The 12th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books event celebrates and animates the written word through panel discussions, poetry readings, cooking demonstrations, book signings and music. The festival affords book lovers the chance to meet bestselling authors, publishers and other literary figures. The hundreds of exhibitor booths, stage events and popular children's characters keep it entertaining for all ages. Admission is free, but tickets are required to attend author-panel discussions and lectures because of limited seating. Free tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations in Southern California. The two-day takes place April 28, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and April 29, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, on UCLA's campus. General event information about the festival is available at www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/ or by calling 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 7BOOK.