• Publishing
• RSVP required

The Next Chapter: Navigating the Modern Book Publishing Landscape

Karen Chan, Angela Engel, Steve Wasserman, moderated by Brooke Warner

Come out for a vibrant panel discussion, moderated by Brooke Warner (She Writes Press), with three California book publishers, Karen Chan (Gloo Books), Angela Engel (Collective Book Studio), and Steve Wasserman (Heyday Books). This conversation will go beyond the confines of traditional publishing to unravel the forces shaping the future of literature and storytelling. Join us as we explore innovative business models, disruptive technologies, and emerging platforms that are revolutionizing how books are created, distributed, and consumed. From self-publishing and hybrid models to direct-to-consumer and digital platforms, the possibilities are boundless, offering authors and readers alike unprecedented access to diverse voices and narratives. Our panel of industry trailblazers will share their insights, experiences, and visions for the future of publishing, and talk about all the ways that book publishing itself is as diverse and dynamic as the stories it publishes and elevates. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Writing Across Genres – Writing Workshop with SJSU

Selena Anderson (fiction), Barnaby Dallas (screenwriting), Brook McClurg (creative nonfiction), J. Michael Martinez (poetry), Keenan Norris (fiction), Matthew Spangler (playwriting), Nick Taylor (fiction)

The MFA Program at San José State trains versatile writers. Every graduate develops expertise in at least two genres, choosing primary and secondary concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or scriptwriting. This workshop is an introduction to SJSU’s unique cross-genre approach. Students will begin by writing a short piece of fiction or creative nonfiction in response to prompts by faculty members Keenan Norris and Brook McClurg. After some feedback and discussion, students will then have the opportunity to adapt their prose composition into a work of drama or poetry under the direction of faculty members Matthew Spangler and J. Michael Martinez. Students emerge with a new perspective on literary forms—and proof that, like our faculty, they can write across genres. Space is Limited - RSVP is free - Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. Sponsored by San Jose State University Department of English & Comparative Literature

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Writing Workshop for Teens (ages 13-19)

Join Julia Segre and Serena Griffin, the youth poets laureate of Berkeley for a teen writing workshop. No experience necessary. No particular style of writing will be the focus. Instead, teen participants will be offered a series of prompts to inspire them, and given opportunities to write freely on the topics and to read aloud (always optional!) For ages 13-19. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

That Was Then: Writing Historical Fiction

Anita Amirrezavani, Nayomi Munaweera, and Janis Cooke Newman

What makes something a historical novel instead of a history? How much research is too much research? In the absence of time travel, how does a writer recreate the past on the page? In this one-hour workshop, 3 award-winning historical novelists, Anita Amirrezavani, Nayomi Munaweera, and Janis Cooke Newman will share their tips and strategies for writing compelling historical fiction. There will be time for prompted free writing—so you can try out a few of the authors’ tips and techniques—and sharing. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. In association with Page Street.

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Generative Writing in Community

Sarah Cronin and Olivia Berriz

Can a workshop space be engaging, generative, and inspiring all while cultivating a greater sense of community belonging? We think so! Join us to learn some practical tools for creating a generative writing space in your own community. No need to come with any material prepared— this is intended to be a generative session. This workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity to write new material and exchange feedback in a safe, non-judgmental, collaborative environment. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. Sponsored by University of San Francisco MFA in Writing Program

• Poetry
• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

How to Write a Haiku

David Roderick of Left Margin LIT

Poems are very efficient vehicles of language. In order to function, all excessive words must be trimmed away. Given that premise, is there any poetic tradition more efficient and evocative than the Japanese haiku form: 17 syllables in all, in a 5/7/5 3-line format? In this class, designed for all levels, we’ll read and enjoy some classic Japanese haiku as well as contemporary American approaches to the form. We’ll also take a look at the Tanka (a 5-line Japanese form related to the haiku) in classical and contemporary contexts. After chatting about these examples, we’ll experiment with writing of our own haiku poems and tankas. (Sharing optional.) Participants in this workshop will get a primer/refresher on a unique literary art form and try their own hand at it as well, with additional resources offered for further reading. Recommended Materials: Paper, pen/pencil. (Special request: Devices turned off so that the poems can turn you on!) Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. In association with Left Margin Lit.

