The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is a free, public festival celebrating the written word.[1] It is the largest book festival in the United States, drawing approximately 150,000 attendees annually.[2] The festival began in 1996 and is held on the penultimate weekend of April, hosted by the University of Southern California. It features vendors, authors, and publishers. Among the events are panel discussions, storytelling, and performances for children, as well as the Los Angeles Times book prize ceremony. It is well regarded as a celebration of American culture through literature.