With a roster that includes some of America's most respected writers and commentators, the seventh annual Walker Percy Weekend festival returns to St. Francisville. Featuring fine food, live music, walking tours, craft beer and bourbon, the annual festival dedicated to Southern literature, culture and thought guarantees a unique and charming weekend in one of Louisiana's loveliest small towns.

2020 Presenters

Topics, lecture schedule, and more speakers will be announced in the weeks to come.

• PAUL ELIE is an American writer, editor, and long-time contributor to the American Catholic journal Commonweal. His book The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage was awarded the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction in 2004, and received a National Book Critics Circle Award nomination. His second book, Reinventing Bach, was a finalist for the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award in the Criticism category.

• JOHN SHELTON REED is an American sociologist, essayist, and author or editor of twenty-two books, most dealing with the contemporary American South. He taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1969 until his retirement, helped to found the Center for the Study of the American South, and was a founding co-editor of the quarterly Southern Cultures. Among his many books is Barbecue, which traces the history of Southern barbecue from its roots in the 16th century Caribbean.

• READ MERCER SCHUCHARDT (PhD, New York University) is associate professor of communication at Wheaton College. He earned his doctorate under the invitation of the late Neil Postman at NYU’s Media Ecology program. He is also a member of the Media Ecology Association and the International Jacques Ellul Society.

• HARRISON SCOTT KEY is an American humorist and author of two books, Congratulations, Who Are You Again? (Harper Perennial), about how his modest professional ambitions nearly destroyed him and those he loves most; and The World's Largest Man, a true story about what it's like to be related to insane people from Mississippi, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He returns to the Walker Percy Weekend by popular demand.

Schedule Highlights

• A Friday evening Barbecue Feast and Cocktail Party hosted by John Shelton Reed and staged under majestic oaks. 7 pm to 10 pm at The Myrtles Plantation.

• A Saturday series of Lectures and Panel Discussions on themes explored in Percy's books.

• A Saturday-afternoon Progressive Front-Porch Tour and Bourbon Tasting with readings, inspired by Percy's essay on drinking Bourbon, Neat. 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Stroll with bourbon in hand between several private porches in St. Francisville's historic district. . Must be 21 or over to attend.

• Saturday evening: Crawfish Boil: Back by popular demand: The authentic Louisiana crawfish boil including cash bar with selection of local craft beers, returns. 7:30 pm–10:30 pm on Prosperity Street.

Registration & Tickets

Registration will begin at 3 pm Friday at the Conundrum Bookstore, located at 11917 Ferdinand Street. Come to the bookstore to register, receive tickets and wristbands, and gather information on area dining, accommodation, and attractions.

Access All Areas: An all-inclusive ticket is available for $ 225.00.

Social Tickets: A ticket providing access to all social events—the Friday night cocktail party and dinner, and Saturday's Bourbon Tour and Crawfish Boil events. No panels included. $ 160.00 after April 1, 2020.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: Tickets to attend individual social events, including the Friday night Barbecue Dinner, Bourbon Tour, and Crawfish and Craft Beer events will become available after April 1 if space remains. After May 15th individual tickets to the lectures and panel discussions, will be offered ONLY if space remains. Space is limited. In the past, tickets sold out weeks in advance. Arrive early to panel discussions to secure a seat.

Cancellations & Refunds

* There will be a $25 (per order) cancellation fee charged on refunds issued between April 1 and May 19, 2019. No refunds will be issued after May 19th, 2019.