The 2025 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University announced today the much-anticipated lineup for its fourth-annual literary festival, with over 100 national bestselling and critically acclaimed authors slated to appear on Tulane’s uptown campus from March 27-29, 2025. The three-day celebration, featuring national, regional and local authors, is free and open to the public.

Authors appearing at the 2025 festival include: Hanif Abdurraqib, ‘Pemi Aguda, Emma Allen, Ken Auletta, W. Kamau Bell, Elizabeth Beller, Jason Berry, Daniel Black, Charles M. Blow, Cat Bohannon, Max Boot, Ethan Brown, Richard Campanella, Allan Carey, Rachel Cargle, Casey Cep, Connie Chung, Rich Cohen, Cady Coleman, Francis S. Collins, MD; Nina Compton, Eric Cook, Scott Cowen, Jarvis DeBerry, Danielle Del Sol, James R. Doty, MD; Jennifer Doudna, Clancy DuBos, Charles Duhigg, Jeff Duncan, Griffin Dunne, Alison Espach, Oskar Eustis, Anthony Fauci, MD; Edda Fields-Black, Betsy Fischer Martin, Chelsea Follett, Alison Fragale, Tripp Friedler, Dwight Garner, Roxane Gay, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Annette Gordon-Reed, Chris Granger, David Greenberg, John Grisham, Jay Hakes, Chris Hayes, Barbara Heller, Yuri Herrera, Arlie Hochschild, Walter Isaacson, Sarah Jaffe, Valerie Jarrett, Jessica M. Johnson, Steven Johnson, Amanda Jones, Molly Jong-Fast, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Rachel Khong, Crystal Hana Kim, Christopher Kirchhoff, Jessi Klein, E.J. Lagasse, Rob Lalka, Mitch Landrieu, Susan Langenhennig, Michael Lewis, Sarah Lewis, Donald Link, Chris Lipp, Michael Mandelbaum, Archie Manning, Jonathan Martin, Brett Martin, Nicholas Mattei, Bernice McFadden, Sharon McMahon, Casey McQuiston, Casey Michel, Michelle Miller, Tim Miller, Christopher Monks, Lauren Moser, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Vivek Murthy, MD; Beth Newell, Nini Nguyen, Trish O’Kane, Echo Olander, Martha Park, Keith Payne, Imani Perry, Gen. David H. Petraeus, Gary Phillips, John Pope, Marie Quintana, Alice Randall, Mike Sacks, Ernest Scheyder, Kathryn Schulz, Bakari Sellers, Rajiv Shah, Nate Silver, Safiya Sinclair, Alexander Smalls, Bryan Stevenson, Michael Strecker, Joselyn Takacs, Boyce Upholt, Julie Vaucresson, Sarah Vowell, Cleo Wade, Laysha Ward, Madeleine Watts, David Weill, MD; Tara Westover and Bob Woodward.

“The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University – a true Mardi Gras for the mind – has become one of the most impactful and popular events of its kind in the country,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “The growing influence and reach of the Book Fest allow us to bring more local, regional and national residents – and especially families – to campus to experience the knowledge, expertise and works of today’s leading thinkers, writers and children’s authors.”

Once again, the festival will present a whirlwind of author sessions, panels and events. The 2024 festival featured more than 80 sessions over three days, and Family Day at the Fest saw the distribution of more than 5,000 free children’s books to the local community.

The 2025 literary event will feature panel discussions, moderated conversations, keynote lectures and family programming. Each day will include a variety of sessions and book signings, providing a platform for authors, media outlets and readers to connect and collaborate in one of the world’s most vibrant and culturally diverse cities.

Family Day at the Fest will be held on Saturday, March 29, in the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. This day will focus on literacy advancement and feature readings, literary-themed activities, and entertainment for children and families from the greater New Orleans area. The festival will partner once again with the Scholastic Corporation to support Family Day activities. Family Day authors and additional festival authors across all genres will be announced in the coming months. A full schedule of Book Fest sessions and events will be released in the weeks leading up to the festival.

The festival co-chairs for 2025 are Cheryl Landrieu, author and former New Orleans First Lady, and Walter Isaacson, a bestselling biographer and the Leonard A. Lauder Professor of American History and Values in Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts.

The 2025 festival will again feature New Orleans Saints Owner and Pelicans Governor, Gayle Benson, as the honorary co-chair. The New Orleans native is an accomplished business professional and philanthropist who has strong ties to the local community and is dedicated to contributing to the growth and enhancement of the Gulf South region.

“It’s a privilege to welcome such a vibrant and accomplished array of authors at our 2025 festival,” Isaacson said. “This year’s lineup promises to spark compelling conversations at the intersection of literature, culture, and intellectual discovery, offering a rare opportunity for readers and thinkers to come together and explore ideas that shape our world.”

Tulane alumni, faculty, and staff will also be featured, with their works spanning genres from children’s literature to novels, history, biographies, music and more.

“Our festival thrives because of the incredible engagement we have with our community,” said Cheryl Landrieu. “This free programming is made possible by book lovers who believe in the power of stories to connect us. Their support ensures that readers of all ages and backgrounds can experience the magic of engaging with authors and each other, right here in one of the world’s greatest cities.” 

For registration and additional information on the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, please visit bookfest.tulane.edu or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.