New Iberia to host Dave Robicheaux Literary Fest

People from all over the world visit New Iberia to walk in the steps of Dave Robicheaux, the main character of James Lee Burke’s novels. Now, there’s a festival to the recovering alcoholic, former New Orleans police office, always solving mysteries guy in Burke’s best-selling series.

The inaugural Dave Robicheaux’s Hometown Literary Festival: Celebrating Storytellers from Iberia and Beyond will be this upcoming weekend (April 8-10) with storytelling, authors reading and selling books, theatrical vignettes, live music, local cuisine, bourré lessons, film screenings of “In the Electric Mist” and tours of the places fictional character Robicheaux visited.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will host a symposium titled “Dave Robicheaux and Acadiana” at the Shadows-on-the-Teche Visitor Center and include authors Barbara Bogue, author of a critical study titled “James Lee Burke and the Soul of Dave Robicheaux;” Shane Bernard, multi-published author and historian at Avery Island; Kathryn Dubus, Burke’s first cousin; plus local authors Claire Manes, Saw Irwin, Anne Simon, Margaret Simon and Alice J. Voorhies speaking on regionalism in fiction. The symposium is free and open to the public; call Sally Donlon at (337) 482-2964. For more information about the festival (some events require a fee), visit http://iberiatravel.com/james-lee-burke.

You can read more about the festival in an article I wrote for The Advocate of Baton Rouge. Click here.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.