August 14, 2026
By Aryanna Gamble
The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University is making a final call for author submissions for its 2027 festival, which will take place in person March 11-14.
Submissions opened June 1, and authors have until September 15 to submit their work for consideration. The sixth annual festival is expected to feature 150-200 authors, artists and thought leaders from New Orleans and beyond.
“We’re always excited to see the submissions come in each year, and the caliber of the work continues to be outstanding,” said Cheryl Landrieu, co-founder and chair of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. “It’s rewarding to see the range of voices, ideas and perspectives authors bring forward, and we look forward to discovering the books and writers who will become part of next year’s festival.”
The festival considers submissions across a broad range of genres and age groups. Priority is given to books published within the 12 months preceding the festival, as well as books that contribute to current public discourse or the news landscape. In addition to literary merit, the festival considers how a book or author might contribute to a balanced lineup and meaningful conversations across subjects, genres and audiences.
Most festival authors participate in moderated panel discussions and conversations that bring multiple writers together around shared themes, subjects or ideas. Because the festival builds its programming around these conversations, submitting a book does not guarantee an invitation to participate.
“We’re not simply building a list of individual authors,” Landrieu said. “We’re building conversations. We want audiences to leave a session having encountered new ideas, made connections between books and subjects, and perhaps discovered an author they hadn’t read before.”
The festival also continues to highlight authors with ties to Tulane University. Last year’s festival featured 34 Tulanian authors, including students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents.
Among the Tulanian authors featured at last year’s festival was Zach Warter, who graduated from Tulane in May after appearing at Family Day as a student. Warter’s appearance with his book Otis the Do Happy Dog was among the highlights for many young readers at Family Day. Family Day programming follows a format designed specifically for younger audiences and families. Children’s authors typically participate in either reading sessions for picture books or panel discussions for middle grade and chapter books. Last year, the day also included Author Alley, which allowed authors to connect and engage directly with young readers and their families.
“We’re particularly proud to highlight the writers who are part of the Tulane community,” Landrieu said. “Seeing students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents share their work alongside nationally recognized authors is one of the things that makes this festival uniquely Tulane.”
The 2027 festival will begin with an opening session Thursday evening, March 11, followed by two full days of programming Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Family Day at the Fest will take place Sunday, March 14, beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday programming will be dedicated exclusively to children and families, with no additional general-audience sessions.
Authors interested in being considered for the 2027 festival must submit their work by September 15. Full submission guidelines and frequently asked questions are available on the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University website.