Despite having to compete for the attention of Los Angelenos on a weekend that offered other popular large events — CicLAvia, which made miles of city streets vehicle-free for bicyclists; the women’s national gymnastics competition; and the Toyota Grand Prix — the 18th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books prevailed on April 20 and 21 with its offerings of literary panels and authors, hundreds of publisher and bookseller exhibitors, live music, and exuberant children’s programming.

As usual, the festival was heavy on star power. Carol Burnett, Molly Ringwald, and Paul Anka were among the Hollywood celebrities on hand to discuss their new books and meet with fans. On a more literary note, Margaret Atwood, who was awarded the Innovator’s Prize on Friday night at the Times Book Prizes ceremony, and historian Kevin Starr, who the Times honored with the Robert Kirsch Award, were interviewed individually to audiences packed with attendees.

Prospect Park Books exhibited for the first time in four years. “Book sales were fine,” said publisher Colleen Bates while packing up her booth. “For a publisher it’s not about book sales at the festival, it’s about being part of the literary community in Los Angeles. We had media exposure, we connected with our colleagues, and spent time with our authors. It was exhausting and sometimes challenging, but overall I’m glad we did it. We’ll be here next year.”

Although it’s too soon to have accurate numbers, attendance did seem lower this year, the third time the event has been held on the USC campus after leaving UCLA. Some booksellers and book reps commented that the recent violence in Boston might have kept people away, and the increased police presence at the festival was apparent to many.

The other Times Book Prizes were presented to Robert A. Caro in biography for The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson (Knopf ); Katherine Boo in current events for Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (Random House); Ben Fountain in fiction for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (HarperCollins Publishers / Ecco); Sammy Harkham in comics and graphic novels for Everything Together: Collected Stories (PictureBox); Fergus M. Bordewich in history for America’s Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union (Simon & Schuster); Tana French in mystery for Broken Harbor (Viking); Louise Glück in poetry for Poems 1962-2012 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); and Florence Williams in science and technology for Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History (W.W. Norton & Company).

Maggie Shipstead won the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction for Seating Arrangements (Knopf ), and the young adult literature prize went to A. S. King for Ask the Passengers (Little, Brown Books For Young Readers).

By Wendy Werris

L.A. Times Festival of Books Draws Tens of Thousands

April 22, 2013

1. The 18th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books kicked off with opening remarks by USC President C. L. Max Nikias and Kathy Thomson (chief operating officer) and Eddy Hartenstein (publisher and chief executive officer) of the Los Angeles Times.

2. The Times estimates that the 2013 festival drew about 150,000 visitors to the University Park Campus to mingle with more than 500 authors. This represents a slight increase over last year, once the final numbers were counted.

3 & 4. In the USC Civic Engagement tent, USC Board of Trustees Chairman Edward P. Roski Jr. (4, center) joined an audience of youngsters to hear Star Wars actor Mark Hamill read Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

5. Poet, novelist, essayist, children’s author and digital pioneer Margaret Atwood took home one of two top prizes at the festival: the Innovator’s Award. (USC’s own University Professor Kevin Starr received the other top honor, the Robert Kirsch Award.)

6. Actor Debbie Reynolds came onstage with her dog, Dwight, to talk with screenwriter Mark Olsen about her book Unsinkable: A Memoir.

7. President Nikias and First Lady Niki C. Nikias visited the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC’s Neighborhood Mobile Dental Clinic, which provided fun oral health education and free dental screenings during the festival.

8 & 9. At the Poetry Stage, festivalgoers enjoyed sitting on the lawn and listening to USC’s Judge Widney Professor of Poetry and Public Culture Dana Gioia read from his book Pity the Beautiful.

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10. At the 2013 festival, book-loving children enjoyed a greater abundance of kid-friendly readings, book signings and performances than ever before — including shady spaces where they could sit with their parents and read.

11. One young reader demonstrated her skill in multitasking — reading while hula hooping!

12. An aspiring bibliophile took a break from the busy performance schedule to inspect her new book.

13. At the Target Children’s Stage on both Saturday and Sunday, the members of the Justice League — Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Batman — took time for photo-ops.

14. On Saturday, youngsters enjoyed interacting with Hip Hop Harry after his performance of songs from his Party Jams CD.

15. The Sunday lineup included singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb performing her Songs for Movin’ & Shakin’.

16. As temperatures reached into the 80s, one family took a break from the festivities, which ranged from panel discussions, readings and performances to hundreds of booths where authors, bookstores and other organizations displayed their wares.

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