Festival of Books 2012

See you in 2013!

We hope you enjoyed this year’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC—we look forward to seeing you next year on April 20 and 21, 2013.

News and Updates

Attending the Festival

Getting Here

Get directions to the University Park campus via Google Maps. If you’re using another mapping program, enter the address for the campus center: 3351 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089. On-campus parking will be available for $10 per day.

  • The USC University Park Campus is located within minutes of Downtown Los Angeles, south of the I-10 (Santa Monica) Freeway and west of the 110 (Harbor) Freeway.

    Map showing location of USC

Dining Options

This year's festival features a full food court on Cromwell Field (including L.A.'s famous food trucks) in addition to a variety of on-campus dining options at the festival.
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Where To Eat

Interior of "The Lab" campus gastropub This year's festival features a full food court on Cromwell Field (including L.A.'s famous food trucks) in addition to a variety of on-campus dining options at the festival.

  • Interior of "The Lab" campus gastropub

Explore the Neighborhood

The University Park neighborhood is home to number of fun and educational destinations, including the California African American Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the California Science Center. Extend the festival experience (or weekend) with a visit to our neighboring cultural institutions.
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USC Events and Programs

USC Programming

As a major festival sponsor and host, USC presents live entertainment and author events in two venues: The USC Stage in Hahn Plaza, at the center of campus, offers arts and entertainment; and an indoor venue in Hoffman Hall 101 (Edison Auditorium) features panels and conversations.

  • The USC Trojan Marching Band kicks off the weekend with music and fanfare for every age.

    Opening Ceremony

  • The outdoor stage presents live music, spoken word, and entertainment through both days of the Festival.

    Music performance

  • The Trojan Men a capella group bring their unique vocal harmonies to the outdoor stage.

    The Trojan Men
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Festival of Books Photos

If your USC department will be taking photos on Festival weekend, share them on the Festival of Books 2012 Flickr group. Contact us on Flickr or send a message to USC Photography.

USC Book Drive

This year, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the University of Southern California is collecting new and gently used books to be distributed to local schoolchildren through the USC Family of Schools program. Last year's record-breaking donations brought in close to 4,000 books to children in neighboring schools. Learn more and donate today.

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a singular delight, crammed with mad fantasy, childhood justice and revenge, and as much candy as you can eat.

    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

  • Charlotte's Web

    The story of a little girl named Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur—and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider who lived with Wilbur in the barn.

    Charlotte's Web

  • Dogku

    It's a shaggy dog story told in haiku. When a homeless dog shows up at the back door, a family takes him in, feeds and bathes him, and names him Mooch.

    Dogku

  • The Giving Tree

    "Once there was a tree . . . and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

    The Giving Tree

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

    A spectacular finish to the phenomenal Harry Potter series.

    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    The classic caterpillar crawls along branches, munches through food, and emerges vibrantly as a three-dimensional beautiful butterfly.

    The Very Hungry Caterpillar

  • The Wizard of Oz

    The adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz.

    The Wizard of Oz

  • The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

    In the never-ending war between good and evil, The Chronicles of Narnia set the stage for battles of epic proportions.

    The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

  • Rainbow Fish

    If you read this very popular book just before bed, and the light is still on in the hallway, you can make the rainbow scales glitter on the page, and realize why the Rainbow Fish was so proud of his beautiful decoration.

    Rainbow Fish

  • Skippyjon Jones

    Skippyjon Jones is no ordinary kitten. This delightful picture book introduces youngsters to the fun of numbers, with beautifully drawn illustrations.

    Skippyjon Jones

  • The Grapes Of Wrath

    When The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, America, still recovering from the Great Depression, came face to face with itself in a startling, lyrical way.

    The Grapes Of Wrath

  • Where the Wild Things Are

    In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time.

    Where the Wild Things Are

  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

    In the fifth in the mega-best-selling Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley proves indisputably that “when it comes right down to it, middle-schoolers are just a bunch of wild animals.”

    Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
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Come to Campus in Style

The USC Bookstores are carrying a wide range of Festival-themed merchandise, ranging from buttons and pens to baseball caps (what every cool dino will be wearing) plus a variety of items that show your USC Trojan pride.
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Trojan Authors’ “Must-Read” Books

If you were stranded on a desert island, what are the five books you'd take to inspire, entertain or move you? To mark the second anniversary of USC hosting the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on campus April 21-22, 2012, the USC Alumni Association posed that question to several Trojan Family authors. Read more.

Website by USC Web Services Illustration © 2012 Bob Staake