On an otherwise unremarkable Saturday in Tucson last month, I visited the intersection of the Harlem Renaissance and romance lit with Netflix darling Tia Williams, brushed up on global security threats with MSNBC contributors Barbara McQuade and Frank Figliuzzi, got an easy Roman-Jewish cake recipe from cookbook wunderkind Leah Koenig, and caught a dramatic reading by National Humanities Medal winner Abraham Verghese. All before lunch. And tens of thousands of people around me were doing much the same thing: making the rounds at the famed Tucson Festival of Books, where I’d decided to spend a few hours on a trip to see my parents. As I began to realize the more people I met in line, many had come to town just for this.
There turns out to be a whole world of people who travel for love of lit-fests. Beyond the obvious lures—author readings, panel discussions, and mountains of fresh hardcovers to explore—a collective glee seems to overtake the bookworms who’ve gathered en masse. If there were an Eras Tour for bibliophiles, I felt like I’d found one of its key stops, and I was sold. Then came the inevitable hunt for more. Here then, in honor of UNESCO’s World Book Day (April 23), are nine of the best-loved lit-fests around the globe.
Sydney Writers' Festival is notable in part for its Your Favourites' Favourites, in which one beloved Australian writer introduces another that they admire—thereby giving you a better glimpse into the subcontinent's literary inner workings.
May 20-26
“Sydney Writers’ Festival acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation,” the “About” page begins, adding: “They are the first storytellers.” In a more concrete acknowledgment, the festival’s 2024 lineup includes several Indigenous-focused happenings such as Firetalk: storytelling under the night sky with celebrated First Nations writers Tony Birch, Hannah Donnelly, Laniyuk, Enoch Mailangi, and Melanie Saward.
Another presentation unique to the festival: Your Favourites’ Favourites, in which one beloved Australian writer introduces another—this year, Annabel Crabb and Robert Skinner, respectively. But plenty of international stars will be on hand, too, from Ann Patchett to Abdulrazak Gurnah. In fact, there’s a whole subset you’ll know as much from your streaming apps as your bookshelves: Bonnie Garmus will be talking Lessons in Chemistry; Viet Thanh Nguyen will be reading from his new memoir days before the final episode of The Sympathizer drops; and Jake Adelstein will be previewing Tokyo Noir, the follow-up to the book that became Tokyo Vice. Perhaps the biggest blockbuster? Michael Connelly presenting his new novel Resurrection Walk, in which Harry Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer team up.
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It’s been a year since we sat down with Daniel Calvert, the executive chef behind SÉZANNE in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi. And what a year, at that. Last May he shared secrets on how to pair wine with his award-winning cuisine. Now his esteemed French-inspired dining room has been named the best restaurant in all of Asia. The recognition came by way of World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which delivers its annual Asia-specific rankings each spring.
I pulled into the tiny hamlet of Hirase, in Japan’s Gifu prefecture, at the peak of the day’s heat. I’d just climbed several thousand feet through Hakusan National Park, on a twisting, waterfall-lined road, before eventually descending into the shimmering fantasy landscape of Shirakawa-go, an almost Tolkien-esque small village—and UNESCO heritage site—comprised of centuries-old thatched, peaked-roof farmhouses in the gassho-zukuri style. Replenishing myself with a black-sesame ice cream cone, I made the last push towards my destination. My cycling computer eventually told me “destination reached,” but all I could see was a succession of closed businesses lining a small street. Seeking shade, I flopped against a security gate.
Searching for the safest places to travel? Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) recently unveiled its annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report, which ranks the world’s 15 safest cities to travel. This year, two U.S. cities made the list, with Honolulu named the safest city in the world.
U.S. residents don’t need a passport to travel to this year’s winner of the “World’s Best Beach.” The No. 1 best beach in the world for 2024 is: Trunk Bay, located on St. John, a U.S. Virgin Island, according to The World’s 50 Best Beaches presented by Banana Boat.
While it might be tempting to shop for a gift with a big wow factor this Mother’s Day, why not spring for something practical—an item your mom will actually use on a regular basis?
Ongoing conflict in the Red Sea has led Princess Cruises to revise its world cruise itineraries for the Island Princess and the Crown Princess, which were scheduled to sail there in 2025.
An amazing part of traveling is discovering a new place, but there’s something special about returning to a beloved destination—which also speaks volumes about what makes a place stand out as one of the best.
The U.S. travel industry will see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — one year earlier than previously projected, according to the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office’s latest annual forecast released Tuesday.
The 60th edition of the art extravaganza that’s the Venice Biennale runs until 24 November at the two main venues Giardini and Arsenale. as well as countless offsite locations, official and unofficial. There are 88 National participations this year, with four countries participating for the first time: Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. Here are eleven of the must see country pavilions.
Lonely Planet editor Akanksha Singh traveled to Jaipur to experience its history and culture. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip.