By Susan Page

 

Writers and readers have experienced an abundance of riches for the past three months of the San Miguel Writers’ Conference. Instead of our usual five-day February event with six keynote speakers, we are presenting 13 currently popular authors, along with the opportunity for a one-on-one Zoom conversation with each author.

 

As one participant wrote: “I just left you on Zoom. Totally touched and blown away. Diana Gabaldon has been my hero-writer, and I actually just spoke to her. Bliss!”

 

(Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, will appear again for a keynote event on Feb 13.)

 

Another Conference attendee wrote this: “The intimacy of the Zoom events is so different from being one of 1,000 people in a big auditorium. I get a front row seat, can hear everything perfectly, and I still get to network after the event because of your clever inventions.”

 

Don’t let COVID prevent you from attending these world-class literary events, our January programs, right in your own home!

 

Yuri Herrera and Souvankham Thammavongsa

 

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera is one of the most arresting novels to be published in Spanish in the last 10 years. Yuri Herrera writes about the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. He will be in conversation with the Director of our Spanish Conference, Armida Zepeda, on Sun, Jan 17, at 6pm, in Spanish with English subtitles.

 

The Giller Prize is Canada’s most prestigious literary award, carrying a purse of CA$100,000. This past November, it was awarded to Souvankham Thammavongsa, a Laotian who grew up in Canada. Because we are a genuinely tri-cultural Conference, we have a close connection with the Giller Foundation and are proud to be able to present this award-winning writer as part of our Festival on Sat, Jan 23, at 6 p.m.

 

Literary Events

 

Short story fans will not want to miss our Late-night Live program, Let Me Tell You, featuring short stories by three Mexican writers. It will be presented in Spanish with English subtitles on Wed, Jan 20, at 9:30pm.

 

On Sat, Jan 23, at 2pm, we are presenting a panel for both readers and writers about speculative fiction which includes science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, ghost stories, fairy tales, and more. Writers Coatl S, Kat Falls, and David Dykes will discuss the appeal and relevance of this type of writing and the importance of enticing readers to suspend disbelief.

 

Workshops for Writers

 

Our January workshops for writers include these topics: Memoir as an Act of Discovery; Creating Speculative Fiction; Book Proposal Master Class; and How to Edit What You Write.

 

Our Fun Networking Features

 

Following each keynote speaker, we invite you to “come up onto the stage” for informal personal interactions with the author. Or you are also welcome to socialize with other attendees in “the line for the bathroom.” 

 

For full Information and Tickets, visit sanmiguelwritersconference.org. Click on “Tickets and Packages,” then click on “January Session.”