The first rule of Book Club is to keep talking about Book Club selections. Or so it would seem when it comes to literary events like Las Vegas Book Festival.
The state's largest lit event has evolved over its 24 years, but its biggest change might have been in how it programs its headlining authors. At some point, it pivoted towards writers of book club favorites — which favors romance books.
To wit: Two of the four headlining events for the October 18 edition include authors whose output overlaps to considerable degree with the romance genre. The main headliner, Taylor Jenkins Reid, has found a large audience in part by blending historical fiction and romance.
This year's festival will also include a current affairs panel headlined by journalist/writers Katherine Stewart and LVBF alum Tim Alberta, who will address the intersection of religious extremism and politics in the U.S. And former U.S. Senator Richard Bryan and former Nevada Governor Bob Miller round out the remaining headliners.
The festival will also include a large complement of children's and poetry offerings and activities; a slew of panels featuring local and genre authors; and workshops for writers of all levels.
Scott Dickensheets programming committee, Las Vegas Book Festival; editor at large, Desert Companion
