New Orleans Book Festival co-chair Walter Isaacson will help kick off the three-day literary event at Tulane University by interviewing business magnate Bill Gates on March 9, the festival announced on Wednesday.
The book fest released its day-by-day schedule Wednesday, mapping out the event that attracts writers and readers from around the world to the campus of Tulane University.
The festival features nearly 100 authors across various genres, leading readings and participating in moderated discussions and books signings.
Joining them is a group of award-winning children's authors for Family Day (March 11), some of New Orleans' top chefs for cooking demonstrations and tastings and the Preservation All-Stars as the closing musical guests.
Walter Isaacson
Isaacson said the book festival will reflect the city's colorful cultural and literary history.
"New Orleans is a very creative space," Isaacson said. "It'll be a good mix of everything. We have military leaders, political types, and literary voices all coming together."
He added that it was no problem getting authors to participate in the event. "This year the authors are inviting themselves," he said. "Everyone wants to be a part of this."
Discussions with leading authors
Isaacson will help get the weekend started with a conversation with Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, whose latest book is the 2021 "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster."
Also on Thursday are conversations between businessman David Rubenstein and Gary Ginsberg, author of "First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (and Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents," and between former attorney general Eric Holder and CBS correspondent Michelle Miller.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016.
The discussions will continue on seven stages across the university's Uptown campus over the weekend.
Among other national bestselling authors participating are Carl Bernstein, James Carville, Maureen Dowd, Malcolm Gladwell, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Annette Gordon-Reed, Maggie Haberman, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Michael Lewis, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Jon Meacham, Adm. Mike Mullen, Imani Perry, Kara Swisher, Cleo Wade and Darren Walker.
Walker is the president of the Ford Foundation, an international social justice philanthropy.
Darren Walker
He will participate in a panel discussion on Friday titled "Turning the Ship: Organizational Philanthropy" with former New Orleans mayors Marc Morial and Mitch Landrieu and civil rights leader Ben Jealous. The panel is at 4 p.m. and will be moderated by Judy Reese Morse.
Jealous, author of the book "Never Forget our People Were Always Free," said he is looking forward to connecting with readers and sharing his families stories mentioned throughout the book, which is a parable for racial healing and change.
The book is an urgent invitation for people to start acting like one American family and not just talking about it, Jealous said.
"I've witnessed and dealt with some of the worst tragedies, but that has made me realize just how great things can really be," he said. "I'm looking forward to sharing that optimism with everyone."
Jealous' session, "From the NAACP to the Sierra Club," is Saturday at 1 p.m.
For new authors like Ali Vitali, the book festival has also sentimental value. Vitali, a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News and author of "Electable: Why America Hasn’t Put a Woman in the White House…Yet," graduated from Tulane University in 2012. She said she fell in love with storytelling while living in New Orleans.
"Being able to come back to New Orleans with my first book feels like a full circle moment," Vitali said.
With election season around the corner, Vitali said her book provides a basis for the media to understand and eliminate bias when covering women. It also shares the reality of what it's like to be a leading woman in politics.
Vitali will join April Ryan, Katy Tur and Haberman for "Insiders Go Inside Politics," moderated by Betsy Fischer Martin on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Family day lineup and activities
Family Day activities are scheduled Saturday (March 11) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The lineup features children’s and family programming like readings with children’s authors, presentations and a book giveaway from Scholastic, which is a partner of the festival.
"The children's program is near to my heart," said festival co-chair Cheryl Landrieu.
Landrieu, an author, lawyer and advocate for literacy initiatives, helped found the New Orleans Children's Book Festival back in 2010. The festival has since grown into today's book festival for readers of all ages and backgrounds.
"I just want people to come out and take advantage of the opportunity being brought to the city," she said. "They can come together, read together, learn together and love together.
In a city known for hosting festivals, Isaacson said the book festival feels right at home.
"It's in the DNA of the city and we've been able to able to fit right in," he said.
The book festival is free and open to the public. For the complete, printable schedule, visit bookfest.tulane.edu.