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Celebrating the 30th edition of the L.A. Times Festival of Books: Full coverage

Brightly colored books fly and fall among clouds
(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times)

Ahead of the festival’s 30th edition, we look back on the books, authors, genres and organizations that have defined the last 30 years in literature.

To celebrate the 30th edition of the L.A. Times Festival of Books, we asked authors, editors, critics and scholars to select the 30 best fiction books since the festival was inaugurated.

To celebrate the 30th edition of the L.A. Times Festival of Books, we asked authors, editors, critics and scholars to select the 30 best nonfiction books since the festival was inaugurated.

Founded in 1996 by a pair of Black poets who felt isolated in predominantly white literary spaces, Cave Canem has become one of the most influential literary organizations in the U.S.

Author Charlie Jane Anders reflects on reading and writing young adult literature in an era of explosive popularity that may now be coming to an end.

The year the L.A. Times Festival of Books debuted was also a landmark year in American letters, shaping literary culture in ways that remain with us nearly three decades on.

In our survey about the best books since 1996, a number of authors split the vote — among their own titles. Here are 10 prolific pens that deserved an honorable mention.

Credits

Editor: Matt Brennan
Contributing editors: Carolyn Kellogg, Hanna Sender
Writers: Charlie Jane Anders, Mark Athitakis, Edward Banchs, Manuel Betancourt, Lorraine Berry, Nathan Deuel, Carolyn Kellogg, Iman Sultan, Chris Vognar
Senior deputy design directors: Jim Cooke, Faith Stafford
Art direction and design: An Amlotte, Patrick Hruby
Illustration: Blake Cale, Aurélia Durand, Patrick Hruby, Iris Lei
Copy editors: R. Marina Levario, Jason Sanchez
Photo editor: Jerome Adamstein
Fact-checker / photo researcher: Michael Darling
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