Look for everything book-related and more this weekend on the USC University Park Campus. (USC Photo/David Sprague)
Percival Everett, acclaimed author and USC Distinguished Professor, among Trojans to look for at this weekend’s Festival of Books
Wallis Annenberg Hall and the USC Stage will feature Trojans during the two-day Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the University Park Campus.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returns to USC’s University Park Campus this Saturday and Sunday with an array of literary stars participating in panels, on-stage conversations and signings.
Generating just as much excitement and buzz as such celebrity participants as Matt Bomer, Chelsea Handler and director Jon M. Chu is a discussion with USC Distinguished Professor of English and acclaimed author Percival Everett on Sunday in Bovard Auditorium.
“He is such an incredible author and has made such an impact with his work,” said USC Visions and Voices Executive Director Daria Yudacufski, who organizes USC’s programming at the festival. “We’re so lucky to have him at USC.”
The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences professor’s 2024 novel, James, won the National Book Award for Fiction. His 2001 novel, Erasure, was adapted as the acclaimed 2023 film American Fiction. Last week, Everett was also included among Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 list.
About 150,000 people are expected to attend the 30th annual event, which has become the largest literary and cultural festival in the nation.
The weekend provides host USC — a major sponsor — with an opportunity to showcase some of the university’s most accomplished and acclaimed faculty and staff through a series of USC festival panels inside Wallis Annenberg Hall.
“Our panels highlight the really incredible work and wide-ranging research that’s happening at USC among our faculty and students,” Yudacufski said.
Saturday at the Festival of Books: Climate, housing, fashion and more
On Saturday, USC experts on urban planning, ethnicity and sociology will take part in the “Climate Justice and Racial Equity” panel moderated by Allison Agsten, the inaugural director of the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Three USC professors will join Agsten to discuss the connections between climate justice and racial equity and how they both factor into new solutions for clean energy.
Earlier that day, at the “State of Housing in L.A. and Beyond” panel, USC professors will explore the housing crisis in Los Angeles — a struggle further exacerbated by the devastating wildfires in January.
Other Saturday panels featuring USC experts include: “The Future of the University,” which will focus on how shifts in politics, culture, policy and economics are affecting American colleges and universities; “The Literary Life: Connecting the Creative, Critical, and Personal,” which will explore the life and career of writers who blend their creative work with literary criticism, personal narrative and academic scholarship; and “Moving Fashion Forward: The Future of Fashion,” where artists and scholars will discuss the changing landscape of fashion and consider how to move the industry forward into the mid-21st century.
Festival of Books Sunday offerings: AI, game design and more
Game designers and experts will discuss ideas from their recent books that explore the evolution of game design, the player experience and the impact of games on culture during the panel “More than a Game: The Changing Landscape of Game Design, Player Identity and Meaningful Play.”
Additional USC panels happening on Sunday include: “The Power and Possibilities of AI” with experts from a range of fields discussing how they are using artificial intelligence to do groundbreaking work in everything from education to health care; “Storytelling, Social Movements, and Political Histories,” which features nonfiction writers who use innovative storytelling techniques and oral histories to explore everything from homeownership in the United States to student activism in Taiwan; and “Scoring the Screen: Music in Film and Television with Authors,” a discussion about the lives, careers, craft and legacy of beloved score composers John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini and more.
Trojan musical talent takes center stage
Trojan students will provide live musical entertainment outdoors at USC Stage (located in Hahn Central Plaza) with the USC Trojan Marching Band kicking things off both days of the festival.
The musical performers include both current and former USC students. On Saturday, singers Aspen Jacobsen and Chloe Antoinette, the bands Mané and Wildflower, and the Afro-Latin American Jazz Ensemble of the USC Thornton School of Music will take the stage. Also performing on Saturday are the USC a cappella groups The Trojan Men and Sirens A Cappella.
Sunday’s musical lineup features solo artists Sophia Condon, Michele Lu and Aaron Wolff Fig, as well as the musical group Astral Mixtape.
Planning ahead
Whether you are a festival veteran or will be going for the first time, advanced planning is recommended to fully take advantage of the hundreds of conversations, performances, book signings, cooking demos, poetry readings and more that the weekend offers.
“I think there’s something for everyone,” Yudacufski said. “Take some time to go through the schedule and set up a plan for yourself, but leave room for a little bit of flexibility too. You might stumble upon a performance or a vendor booth or food truck that you want to check out. It’s a chance to really be with community.”
