Litquake 2024

Co-presented with Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (PAWA) and San Francisco Public Library

In her latest book, How to Read Now: Essays, Elaine Castillo explores the "politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories." In this year’s FilBookFest keynote, Castillo will discuss her ambitious hopes for our reading culture.

The Filipino American International Book Festival is the largest and only international book festival in the US featuring Filipinx and Filipinix American authors and books. This year's theme is Kaisá't Kasama: Celebrating Our Diverse Voices and Solidarity. FREE

Co-presented with The Roxie , ZYZZYVA, and SF IndieFest

The next edition of ZYZZYVA Movie Night—the new San Francisco film series featuring a noted writer presenting a favorite film—marks its first matinee. At the beloved Roxie Theatre in the Mission District, poet and novelist Kaveh Akbar (Martyr!) will discuss Abbas Kiarostami's 1987 film Where Is the Friend's House? in conversation with Ahmad Kiarostami, Roxie board member and the director’s son. Co-hosted by acclaimed author Ingrid Rojas Contreras and ZYZZYVA editor Oscar Villalon. Doors at 12:00PM for book sales/signing. $16

Book sales for this event coordinated by Dog Eared Books

Co-presented with 48 Hills

Moderator Tania Malik and panelists Nina Schuyler, Grace Loh Prasad, and Carol LaHines will share a frank discussion about their experiences being traditionally published by small, independent presses. Following a reading, they will delve into the ins and outs of the small press publication process, as well as the cultural impact of smaller presses taking chances on voices that bigger presses find too risky or hard to classify. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation

Co-presented with 48 Hills and KALW

Join journalist Alison Owings and Del Seymour, who overcame 18 years of homelessness and addiction to become one of the most respected advocates in San Francisco, as they slip behind the cold statistics and sensationalism. Mayor of Tenderloin reveals a harrowing and life-affirming portrait of Seymour, who, once housed and sober, started Tenderloin Walking Tours and later Code Tenderloin, the remarkable organization teaching homeless, recovering addicts, sex workers, dealers, ex-felons, and other marginalized people how to get and keep a job. Special performance inspired by Del’s advocacy and life by Skywatchers, the multi-disciplinary, mixed-ability ensemble that creates work amplifying the Tenderloin neighborhood’s stories. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation

Book sales for this event coordinated by Medicine for Nightmares.

Although memoir and narrative nonfiction continue to thrive as genres, the writers of such works tend to be seen as something other than artists—reporters, survivors, historians, and social thinkers, yes, but not artists. Can works driven by facts aspire to true artistry, or does the burden of representing reality inherently place it in a different category? Together, writers Tom Barbash, Lindsey Crittenden, Glen David Gold, and Rachel Howard, along with moderator Jason Roberts, explore these worthwhile questions. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation

Co-presented with SF IndieFest

The October dusk falls early . . . which makes this the perfect time to explore that duskiest genre, noir, through the lens of both film and comics. In this double feature movie and literature extravaganza, Robert Mailer Anderson (My Fairy Godfather) and Peter Hoey (In Perpetuity) will discuss their latest graphic novels, both of which have their roots in the world of film. In Anderson’s case, the inspiration is SF’s beloved Castro Theatre; for Hoey, it’s the seedy Hollywood of classic noir. Their conversation, moderated by CCA's Justin Hall, will be bookended by two of Anderson’s films: Windows on the World (which directly inspired Anderson’s first graphic novel) and Pig Hunt. $20
 
3:30pm Screening of Windows on the World
5:45pm Conversation with Robert Mailer Anderson and Peter Hoey moderated by Justin Hall, followed by book signing
7:15 pm Screening of Pig Hunt

Book sales for this event coordinated by Books Inc.

How do memoirists fill in the gaps when there are missing pieces in their research—for example, when the person with needed information died long ago or when gender, culture, language, or other barriers thwart the process? These obstacles require memoirists to get crafty. This might mean using creative nonfiction to write imagined scenes or even require lying, eavesdropping, and/or employing subterfuge to gain access to something off-limits. Susan Kiyo Ito, Margaret Juhae Lee, Grace Loh Prasad, and Leslie Absher will present how they used “unofficial” means to get at the truth, and, in essence, became spies in their own stories. FREE

Co-presented with 48 Hills

This dynamic event showcases writers driven by urgency, addressing pressing issues with narratives that explore the ignored, overlooked, and under-represented. Eirinie Carson, Christopher D. Cook, Sabina Khan-Ibarra, Jesus Francisco Sierra, and Rowena Leong Singerwill share stories of resilience and resistance and delve deep into identity, activism, and the pursuit of justice, offering powerful insights into how American culture and politics impact their daily lives as members of under-represented communities. Celebrating Defiance promises an afternoon of powerful storytelling, inclusivity, and the amplification of voices that challenge the status quo. FREE, $10–15 suggested donation

Book sales for this event coordinated by Sagrada.

Sponsored by HarperOne
Co-presented with 48 Hills

The Lost Church is a fitting setting for an enchanting evening of stories and spells, featuring literary icon and self-described “DIY witch” Michelle Tea, whose new book Modern Magic is a companion to her classic Modern Tarot. Michelle will be joined in conversation by Diana Helmuth, author of The Witching Year, and during a special interactive intermission, we’ll also be treated to a glimpse of author Rana Tahir’s “Choose Your Own Adventure”–inspired tarot deck, as well as a taste of the bewitching beverages in Julia Halina Hadas’s WitchCraft Cocktails. The conversation will be guided by writer, educator, and multidisciplinary artist MK Chavez. Doors at 7:30PM. $18 / $15 early bird through 10/6

Book sales for this event coordinated by Telegraph Hill Books.