Louisiana Book Festival announces faculty for its 2026 writing workshops

Registration open for Festival’s master classes for aspiring and experienced writers

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Book Festival announced the faculty for the 2026 WordShops writing workshops, which include acclaimed and widely-published authors. The three-hour writing workshops will be held the day before the festival, Friday, October 30, at the State Library of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. The courses are open to writers of all levels of experience with each focusing on a different topic.

“One of the things that makes the Louisiana Book Festival special is that it doesn't just celebrate books, it actually helps people to write them,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Through the festival’s WordShops, aspiring and seasoned writers alike can sit down with accomplished authors to refine their craft firsthand. That kind of direct access to industry expertise is something writers can carry home and put to work.”

The faculty lineup for the festival’s WordShops lineup includes:

• Writer, essayist, and 2020 NEA Prose Fellow Jill Christman. She is the author of The Heart Folds Early: A Memoir, and her essays have appeared in magazines such as Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, Iron Horse Literary Review, Longreads, and O, The Oprah Magazine, and many anthologies.
• Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Donna Everhart, known for vividly evoking challenges of the heart and the complex heritage of the American South in her acclaimed novels.
• Writer, illustrator, editor, and educator Emily Nemens, whose novels Clutch and The Cactus League were New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice selections. She teaches in the MFA program at Bennington College.

“WordShops are where the craft of writing gets its due,” said Robert Wilson, Louisiana Book Festival Executive Director. “Whether someone is drafting a first short story or refining a manuscript they've worked on for years, our faculty meet them where they are and treat every participant as a professional. This year's sessions cover everything from tightening prose to the art of the miniature essay, and we're proud to offer that caliber of instruction in a setting that stays welcoming and hands-on."

The schedule features one morning session and two concurrent afternoon sessions on Friday, October 30.

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Cut That Out! Words That Weaken Prose – Donna Everhart

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
BEAUTIFUL THINGS: Writing & Publishing Miniature Essays – Jill Christman
Can We Be Friends? Writing Friendship in Fiction and Poetry – Emily Nemens

Full course descriptions and faculty biographies can be found on the festival’s WordShops webpage. Instructors will also attend the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, October 31.

Registration for each WordShop is $50; for anyone attending both the morning and an afternoon WordShop session, the cost is $90. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged. To register, visit the WordShops webpage or call (225) 219-9503.

For more information about the 2026 Louisiana Book Festival, visit LouisianaBookFestival.org and the Louisiana Book Festival Facebook page. 

The Louisiana Center for the Book was established in the State Library of Louisiana in 1994. Its mission is to stimulate public interest in reading, books, literacy, and libraries and to celebrate Louisiana’s rich literary heritage. It is the official state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

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