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Break Through: Finding the Unexpected in Your Own Writing

Judy Halebsky, Lee Kravetz, Iris Jamahl Dunkle, moderated by Dr. Marianne Rogoff

Great writing has aspects of revelation and surprise. Authors writing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry share tips on how they tap into the unconscious and use the unexpected to do their best work. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. Sponsored by Dominican University of California MFA Creative Writing

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Writing workshop for Elementary Kids: Twisting A Tale

Sara T. Behrman

This workshop uses traditional folktales and fairy tales to stimulate the imagination as students write a creative piece that twists the well-known story into a completely new tale. Grades 4-5. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Creative Non-fiction: Harnessing the Wild Imagination

Nathalie Franco

In this workshop, we will explore the wonderous world of non-fiction, specifically focusing on the "creative" side that can come from writing literary non-fiction. The goal of this workshop is to help you branch outside the restrictive conventions of non-fiction, and venture into how we can imagine our works taking a new form. We will practice how to write genre-bending narratives through the lens of non-fiction, learning how to weave, braid, and blend various genres(ex: fiction, poetry, etc.), and writing styles (ex: hermit crab essays, braided essays, etc.) with your story. This workshop will exclude talking about how to write journalism and academic papers (reports, academic research, etc.). This does not mean that you cannot utilize journalistic tools and academic writing in our writing exercises, it just means that in this workshop we will focus on how we challenge ourselves and intertwine those and other various styles into our literary non-fiction. Join us in seeing how "creative" non-fiction can be! Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press.

• RSVP required
• Workshop
• Writing

Take Me Away! Writing About Places Near and Far

Leslie Carol Roberts, Aimee Phan, Jasmin Darznik, and Faith Adiele

Led by a diverse cadre of award-winning writers from the MFA Program in Writing at California College of the Arts, this 60-minute workshop will teach you how to bring the places and times you write about to life. Whether you’re writing essays about your travels, tackling a family memoir, or dreaming up fictional worlds, captivating readers depends on your ability to create an immersive sense of place. Through instruction, small-group discussions, in-class writing prompts and a question-answer period, participants will discover new ways of energizing their current and future writing projects. Space is Limited – RSVP is free – Get your ticket now

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Presented by Zoetic Press. Sponsored by California College of the Arts MFA Writing Program

• BIPOC voices
• Identity
• Ticketed

Legendary Artists on Identity and Remembering: Vulnerability in Creating Across Genres

Joan Baez in conversation with Greg Sarris

Ground-breaking Mexican-American musician, artist, and activist Joan Baez joins accomplished writer, professor, and tribal leader Chairman Greg Sarris in a conversation about writing, creating, and legacy. Sarris is co-executive producer of Joan Baez: I Am A Noise, a deeply personal, profound, and haunting documentary that follows Baez on her 2018 Fare Thee Well goodbye tour and explores memory and abuse through home videos, journal entries, photographs, and therapy tapes. In a continued pursuit of an “honest legacy,” Baez’s debut poetry collection, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance, is an intimate and inspiring meditation on her most life-changing moments as an artist. Through never-before-seen poems, Baez reminisces on family, childhood, nature, art, as well as her contemporaries such as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and Jimi Hendrix. Greg Sarris is an author, producer, and playwright, and he is serving his sixteenth term as Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. His most recent play, Citizen, debuted at San Francisco’s Word for Word theater, and his new book, The Forgetters, remembers shared histories and caring for the world. Come listen to these two legendary artists as they discuss creating across genres and forms, the power of vulnerability and detail, and writing into memory, family, finding connection and hope, and moving on.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

Presented by Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Sponsored by Visit Berkeley.

• Climate
• Current events
• Politics
• Ticketed

Navigating the Mirror World: Misinformation, Conspiracies, and Why It’s Time to Wake Up

Naomi Klein in conversation with Brooke Warner

Join award-winning author, professor, filmmaker, and activist Naomi Klein in conversation about her latest book, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World. Doppelganger offers a unique and dynamic perspective on the absurdity and complexity of our current political moment. Klein uses her own experience of being mistaken for “Other Naomi” (Naomi Wolf, the feminist intellectual turned anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist) as a springboard to explore what she calls the “mirror world,” where conspiracy theories, online paranoia, mimicking, and more are creating a far-right parallel universe that’s been all too tempting for Democrats to dismiss or ignore. With her signature intellectual rigor, Klein refuses to look the other way, and with genuine curiosity and desire to understand what fuels her doppelganger and other conspiracists, she flings herself into the underworld to shine light on its appeal and its real-world consequences. Klein is an associate professor in the department of geography at the University of British Columbia, the founding co-director of UBC’s Centre for Climate Justice, and an honorary professor of Media and Climate at Rutgers University. She is a columnist for The Guardian, and her writing has appeared in leading publications around the world. Klein will be in conversation with Brooke Warner, the Festival’s Board Chair and Publisher of She Writes Press. This is an exciting opportunity to hear one of our most influential social critics unpack and muse on the current political moment and the doubles that haunt us.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

