FEED YOUR SOUL – AND YOUR APPETITE! – AT THE LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL

Wednesday, 31 October 2018 10:12
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Announcing an exciting line-up of musicians, chefs, and authors

 BATON ROUGE, La.–  The 15th Annual Louisiana Book Festival will feature chefs, cookbook authors, foodways as well as music historians and scholars, musicians, and more on Saturday, November 10, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. throughout Capitol Park in Downtown Baton Rouge.

 “In Louisiana, it’s not a real celebration unless you have some fantastic live music and something delicious to eat,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “The Louisiana Book Festival truly offers a full festival experience. We hope you join the party.”

 “We’re always excited for the opportunity to celebrate Louisiana’s unique culture, rich musical talent, and delicious cuisine at the book festival each year,” said State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. “We hope attendees take full advantage of all the fun offered at the festival. Best of all, just like our panel presentations, book talks, and other programs, there is absolutely no charge to listen to world-class musicians performing on the Entertainment Stage, or to sample the food prepared by renowned chefs in our Cooking Demonstration Tent.”

 Top Chef fan favorite and four-time James Beard Best Chef of the South Finalist and Semi-Finalist Isaac Toups will be giving a cooking demonstrationand signing his cookbook, Chasing the Gator. Also featured in the Cooking Demonstration Tent will be health coach Brittany Lynn Kriger with her book, Glowing Goddess Guru Beast Manifesto; Nancy Tregre Wilson with her cookbook, Mémère's Country Creole Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from Louisiana's German Coast; and 2018 King of Louisiana and American Seafood and Louisiana Cookin’ magazine 2017 “Chef to Watch” Chef Ryan Trahan. Poppy Tooker, author, culinary historian, and host of the popular weekly radio show Louisiana Eats! will also be in attendance with her latest book, Pascal's Manale Cookbook: A Family Tradition, together with Justin Nystrom, author of Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture; and Joe Johnston will explore the history of Southern food with his book, Grits to Glory: How Southern Cookin' Got So Good. There’s even a novel flavored with meals for death row prisoners, The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak.

 Young foodies can get a taste of the fun in the Cooking Demonstration Tent with Louisiana author Whitney Stewart, who will be presenting her book, What's on Your Plate?: Exploring the World of Food. Other featured titles for young people that focus on Louisiana cuisine include Gumbo: A Magical Bayou Taleby Cajun native Alexis Braud; and Who Got the Baby in the King Cake? by the 2017 Louisiana Writer Award recipient, Johnette Downing.

 Literary musical highlights include writer Rien Fertel with his featured book Drive-By Truckers' Southern Rock Opera, which explores the history of Southern Rock as a part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 series of short books about popular music; and Gavin Cologne-Brookes, professor of American literature and program leader for the MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University in England, discussing his American Lonesome: The Work of Bruce Springsteen.

 All cooking demonstrations, book discussions, and panel presentations will be followed by book signings in the Barnes and Noble book signing tent, where attendees will have the opportunity to meet featured presenters and have their books signed and personalized.

 This year’s Louisiana Book Festival will also feature musical performances in a variety of genres ranging from funk to alternative, country blues to surf rock, on the Entertainment Stage from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., including performances by DUBYA, Circa Amore, Henry Turner, Bucket List, and The Bills. J.D. Wilkes, charismatic frontman for the Legendary Shack Shakers, will give a solo performance and is also a featured author at the festival for his debut novel, The Vine That Ate the South.

 For a full list of authors, information about their books, and a downloadable schedule, please visit www.LouisianaBookFestival.org.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Rebecca Hamilton
State Library of Louisiana
225.342.4923
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Julio Guichard/Bill Sherman
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
225.342.7009
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