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The New Orleans Book Festival 2023 Tulane University

During the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, thousands of attendees came to the uptown campus for 75 engaging, informative and entertaining sessions by more than 130 authors. With topics including politics, history, journalism, current events, fiction writing and much more, attendees had a plethora of panels to choose from. Some were standing room only; some were designed for eager little ones to dance and sing along. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates made an appearance at a sold-out talk with Tulane professor Walter Isaacson, “CBS Saturday Morning” co-host Michelle Miller interviewed former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and First Lady Jill Biden, a past Tulane parent, surprised and delighted patrons when she popped into a panel discussion. The multiple-day event wrapped up with music and boiled crawfish on Saturday, March 11. Below are some memorable scenes from the fest.

The opening sessions of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University included businessman and investor David Rubenstein with Gary Ginsberg and former Attorney General Eric Holder with Michelle Miller.
Following Holder’s talk, an audience of more than 1,700 people at McAlister Auditorium listened to entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates in conversation with Tulane professor Walter Isaacson.
Highlights from the second annual festival included panels and discussions with authors and moderators such as Geraldine Brooks, Jon Meacham, Michelle Miller, Imani Perry, Heather McGhee, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Ali Vitali, Doug Brinkley, Ken Auletta and Carl Bernstein, among others.
The Book Festival included cooking demonstrations and conversations with chefs like Alon Shaya and Kevin Belton. Brian Greene, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Gen. John Allen also made appearances for thought-provoking discussions about current events and more.
Tulane’s president, Michael A. Fitts, led a conversation with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, on the same day that First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise appearance while she was visiting New Orleans.
Family Day at the Fest, held in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse, was all about the little ones, who took in music, games, crafts, and story time, and received free books to commemorate their special day at the fest.
Even in its second year, the Book Festival has produced audience favorites. James Carville, Roy Blount Jr., and Malcolm Gladwell returned to this year’s Book Fest after successful appearances last year. Head Football Coach Willie Fritz was a big draw, recalling the Green Wave’s magical football season.
The sessions offered something for every book lover. Climate change, remembering Trayvon Martin, the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, New Orleans music and culture, free speech and privacy, science fiction … panelists covered a lot of ground, and in many cases left audiences wanting to hear more.
The event wrapped up with a New Orleans-style party: hot music from the Preservation All-Stars, loads of spicy crawfish, discussions of the days’ events and a balmy evening breeze. Many attendees expressed eagerness to get ready for the third annual event.

Photography by Paula Burch-Celentano, Rusty Costanza, Kacie Fayard, Cheryl Gerber, Matt Hinton, and Dinah Rogers.

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