Sponsored by She Writes Press

• Identity
• Indigenous stories

Native Voices: Essayists from the 2024 Graton Writing Project

various students; moderated by Greg Sarris, Tribal Chair, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

We’re thrilled to once again present the talented youth of the Graton Writing Project, a series of writing workshops for middle-and high-school Native students from Sonoma, California, that culminates in a published anthology of their work. Each year, the students work with writing mentors to create original pieces inspired by a theme; past themes have included the nature environment and hopes for the future. environmental. Author Greg Sarris (Becoming Story), Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, will moderate this showcase of moving, powerful work from the workshop’s 2024 cohort. Presented by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Presented by Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• BIPOC voices
• Fiction

National Book Critics Circle Superstars of Fiction

Tommy Orange, Amy Tan, Jonathan Lethem, moderated by Jane Ciabattari

Honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the National Book Critics Circle, this panel presents a beautiful range of voices representing some of the best and most beloved fiction writers of our times. First books by Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn), Tommy Orange (There, There), and Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) won NBCC awards. The three esteemed panelists will read from recent work and discuss the transformative nature of winning an NBCC award and their writing life since with moderator Jane Ciabattari, NBCC Vice President/Events.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• BIPOC voices
• Memoir
• Poetry

First Person Plural: Poets Speaking for Self and Community in Poetry and Memoir

José Vadi, Brontez Purnell, Priscilla Wathington, Adrienne Chung, MC’d by Sam Sax

Come hear some of the Bay Area’s most dynamic poets with new collections of poetry and memoir. Panelists include Brontez Purnell, whose Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt is a wrenching, sexy, and exhilaratingly energetic memoir in genre-defying verse; Priscilla Wathington, whose debut chapbook, Paper & Stick, draws from her experiences as a Palestinian American and her past human rights and humanitarian work with NGOs such as Defense for Children International – Palestine; poet José Vadi, whose book, Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder’s Lens, is a memoir-in-essays that begins with wheels and a mere piece of wood—often chipped; and Adrienne Chung, whose debut collection, Organs of Little Importance, is a winner of the National Poetry Series that claps back at Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. The reading will be emceed by Sam Sax, author of Pig, ​​a collection of poems that uses the humble animal as a lens to explore the body, faith, desire, and power.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Climate
• Fiction

Climate Fiction as a Tool for Climate Justice

Charlie Jane Anders, Aya de León, Sim Kern, Rebecca Roanhorse, moderated by Keya Chatterjee

Climate fiction is a unique way to approach the climate crisis through both real and imagined endings and beginnings. This panel, moderated by author and activist Keya Chatterjee, explores why writers are drawn to climate fiction (Cli-Fi), and what they hope to achieve through the genre. Charlie Jane Anders has been writing climate novels for nearly a decade. She is the international bestselling Cli-Fi author of the fantasy YA novel, Promises Stronger Than Darkness. Award-winning author Aya de León writes CliFi in the form of thrillers, heists, spy novels, and dramas set in the contemporary real world of the African Diaspora. New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse is an Indigenous novelist reshaping North American science fiction. Her most recent book, Mirrored Heavens, is the conclusion to her critically acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy.. Sim Kern’s new book, The Free People's Village, is a YA sci-fi/CliFi alternate history of our time. Come find out how each of these author’s journeys into the climate crisis in fiction can help us chart our path out of it in reality.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• Black voices
• Identity
• Literary

Black Women: Reclaiming our Legacies and Futures

Maryemma Graham, Cynthia Manick, Joshunda Sanders, moderated by Shia Shabazz Smith

This panel centers the throughlines of Black women’s lives—past, present, and future—through the multidisciplinary lenses of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. In the nonfiction realm, Maryemma Graham’s The House Where My Soul Lives: The Life of Margaret Walker is the first biography of author and activist Margaret Walker. Among the first to recognize the impact of Black women in literature, Graham emphasizes what contemporary American culture owes to her decades of foundational work in what we know today as Black Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Public Humanities. In fiction, inspired by true events, Joshunda Sanders’s debut novel, Women of the Post, focuses on the search for purpose and friendship in the all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps in WWII. Cynthia Manick’s poetry collection, No Sweet Without Brine, touches on everyday life, childhood memories, adult realities, Black love, and Black joy. Voted one of the Best Books of 2023 by the New York Public Library, No Sweet Without Brine uses seamless lyricism to explore the love of self and culture through new observations and bitter truths. This panel is moderated by screenwriter, poet, and educator Shia Shabazz Smith.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• History
• Indigenous stories
• local interest
• Social justice

