Walter Mosley is the author of 60 critically-acclaimed books of fiction including the upcoming Easy Rawlins novel, Farewell, Amethystine; as well as works of nonfiction, memoir, and plays. His work has been translated into 25 languages. From the first novel he published, Devil in a Blue Dress with protagonist Easy Rawlins, Mosley’s work has explored the lives of Black men and women in America—past, present, and future.
Kim Michele Richardson is a New York Times bestselling American author from Kentucky known for her historical fiction, including the award-winning The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and a bestselling memoir, The Unbreakable Child. Richardson, who grew up in poverty and foster care, now resides in Kentucky with her family, dogs, and has founded Shy Rabbit, a writers' residency and scholarship for low-income writers. Her work often focuses on themes of kindness, courage, compassion, and the power of literacy.
Against Erasure: Women, Memory, and the Power of Story
Journalist and author Josie Cox and women’s historian Lorissa Rinehart come together for a timely, illuminating conversation about why women’s stories are so often marginalized, distorted, or erased and what it takes to restore them to the historical record. Drawing on their extensive reporting, archival research, and storytelling work, Cox and Rinehart explore how power, politics, and cultural bias shape whose lives are remembered and whose are forgotten. They will discuss the craft of uncovering lost narratives, the responsibility of writers and journalists to challenge received history, and the vital role community plays in preserving women’s voices across generations. This event invites readers, writers, and history lovers to consider how reclaiming women’s stories not only reshapes the past, but strengthens our understanding of the present—and our possibilities for the future.
Read along with celebrated children's author Roda Amed & renowned chef Daniel Humm
Little Daniel has big dreams. In a world where everyone else seems to follow the rules, he can’t help but follow his heart. Sometimes, that means Daniel is too loud, too busy, and too excited. Sometimes, he doesn’t feel like he belongs. While the other students in class are happy to color inside the lines, Daniel can’t even keep his crayon on the paper.
Written by renowned Michelin-star chef Daniel Humm and New York Times bestseller.
Bad Girls brings together three fearless writers who explore women on the margins—rule breakers, rebels, and antiheroines who refuse to behave. Leslie Zemeckis, Ivy Pochoda, Alycia Vreeland, and Kari Ferrell examine how “bad” women have been portrayed, misunderstood, sensationalized, and reclaimed across history, true crime, and fiction. From scandal and survival to power and reinvention, this conversation digs into why stories about transgressive women both unsettle and captivate us. Together, these authors challenge cultural myths, interrogate morality, and reveal what happens when women step outside the lines—and claim their own narratives.
A gripping conversation on crime writing, truth, and ethics, featuring four acclaimed authors
What draws us to crime stories—and what responsibility do writers bear when telling them? This compelling panel brings together Danielle Trussoni, Allison Weiner, Laurie Dove, and Sara DiVello, four authors whose work spans investigative journalism, literary nonfiction, and psychological suspense.
Together, they will explore how crime literature illuminates power, justice, obsession, and moral ambiguity, while shaping public understanding of real-world violence and accountability. From deep reporting and ethical storytelling to narrative tension and emotional truth, the conversation examines how crime writing can both captivate readers and challenge them to think more critically about the world around them. Moderated discussion and audience Q&A will offer insight into craft, research, and the enduring appeal of crime stories in an age of misinformation and true-crime saturation.
Inside the wild rise of Rolling Stone
Following the publication of Peter Richardson's BRAND NEW BEAT: THE WILD RISE OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, which takes readers inside the early days of the iconic magazine as it rewrote the rules of journalism, Richardson proposes a lively panel conversation about the distinct type of journalism pioneered by Rolling Stone--and where it stands today.
Rebuilding the 4th Estate from the Ground Up
In an era of rapid change, shrinking newsrooms, and rising distrust, journalism is at a crossroads. Join authors and journalists Josie Cox, Edward Humes, and Jane Borden for a timely and wide-ranging conversation on The Future of Journalism at the CEC Hub during the Santa Barbara Literary Festival.
This panel offers readers, writers, students, and engaged citizens an opportunity to think critically about where journalism is headed, why it still matters, and how strong reporting remains essential to democracy, accountability, and an informed community.
Romantasy, Reinvention, and the Art of Storytelling
Join bestselling author Ann Liang—the visionary voice behind A Song to Drown Rivers, I Am Not Jessica Chen, and Never Thought I’d End Up Here—for an in-depth conversation about her writing, her imaginative worlds, and the creative process that brings emotionally rich, genre-blending stories to life.
In conversation with Morgann Book, one of the world’s most influential BookTok creators, Liang will explore how she crafts unforgettable characters, builds immersive romantic and fantastical narratives, and weaves themes of identity, ambition, belonging, and transformation into her work. From lyrical prose to high-stakes emotional arcs, she’ll discuss her approach to voice, structure, pacing, and the delicate balance between romance, fantasy, and contemporary storytelling.
The discussion will also touch on Liang’s journey as an author, her evolution across genres, and how reader communities—both online and offline—shape the life of a book after publication.
A lively panel on bold heroines and anti-heroines—why readers love rule-breaking women and the power of complex, defiant female characters.
This panel celebrates characters who defy the roles assigned to them—whether in a royal court, a glittering socialite society, a gritty London gang, a 1960s suburb, a corporate office, or today’s digital age. These women captivate us not only for their daring actions, but for the inner strength, wit, and vulnerability that make them unforgettable. Join leading authors of women’s and historical fiction as they discuss the heroines and anti-heroines who dare to be bold, the beauty found in their complexity, and the bravery it takes to stand apart. Together we’ll explore why readers are irresistibly drawn to women who break convention and how their stories mirror our own struggles with identity, resilience, and reinvention—and why such rule-breaking heroines continue to inspire us long after the final page is turned.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
ALL PARTIES * ALL PANELS * ALL ACCESS * NOW ON SALE