Editor’s Note: A Louisiana Literary Milestone

This year, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary. Forty years! If you’ve never made it to New Orleans at the end of March to attend this festival, I can tell you it’s a really special, unique event. As a disclaimer, I’ll share that I am connected with this festival, but I’ve been attending and then volunteering for a very long time. When I try to explain what the festival is all about to people, it feels a little like a magical thing you can’t quite find the words for. Sure, it’s a literary festival, which means there are lots of authors there talking about their work or holding master classes. That’s pretty typical fare for a literary festival. But wait. There’s also music and theatre events. And readings and evening events. The Stella shouting contest is a fun way of showcasing that iconic scene from Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.” I could touch on some programming highlights that are really exciting, but that still wouldn’t capture the spirit of the festival and what sets it apart from any other book or literary festival.

We’d be getting warmer if I pointed you to the cardboard cutout of Tennessee Williams that waits to greet everyone when they enter the festival. Or the cozy feeling of spending the day in the French Quarter, at the beautiful Hotel Monteleone, with like-minded bookish people. Maybe, it’s the random encounter in the hallway with an author you admire or a fellow writer you haven’t seen in years. But one thing for certain is the joy and excitement, the warmth and intimacy, of the festival. People are happy to be there, and that’s something you don’t always see at these kinds of events. 

The only way a literary festival can last this long surely must be because people love it — both those who attend and the ones behind the scenes. It’s a group effort to ensure that each year’s festival is special, thoughtful and memorable.

Here’s to 40 more.

Cheers!