Books Along the Teche Literary Festival picks 'Ya-Ya' Rebecca Wells as its 2019 Great Southern Writer

Author Rebecca Wells, known for her best-selling novel “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” set in rural Louisiana in the 1950s, has been chosen as the 2019 Great Southern Writer for the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival April 5-6, 2019, in New Iberia. Wells will host a symposium at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 6, at the Sliman Theater. Tickets to the event are $15.

The novel created a movement for women, prompting Ya-Ya girlfriend groups to be formed nationwide. “Divine Secrets” was also made into a film of the same name. Wells earned the American Booksellers Award and the Western States Book Award.

In addition to being an author, Wells is a playwright and an actress who will be bringing her stories of female friendship and mother-daughter relationships to audience members in a two-hour presentation.

The first 200 ticket holders will be seated in the Sliman Theater and see Wells live on stage. Holders of tickets numbered past 200 will see a live broadcast of Wells from inside the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St., New Iberia. Tickets are available now through Eventbrite and will be available for purchase at the door.

The Books Along the Teche Literary Festival is now in its fourth year, centering around events held in downtown New Iberia. Festival-goers can tour Dave Robicheaux’s Iberia, attend the Louisiana Seafood Great Southern Chef Food Demo, participate in a 5K and learn Cajun dance or the card game bourée. The three-day event also includes panel discussions on book writing, poetry, politics and music, readers theater, and dozens of authors selling their books at an Authors Fair on Saturday.

Former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque will present poetry and music, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will sponsor an Academic Symposium on James Lee Burke and Louisiana politics. The Grand Theater will also offer free movie screenings. The weekend’s events culminate on Sunday with boat tours down the Bayou Teche and a free Acadiana Symphony Orchestra concert in City Park.

Organizers welcome visitors interested in experiencing Louisiana described in author James Lee Burke’s Detective Dave Robicheaux novels. Burke just released his latest Dave Robicheaux book titled “The New Iberia Blues.” The book is available at the bookstore Books Along the Teche, the festival's headquarters on Main Street in New Iberia.

For more information, visit BooksAlongTheTecheLiteraryFestival.com or the festival’s Facebook page for a complete listing of free and ticketed events.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.