the festival
If the merry doorway to May has you dreaming of tucking a favorite novel and blanket under one arm before settling into a primrose garden for some quality book time, you're not alone: It's the season for sweet days spent with splendid stories while basking in soft spring sunshine.
Perhaps that is one reason that so many readers flock to the Festival of Books, the springtime spectacular presented by the Los Angeles Times at the University of Southern California campus.
That large-scale lit-bration, which is a celebration of literature, of course, wrapped in April, but there's a vibrant book bash coming up in the early days of May: LitFest in the Dena.
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The "Dena" part reveals its general location: It's going to take place in one of our region's "Denas," specifically Altadena's exquisite Mountain View Mausoleum.
The dates for the free happening are May 4 and 5, and a host of authors and readers will gather together for panels, talks, signings, and more.
"Books That Made the Neighborhood" is the 2024 theme, so count on the festival's many offerings to explore how "neighborhoods, real or fictitious, bestow identity and give us a way of seeing things — of seeing the world."
The Scene
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"The Influence of Literature on Songwriting," "Beyond Borders: Readings & Conversations with African American, LGBTQ, and other marginalized Writers," "Embodied Landscapes," "Writing Heroes for All Ages," and "For the Love of Horror" are some of the events featured on the schedule.
Octavia's Bookshelf, Skylight Books, and Mija Books will all be there, as well as other bookstores and literary champions from across Southern California.
"As always, our guest authors represent a wide variety of community sectors, backgrounds, and genres," the festival team shared in a statement.
"They will engage their audiences in panel discussions, workshops, readings and many other literary activities over the weekend. Given the theme, libraries and bookstores that serve as local gathering places will participate for the first time on their own panels."
Oh yes: Street parking should be plentiful at the festival and is also free. Also? Food trucks will visit the happening on both days, giving book buffs a way to grab a few bites between panels.
