The largest book festival in the United States will be relocated next year to the University of Southern California (USC) in an effort to boost the attendance of the 15-year-old literary event, the organizers said on Wednesday.

The 2011 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held at USC’s University Park Campus from April 30 to May 1, the organizers announced.

“We are very excited to move the Festival of Books to its beautiful new home and have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with USC to ensure we grow bigger and better in the future,” The Times Publisher Eddy Hartenstein said.

Due to USC’s central location, proximity to public transportation, number of parking spaces and campus facilities, the move could give the readership attendance a boost, event officials said.

“The Festival is a great fit for our world-class faculty authors and writing programs, as well as for our literacy work in the community,” said C. L. Max Nikias, president of USC.

The book festival, which aims to promote literacy, celebrate the written word, and bring together those who create books with the people who love to read them, has been held in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s campus in Westwood since its inception in 1996.

Last year, more than 140,000 people attended the Festival of Books, which is free to the public. Attendees had the chance to meet about 400 authors, local musicians, prominent chefs and other celebrities, as well as check out exhibitions presented by booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations.