Interview with Marisol Schulz about LéaLA
LéaLA, the Spanish-Language Book Fair and Literary Festival of Los Angeles, returns September 24–27, 2026, to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. Organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, the four-day festival brings together writers, readers, and thinkers from across the Spanish-speaking world for conversations, poetry, workshops, and literary encounters—all free and open to the public.
Ahead of this year’s festival, Latino Book Review spoke with LéaLA director Marisol Schulz about the importance of creating spaces for literature in Spanish, the evolving cultural landscape of Los Angeles, and the vision behind LéaLA.
GERALD PADILLA: LéaLA was founded in 2011. Looking back at its beginnings and where it stands today, how has your understanding of its purpose in Los Angeles evolved?
MARISOL SCHULZ: We started in another venue, so the size and format of our event were different. We held four editions at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where we had massive attendance over three days. However, due to several issues, we decided to change the format to a literary festival with fewer booths. That meant reducing the number of panels and presentations without losing our goals or our essence. We still believe that promoting reading in Spanish is important—not only for the Latino population, but for everyone interested in speaking another language.
PADILLA: This year’s theme, “The Stories That Unite Us Speak Spanish,” makes a strong statement about language and belonging. What does that phrase mean to you personally?
SCHULZ: It means remembering that the first words we heard in our childhood were in our native tongue, and that brings us back to strong memories and emotions. I was raised in a household where two languages were spoken, Spanish and Catalan, and my first memories were of lullabies sung to me by my maternal grandmother. It also represents an identity shaped by two different cultures.
PADILLA: You have described memory as an important thread running through this year’s programming. Why did memory feel particularly important to explore in 2026?
SCHULZ: Memory related to our roots is a way to understand the value of our culture and our identity. In an environment where some people are threatened simply because they speak their native tongue, it is more important than ever.
PADILLA: Spanish is spoken by millions of people in the United States, yet maintaining it across generations can be difficult. What role can books and literature play in keeping Spanish culturally alive among younger generations?
SCHULZ: I strongly believe in the power of bilingualism. Children raised speaking more than one language have greater opportunities to develop new skills. Neurologists have studied what happens in the brain of a bilingual person, and research shows that bilingual individuals typically have greater neuroplasticity and differences in gray matter density.
Books and literature contribute to all of this. They can play an important role not only in language learning, but also in entertaining and inspiring readers.
PADILLA: Los Angeles seems uniquely suited to a festival like LéaLA—a city shaped by Mexico, Latin America, migration, and multiple generations of Spanish speakers. How has Los Angeles itself shaped the identity of the festival?
SCHULZ: The Book Fair and Literary Festival is organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation, and from the beginning, our event was created with the Spanish-speaking population of Southern California in mind. It’s important to note that the second-largest population of people from the state of Jalisco lives in this region. So, we have always had Angelinos in mind.
PADILLA: LéaLA brings together writers from Mexico, the United States, and across Ibero-America. What kinds of conversations become possible when writers from these different literary traditions meet in the same space?
SCHULZ: All the international festivals I have attended over the years have this kind of mix of panels, and we know that people from the literary world and intellectual communities always find ways to connect and discuss different issues in a very harmonious way.
PADILLA: One distinctive aspect of LéaLA is that it is both a literary festival and a book fair. How important is it to create a space where readers can not only hear writers speak but also discover publishers and books in Spanish?
SCHULZ: When people attend a book presentation or hear an author they didn’t know before, they are more likely to buy their books. That closes the circle, and it is very important to have those books available. But beyond that, books in Spanish are very difficult to find in Los Angeles, despite the large number of people who speak the language.
PADILLA: Children and young readers occupy an important place in LéaLA’s programming. When you think about the future of Spanish-language literary culture in the United States, what gives you hope?
SCHULZ: I am so happy when I see the kids who come to all of our presentations designed especially for them. Seeing their smiling faces tells me that there are many things we can do with these new generations.
PADILLA: After eleven editions, what have you learned about what Spanish-speaking readers in the United States are looking for from literary and cultural institutions?
SCHULZ: I knew the Spanish-speaking market in the United States before becoming a book fair director because I had been a literary editor and had worked with many colleagues here. So, I can say that there is not just one market. Spanish-speaking readers on the East Coast are not the same as those on the West Coast. They come from different countries and came to the United States for different reasons.
PADILLA: What challenges still exist for Spanish-language writers, publishers, and books trying to reach readers in the United States?
SCHULZ: There are many challenges. One major issue is book distribution.
PADILLA: If someone has never attended LéaLA before, what do you hope they will experience when they walk into LA Plaza this September—and what do you hope they carry with them when they leave?
SCHULZ: I always think that our Book Fair is a very joyful event. People not only attend serious conversations; they also have a lot of fun. I want everybody to have a wonderful time and to leave carrying a love for our culture and our literature.
PADILLA: Marisol, thank you for taking the time to speak with Latino Book Review and for sharing your perspective on LéaLA, the importance of Spanish-language literature, and the stories that continue to connect our communities. We wish you and the entire LéaLA team a wonderful 11th edition and continued success in creating a space where books, language, and culture can come together.
