In a city where ideas and creativity flow freely, the 5th Annual Book Festival returns to Tulane University this March to celebrate stories and the people who tell them. The festival brings together NYT bestselling authors and debut writers through panels, workshops, and signings designed to encourage conversation across experience levels. A place to find inspiration, build connections, and engage with literature in a meaningful way. This year’s event is guaranteed to be an experience you won’t want to miss.
This festival began in partnership with Tulane University to connect the diverse community of local readers and authors while supporting the unique ideas born in the melting pot that is New Orleans. The event features over a hundred authors and is free for anyone to attend. The four-day event is hosted at Tulane University and features panel discussions, workshops, and family activities. Here’s all you need to know to make sure you’re there.
The Nola Book Fest takes place on March twelfth through the fifteenth at Tulane University. Thursday, the twelfth, the festival opens, followed by two days of panels, book signings, and writing workshops featuring authors across genres. And for the first time, there will be an additional family day on Sunday, the fifteenth. Children’s book authors and illustrators will be present along with many other family friendly activities to end the weekend. Though this day won’t have any of the traditional book festival activities, there will be plenty to do with people of all ages.
One of the defining features of the festival is its emphasis on local voices, including New Orleans born author Olivia Worley, who shared a bit of her feeling about the event and her participation in it. She made her debut in 2023 with her novel People We Follow. This was followed by Debutantes in 2024, and she plans to publish an adult thriller titled Man of My Dreams in June 2026.
Being born and raised in New Orleans, she loves getting opportunities to come back home and connect with the book community. “It’s my first year at the festival, and I’m so excited to meet readers, other authors, and book lovers in one of my favorite cities on earth.” She feels that place is one of the most important aspects of her writing, and two of her current novels are set in Louisiana. “I’ve always been influenced by the richness of the atmosphere—for example, my most recent YA thriller, Final Cut, uses the eerie beauty of Louisiana’s swamps as a backdrop for slasher-movie horror.”
When Olivia was invited to the Nola Book Festival, she had a pinch-me moment and felt so honored. “It’s been so fun to see how excited my family is, too—they actually printed out the lineup poster and gave it to me for Christmas, so that will be framed and hanging in my office soon!” Being invited alongside so many great authors, some of whom she’d looked up to for so long, can seem intimidating at first. Over her career, Olivia has learned that authors at every stage of the industry can experience imposter syndrome
Being a relatively new author with such great accomplishments in only three years of publishing, Olivia offered some advice for future writers attending the event. She firmly believes anyone can be a writer. Having been a theater major in college, she’d be the furthest thing from what people believe is an “author,” but she says, “Beyond a laptop or pens and paper, you don’t need any fancy tools or a specific degree to write a book. All you need is a story you want to tell, some time and dedication, and your unique voice—and you don’t need to be published or have any other markers of “success” to call yourself a writer, either. You just have to write!”
2025 was a big year for Olivia, who published two books for the first time in one year, with another on the way mid-2026! Man of My Dreams is a romantic psychological thriller that follows a romance novelist who meets a man exactly like her fictional love interest, but as their romance progresses, she discovers secrets that prove he’s too good to be true. Learn more about this book and many others by attending the event and getting the full effects of this inspiration driven event.
What separates this festival from the plethora of different book festivals hosted across America? The biggest thing that sets it apart is that the Nola Book Fest isn’t just an event, but a celebration. A celebration of diverse ideas and relationships between readers and writers. The New Orleans atmosphere is an incredible opportunity to grow new ideas and creations in a space where those ideas are celebrated.
This event has space for everyone. Whether you go every day of the festival or just the family day, there is something for you. You don’t have to be a writer or even much of a reader. If you’re curious and willing to explore, then this is the event for you. There are authors across all genres and age ratings. From children’s picture books to adult thrillers, there is a space for you.
Space fills up quickly, so if you want guaranteed access, register on the festival website. This year has so many new components that you don’t want to miss. In a city defined by storytelling, the Nola Book Fest offers readers a chance to experience literature as a shared celebration.