Displacement, Oppression, and Land Grabs: Rethinking What We Think We Know About California’s History and Institutions 

Malcolm Harris, Tony Platt, moderated by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Step into the rich and complicated tapestry of California’s history in this panel that draws from two recently released epic books, Palo Alto and The Scandal of Cal, that shed light on some of the often-overlooked stories of exploitation and displacement of Native Americans that underpin the state’s development. From the earliest days of Spanish colonization in the 1700s to the present, California’s history has been shaped by myriad forces, including the relentless drive for expansion, the clash of cultures, and the quest for wealth and power at all costs. Panelists Malcolm Harris and Tony Platt have both written meticulous researched books that expose the dark undercurrents of this history, revealing the injustices perpetrated against indigenous peoples and the complicity of institutions like Stanford and UC Berkeley in perpetuating these injustices. Moderated by professor, activist, and author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, this will be a nuanced discussion that traverses the breadth of California’s history that acknowledges the intersections between power, privilege, and progress in the Golden State

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• Black voices
• Current events
• local interest
• Politics

We the People: Building a Resilient Multiracial Democracy in 2024 and Beyond

Steve Phillips, Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Maurice Mitchell, moderated by Lateefah Simon

In 2024, the threat of authoritarianism is greater than ever before. Yet our nation also has the potential to become a genuine multiracial democracy. How can we help tip the scale? Steve Phillips is a national political leader, bestselling author, and columnist. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller Brown Is the New White. His latest book, How We Win the Civil War, charts the way forward for those who wish to build a multiracial democracy and rid our nation of white supremacy once and for all. . He will be in conversation with two veteran political organizers, Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Executive Director of The Highlander Center, which serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South, with a background in fighting for workers, reproductive justice, LGBTQUIA+ folks, environmental justice, and more, and Maurice Mitchell, a visionary leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and National Director of the Working Families Party. Moderated by congressional candidate Lateefah Simon, this urgent conversation is the reframe that many of us have been hungering for, to move us from anxiety to action. These big-picture thinkers can help us leverage our ostensibly limited voting options into a visionary electoral strategy that can change the game.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• Identity
• Latinx voices
• nonfiction
• Social justice

Creative Nonfiction as Reclamation and Confrontation

Myriam Gurba and Ingrid Rojas Contreras

This captivating discussion featuring two dynamic and boundary-pushing authors, Myriam Gurba and Ingrid Rojas Contreras, delves into the multifaceted realms of intersectional Latinx identities, the expansive landscape of creative nonfiction, and the crucial task of confronting oppression and abuse of power. Gurba is a writer, artist, and activist, and author of the iconic true crime memoir, Mean, and the recent essay collection, Creep, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle award in criticism. Rojas Contreras’s dazzling debut memoir, The Man Who Could Move Clouds, explores her Colombian identity and reckons with the bounds of reality through an oral history that challenges Western notions of history and memory. The two authors will be in conversation, speaking to the urgency of writing our stories as we need to tell them, why there’s more space within creative nonfiction than Western traditions will have us believe, and why confronting oppression in our writing and in our lived experience is essential.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers

Lurking in Plain Sight: Crime Fiction Beyond Genre Borders

Nancy Jooyoun Kim, Ritu Mukerji, Jason Powell, moderated by Heather Young

Moderated by thriller author Heather Young (The Distant Dead), this panel brings together novelists whose books center elements of crime, whether they’re shelved in mystery or literary fiction. Writer and firefighter Jason Powell’s debut novel, No Man’s Ghost, explores the psyches of those who fight fires and those who set them. Nancy Jooyoun Kim’s What We Kept To Ourselves is a historical novel about a Korean immigrant family grappling with the mystery of the mother’s disappearance, only to find a dead body in their yard somehow connected to her. An Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel, Ritu Mukerji’s Murder by Degrees is a historical mystery set in 19th-century Philadelphia, following a pioneering woman doctor as she investigates the disappearance of a young patient who is presumed dead. This panel brings to its audience an expansive celebration of crime fiction from exciting writers whose page-turning stories model why readers love these tales.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• Food
• Indigenous stories
• Social justice

