Keep Stories Alive: Donate to Delta Mouth 2025

Delta Mouth is organizing this fundraiser.

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The Delta Mouth Literary Festival is a 3-day celebration of the arts in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Acclaimed writers travel from all across the country to provide a fun-filled weekend for the greater Baton Rouge community. This year’s events will feature readings and panels by nine acclaimed authors, a crawfish boil, drinks, and more!

Last year, we were excited to host National Book Award Winner Justin Torres as one of our authors, and we are proud to be recognized by Seventh Wave Magazine as a notable Black-focused festival.

Organized and run by the scrappy MFA students from LSU’s Creative Writing Program, Delta Mouth relies on people like you who are dedicated to keeping stories alive and supporting the arts. All of our funds come from grants, support from local businesses and arts organizations, and individuals who take the time to give $10 or $20 or $50 (or even more!!) to help.

This event, held every spring for the past 12 years and counting, is free and open to the public. The 2025 festival will take place March 21st-March 23rd.

The Delta Mouth Literary Festival is a testament to our community's belief in the power of literature. By donating, you are supporting the idea that gathering around stories is a timeless human need, and contributing to a future in which real people (not AI!) craft the words that connect us.

The funds will be used for:

Author Honorariums: Because exposure doesn’t buy bookshelves (or rent). Help us pay these talented writers for their time.
Travel & Lodging: Your donation will make sure the writers actually arrive, and once they get here, have a comfy place to stay. We'll use money to make hotel reservations and to gas up our '08 Camrys and shuttle the authors to and from the airport.
Good Eats: We take hosting seriously in Louisiana, which means all the food will be local and tasty. Every year, we conclude the event with a crawfish boil to treat our visitors to our local culture.
Venue Costs: Your support will help us secure venues that are spacious, stylish, and don’t smell like old textbooks.
Festival Magic: From the paper for your program to the tissues for when someone's reading inevitably brings you to tears, donations make it all happen. Bonus points if we can splurge on some fun bookmarks or festival swag!
Emergency Coffee Fund: Because both authors and readers run on caffeine.