Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Local singer/songwriter and former American Idol contestant Ashton Gill will perform at this year’s Livingston Parish Book Festival, giving visitors a chance to enjoy one of the most popular singers in south Louisiana.

A multi-talented 25-year-old performer from Livingston Parish, Gill has been surrounded by music all life. With her earliest performances coming in her small country church, Gill favors country and gospel music, but her repertoire is versatile. She is also a skilled instrumentalist who plays the guitar and piano.

In 2018, Gill displayed her talents in front of a national television audience during a star-turning audition on American Idol. Gill won over thousands of fans with her audition and earned high praise from Idol judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, securing a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Since her run on American Idol, Gill has been actively writing, recording, and performing her music across the U.S.

In 2021, Gill made it to the big screen by landing the role of a musician named Sara Tolleson in the independent feature film “The Author.” She also wrote and recorded music for the film. 

“We are thrilled that someone as talented as Ashton will be performing at the Livingston Parish Book Festival,” said Livingston Parish Library Director Michelle Parrish. 

The Eighth Annual Livingston Parish Book Festival will be held from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at the Main Branch in Livingston, located at 20390 Iowa Street, Livingston, LA, 70754.

The event is hosted by the Livingston Parish Library. First held in 2013, the Book Festival features author discussions, book signings, live music, food, face painting, games, and other activities. Visitors will also be able to utilize any of the library’s resources.

Headlining this year’s festival is Eric Litwin, a #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning writer and original author of the “Pete the Cat” series.

Other featured writers include Ellen Byron, an award-winning mystery author who has won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel, and Sarah Guillory, a young adult author whose middle-grade debut “Nowhere Better Than Here” was named a Kirkus’ Reviews Best Book of the Year, a CBC Best Book of the Year, and was the International Literacy Association’s Intermediate Fiction Winner.

The Book Festival is free and open to the public, and all attendees will receive a free book while supplies last. All other branches of the Livingston Parish Library will be closed on Oct. 21.