Long Beach-based nonprofit Literary Women invites local bookworms to crawl out of their favorite reading spot for the 41st annual Festival of Authors on Feb. 11.
The oldest and largest nonprofit authors festival will highlight seven esteemed women authors who will speak at this year’s event, spanning topics such as a heartfelt mystery set in Lahore, Pakistan; a historical fiction based on mystery novelist Agatha Christie; a story about sister triplets who band together to save their town; a debut novel exploring wealth, family dynamics and gentrification in Puerto Rico and more.
There is a wide range of experience from the authors in this year’s lineup of speakers, featuring both debut authors and those with many years in the publishing field.
The Long Beach Convention Center will host the hordes of bibliophiles who wish to hear from emerging and established female authors. The speakers will each get 40 minutes to impart their wisdom of the publishing industry to the attendees.
“That’s one of the joys of putting on this festival—being there with all these other readers who are so enthusiastic, they look forward to this all year long,” said Anne Emigh, chair for Literary Women. “Sometimes best friends come together or mothers and daughters, or book clubs, but everybody sits there on the edge of their seats. These authors are like their rock stars because we love them so much.”
The Literary Women’s Festival of Authors began in Long Beach in 1982 when Harriet Williams and Virginia Laddey noticed the scarcity of female authors in many high school reading lists.
This year’s lineup of authors includes:
- Aamina Ahmad, “The Return of Faraz Ali”
- Nina De Gramont, “The Christie Affair”
- Laurie Frankel, “One Two Three”
- Xochitl Gonzalez, “Olga Dies Dreaming”
- Nana Nkweti, “Walking on Cowrie Shells”
- Nita Prose, “The Maid”
- Mary Roach, “Fuzz”
Emigh said the festival rarely has science nonfiction, but “Fuzz” was widely appreciated for its wit and humor involving rogue animals by the 25-person volunteer board that chooses the authors each year. The book explores the relationship between humans and wildlife as shrinking land developments draw us nearer to each other and result in dangerous, strange and oftentimes funny encounters.
“[Mary Roach] is viewed as the funniest science writer in America,” Emigh said. “This lady travels all over the world doing research and she writes about crazy things that animals do that cause problems for humans … crazy ways that humans have tried to solve these problems. She just has a really great sense of humor, but you really learn something.”
Roach is among the speakers who will share their experiences in the publishing industry, their writing process and information about their book. Nearly 800 bibliophiles will hear from four of the authors in the main ballroom and then will have the option to choose one of three breakout sessions happening simultaneously.
The breakout sessions will be posted online after the festival for everyone to enjoy, according to a press release.
“It’s really interesting to hear how people write; it’s interesting to hear how they became writers and what influenced them,” Emigh said. “People are just blown away at the end of the day. They’re inspired to read more or read a certain genre that they wouldn’t have thought they would have liked or they just learned something.”
Among the eager festival-goers will be seven students chosen for the Emerging Writers Program from Long Beach City College, Long Beach State, Chapman University and PEN American. The students are recommended by mentors who serve in the school’s writing program and are given the opportunity to speak one-on-one with an author of their choosing.
The Emerging Writers Program aligns with Literary Women’s mission to “showcase women’s voices, dreams, and achievements in writing,” according to the nonprofit’s website.
Although the publishing and writing world is not as male-dominated as it was in the ‘80s, Emigh said that there is still a prevalent need to highlight women’s experiences.
“It’s wonderful for women to get to hear other women’s stories. I think that’s very important,” Emigh said. “So many things have changed in women’s lives publicly and through the news that there are more stories that reflect that. So I do think it’s still very, very pertinent.”
This is the first year that Literary Women is offering the option to reserve tables for groups who wish to be seated together. Emigh said that people sometimes line up for the festival as early as 7 a.m., so the tables guarantee reserved group seating.
Online registration for the Festival of Authors can be made through the Literary Women’s website. Tickets begin at $120.
