Los Angeles Book Festival 2014

Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 13, 2014 | Los Angeles, CA – Today I attended my first LA Book Festival, which apparently is the largest book festival in the United States. For the past few years it has been held at the University of Southern California, but originally it was hosted at UCLA.

There were hundreds of vendors, authors, and visitors, and of course, thousands of books! I thought I would attend the event to get a feel for what it might be like to participate next year after my children’s book is released.

Additionally I also attended because I noticed on the schedule one of my newfound favorite children’s book authors, Oliver Jeffers, and children’s book illustrators, Kadir Nelson, would be presenting. During the weekend. I was able to catch up with Mr. Nelson, whose mom I met in a shared ride from our hotel in Washington DC in 2009. On our ride to the airport this is how I first learned of Kadir Nelson, whose world renowned paintings and illustrations are phenomenal to say the least.

Although I didn’t get to meet Oliver Jeffers, I did in fact meet a new favorite children’s book author, Chris Ayers. His work, The Daily Zoo, chronicles his goal of drawing an animal cartoon a day after he was diagnosed with Leukemia. Seeing that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a charity I hold dear and near to me as a mentor and marathoner, his work spoke to me on so many levels.

Overall, I had an enjoyable time, although I found myself still needing more time at the end to see everything. I look forward to the possibility of being a vendor next spring if the opportunity presents itself to do so!