Thursday, October 2 | Volume 40 No. 29

Westsidestory Newspaper

More Than 13,000 Attendees Celebrated Spanish-Language Literature and Culture at LéaLA 2026

The 11th edition of the Literary Festival and Book Fair took place at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles, California, with a program dedicated to promoting reading, literature, and Spanish-language culture

LOS ANGELES, CA — With 13,780 attendees, the LéaLA Spanish-Language Book Fair & Literary Festival concluded its 2026 edition, held September 24–27 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The four-day program celebrated literature, contemporary thought, poetry, music, visual arts, and featured activities for children and young adults. Organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, with support from the Grodman Legacy, the event brought together writers, poets, academics, artists, and creators from Mexico, the United States, and across Ibero-America for four days of conversations and activities open to the community. The extensive literary program featured approximately 30 writers and creators, including

Carmen Boullosa, Mónica Lavín, Sara Poot- Herrera, Verónica Gerber, Mónica Nepote, Cecilia Eudave, Benito Taibo, Antonio Ortuño, Julia Santibáñez, Alejandro Rosas, Bernardo Fernández “Bef,” Rodrigo Morlesin, and Joselo Rangel, among others. Through this programming, the festival reaffirmed its role in promoting Spanish-language books and literature in Los Angeles. It also strengthened its identity as a book fair, featuring more than 348 publishing catalogs represented across 33 exhibition and sales spaces catering to diverse audiences. In addition to activities held at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, LéaLA expanded its reach into local classrooms through a collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Students and teachers had the opportunity to engage in conversations and exchange ideas with authors such as Benito Taibo and Flor Aguilera, as well as with the Cabaret Capricho performance troupe. Another highlight of this year's festival was the announcement of a permanent space for the University of Guadalajara's (UDG) Carlos Fuentes Bookstore, along with the establishment of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Institute, to be directed by distinguished academic Sara Poot-Herrera.

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