SCHULZ: Thank you very much. It will be wonderful to welcome you to our event.
Ahead of this year’s festival, Latino Book Review spoke with LéaLA director Marisol Schulz about the importance of creating spaces for literature in Spanish, the evolving cultural landscape of Los Angeles, and the vision behind LéaLA.
GERALD PADILLA: LéaLA was founded in 2011. Looking back at its beginnings and where it stands today, how has your understanding of its purpose in Los Angeles evolved?
MARISOL SCHULZ: We started in another venue, so the size and format of our event were different. We held four editions at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where we had massive attendance over three days. However, due to several issues, we decided to change the format to a literary festival with fewer booths. That meant reducing the number of panels and presentations without losing our goals or our essence. We still believe that promoting reading in Spanish is important—not only for the Latino population, but for everyone interested in speaking another language.
PADILLA: This year’s theme, “The Stories That Unite Us Speak Spanish,” makes a strong statement about language and belonging. What does that phrase mean to you personally?
SCHULZ: It means remembering that the first words we heard in our childhood were in our native tongue, and that brings us back to strong memories and emotions. I was raised in a household where two languages were spoken, Spanish and Catalan, and my first memories were of lullabies sung to me by my maternal grandmother. It also represents an identity shaped by two different cultures.
PADILLA: You have described memory as an important thread running through this year’s programming. Why did memory feel particularly important to explore in 2026?
SCHULZ: Memory related to our roots is a way to understand the value of our culture and our identity. In an environment where some people are threatened simply because they speak their native tongue, it is more important than ever.
PADILLA: Spanish is spoken by millions of people in the United States, yet maintaining it across generations can be difficult. What role can books and literature play in keeping Spanish culturally alive among younger generations?
SCHULZ: I strongly believe in the power of bilingualism. Children raised speaking more than one language have greater opportunities to develop new skills. Neurologists have studied what happens in the brain of a bilingual person, and research shows that bilingual individuals typically have greater neuroplasticity and differences in gray matter density.
Books and literature contribute to all of this. They can play an important role not only in language learning, but also in entertaining and inspiring readers.
PADILLA: Los Angeles seems uniquely suited to a festival like LéaLA—a city shaped by Mexico, Latin America, migration, and multiple generations of Spanish speakers. How has Los Angeles itself shaped the identity of the festival?
SCHULZ: The Book Fair and Literary Festival is organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation, and from the beginning, our event was created with the Spanish-speaking population of Southern California in mind. It’s important to note that the second-largest population of people from the state of Jalisco lives in this region. So, we have always had Angelinos in mind.
PADILLA: LéaLA brings together writers from Mexico, the United States, and across Ibero-America. What kinds of conversations become possible when writers from these different literary traditions meet in the same space?
SCHULZ: All the international festivals I have attended over the years have this kind of mix of panels, and we know that people from the literary world and intellectual communities always find ways to connect and discuss different issues in a very harmonious way.
PADILLA: One distinctive aspect of LéaLA is that it is both a literary festival and a book fair. How important is it to create a space where readers can not only hear writers speak but also discover publishers and books in Spanish?
SCHULZ: When people attend a book presentation or hear an author they didn’t know before, they are more likely to buy their books. That closes the circle, and it is very important to have those books available. But beyond that, books in Spanish are very difficult to find in Los Angeles, despite the large number of people who speak the language.
PADILLA: Children and young readers occupy an important place in LéaLA’s programming. When you think about the future of Spanish-language literary culture in the United States, what gives you hope?
SCHULZ: I am so happy when I see the kids who come to all of our presentations designed especially for them. Seeing their smiling faces tells me that there are many things we can do with these new generations.
PADILLA: After eleven editions, what have you learned about what Spanish-speaking readers in the United States are looking for from literary and cultural institutions?
SCHULZ: I knew the Spanish-speaking market in the United States before becoming a book fair director because I had been a literary editor and had worked with many colleagues here. So, I can say that there is not just one market. Spanish-speaking readers on the East Coast are not the same as those on the West Coast. They come from different countries and came to the United States for different reasons.
PADILLA: What challenges still exist for Spanish-language writers, publishers, and books trying to reach readers in the United States?
SCHULZ: There are many challenges. One major issue is book distribution.
PADILLA: If someone has never attended LéaLA before, what do you hope they will experience when they walk into LA Plaza this September—and what do you hope they carry with them when they leave?
SCHULZ: I always think that our Book Fair is a very joyful event. People not only attend serious conversations; they also have a lot of fun. I want everybody to have a wonderful time and to leave carrying a love for our culture and our literature.
PADILLA: Marisol, thank you for taking the time to speak with Latino Book Review and for sharing your perspective on LéaLA, the importance of Spanish-language literature, and the stories that continue to connect our communities. We wish you and the entire LéaLA team a wonderful 11th edition and continued success in creating a space where books, language, and culture can come together.
SCHULZ: Thank you very much. It will be wonderful to welcome you to our event.
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