LeaLA brings four days of authors, art and book selling to LA

The LeaLA Spanish language book fair kicks off Thursday morning at L.A. Plaza de Cultura y Artes next to Olvera Street in downtown L.A.

The four-day event will feature children’s performers and authors speaking about topics ranging from mental health and fanzines to teen development.

Book distributors also will offer a wide variety of books. Panel discussions will include invited authors from Mexico, Chile and the U.S., among other countries. Presenters include participants in a bilingual anthology of poets from the U.S. and Mexico, among them hector son of hector — his writing name.

“Me speaking Spanish here in California is me speaking as an American. If I speak Spanish, that doesn't make me a foreigner,” he said.

He grew up in Long Beach and said the book fair is an important affirmation of Spanish-speaking culture in the U.S.

Other invited authors include Alicia Kozameh from Argentina, who's written about her time in jail during her country's fascist dictatorship.

L.A.-based Univision meteorologist Connie Schulte is scheduled to talk about her children’s books, which focus on the world’s environmental challenges.

LeaLA, which is free, is organized by the same group that puts together the massive Guadalajara International Book Fair in November.

A full list of presenters is here. The day-by-day list of events is here.