Faculty announced for WordShops writing workshops

The faculty for the 2026 Louisiana Book Festival's WordShops have been announced! The three-hour writing workshops will be held the day before the festival, Friday, October 30, at the State Library of Louisiana. WordShops are open to writers of all levels of experience with each focusing on a different topic.

The schedule features one morning session and two concurrent afternoon sessions on October 30:

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon - "Cut That Out! Words That Weaken Prose"

Instructor: Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Donna Everhart, known for vividly evoking challenges of the heart and the complex heritage of the American South in her acclaimed novels.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - "BEAUTIFUL THINGS: Writing & Publishing Miniature Essays"
Instructor: Writer, essayist, and 2020 NEA Prose Fellow Jill Christman. She is the author of The Heart Folds Early: A Memoir, and her essays have appeared in magazines such as Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, Iron Horse Literary Review, Longreads, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - "Can We Be Friends? Writing Friendship in Fiction and Poetry"

Instructor: Writer, illustrator, editor, and educator Emily Nemens, whose novels Clutch and The Cactus League were New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice selections. She teaches in the MFA program at Bennington College.

Full course descriptions and faculty biographies can be found on the festival’s WordShops webpage. Instructors will also be at the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, October 31, talking about their books. Registration for each WordShop is $50; for anyone attending both the morning and an afternoon WordShop session, the cost is $90. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged. To register, visit the WordShops webpage or call (225) 219-9503.

Featured at the Festival: American History panels and book talks

As part of the nation's ongoing America 250 observances, the Louisiana Book Festival will feature several programs at this year's event highlighting American History authors and works. Topics covered include:

Founding of a Nation

Richard Bell - The American Revolution and the Fate of the World

Denise Kiernan - Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution

Alexander Miaberidze - The Louisiana Purchase: The Grand Bargain and the Making of America

Lincoln and the Civil War

A.J. Cade, Death or Victory: The Louisiana Native Guards and the Black Military's Significance in the Civil War

Jonathan Earle - He Has the People: Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1860

Scott Elsworth - Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America

Western Expansion and Old West Mythos

Peter Cozzens - Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West

Megan Kate Nelson - The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier

Landmarks and Monuments

Brian Jay Jones - The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building

Matthew Davis - A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore

Conservation

James H. McCommons - The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds

Recently confirmed authors and titles to be featured at LBF 2026

Over 200 featured authors and presenters have been confirmed to date for the 2026 Louisiana Book Festival. As our staff continues to finalize the lineup, we’ll highlight some of the recently booked participants here. Check out the full list of featured authors and books at LouisianaBookFestival.org.

Thanks to our 2026 Sponsors!

The Louisiana Book Festival is supported by the generous support of sponsors who share our commitment to reading, literacy, and delivering a fun and memorable experience for our attendees. Check out our sponsor page for links to visit the websites of these wonderful supporters:

The 2026 Louisiana Book Festival is October 31!

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