Let’s Eat! Decolonizing Diets 

Sara Calvosa Olson in conversation with Terria Smith

Sara Calvosa Olson is a food writer and editor exploring the intersections of storytelling, Indigenous food systems, security, sovereignty, reconnection, and recipe development. Olson’s maternal ancestry is from the Karuk tribe whose lands are part of northwest California, and her new book, Chími Nu’am: Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen, aims to help integrate more traditional ingredients into everyday recipes. Chími Nu’am, which translates to “Let’s eat!” in the Karuk language, is a seasonal guide to gathering, processing, and cooking with Indigenous foods. The book speaks to a variety of audiences—Indigenous readers hoping to embrace cultural foods and non-Indiginous readers interested in ethical ways to decolonize their diets. Olson emphasizes reciprocity and offers Native Californian traditional ingredients with a modern-day twist. Terria Smith, a tribal member of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and the editor of News from Native California magazine as well as the director of the Berkeley Roundhouse, Heyday’s California Indian publishing program, will moderate.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Fiction
• Romance

Let Me Count the Ways: Love Stories for Real Readers

A.H. Kim, Emily B Rose, Taleen Voskuni, Dani Trujillo, Anita Gail Jones, moderated by Jeneé Darden

Join an engaging discussion on the art of crafting love stories with a diverse panel of acclaimed authors, whether their novels are shelved with literary fiction or romance. Panelists A.H. Kim (Relative Strangers, a contemporary Korean retelling of Sense and Sensibility), Emily B Rose (Call of the Sea, a genderbent, body-positive retelling of The Little Mermaid), Taleen Voskuni (Lavash at First Sight, an Armenian-American lesbian rom-com), Dani Trujillo (Lizards Hold the Sun, an Indigenous Rez romance), and Anita Gail Jones (The Peach Seed, celebrating 60+ Black love in Georgia) each bring their unique perspectives and storytelling prowess to the table, delving into the intricacies of writing love stories that reach beyond traditional narratives. Moderated by award-winning journalist, author, public speaker, and mental health advocate Jeneé Darden, this panel looks expansively at romance writing, from traditional tropes to contemporary narratives that reflect the complexities of modern relationships. This conversation considers romance and romance writing from multiple angles, including the meaning love stories hold for readers when we see representation, diversity of experience, and ways of writing about love that resonate with readers across genres and cultures.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• Identity
• LGBTQ voices
• Literary

My Body, My Desire: Sexuality, Desire, and Queerness in Literature

R.O. Kwon, Brontez Purnell, Sam Sax, moderated by Lucy Jane Bledsoe

Join us for a captivating panel discussion moderated by author Lucy Jane Bledsoe (author of Tell the Rest and No Stopping Us Now) and featuring three acclaimed writers—R.O. Kwon, Brontez Purnell, and Sam Sax—as they delve into the rich and complex terrain of sexuality, desire, and queerness in literature. From candid reflections on personal experiences to incisive analyses of societal norms and cultural representations, this conversation promises to be both inviting and thought-provoking. R.O. Kwon, author of the bestselling novel The Incendiaries, has recently published Exhibit, an exploration of art, racism, feminism, and desire. Brontez Purnell, author of Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt, brings his unique blend of humor, wit, and raw honesty to this conversation. Sam Sax, acclaimed poet and author of Madness, offers insights from his exploration of desire and mental health in his poetry, and the power of language to articulate the complexities of desire and queerness. All of these authors’ work illuminate the ways in which literature can serve as a vehicle for grappling with questions of desire, longing, and belonging. Don’t miss this chance to engage with writers whose commitment to storytelling makes room for anyone who desires, loves, or lives outside of the heteronormative binary.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• nonfiction

Immigration Narratives: Expansive Genres, Expansive Identities

Faith Adiele, Bill Hing, Tessa Hulls, Lauren Markham, moderated by Tasneem Raja

Immigrant narratives span time, place, and genre to reach deeper universal truths. Four writers join in conversation to explore the many facets of immigrant narratives. Migration and immigration narratives are foundational to how we understand and celebrate culture, and these four panelists grapple with this central theme through various lenses—from Lauren Markham’s exploration of the criminalization of migration, to Tessa Hulls’ depiction of the immigrant experience through multiple generations of Chinese women, to Bill Hing’s analysis of the racial justice implications within the U.S. immigration system, to Faith Adiele’s personal reflections on identity and belonging as an immigrant. Moderated by Tasneem Raja (Berkeleyside), the conversation will venture into intergenerational trauma, social justice and adversity, and narrative form and genre-bending. This event highlights the deepest reflections on identity and belonging, and also celebrates the lasting meaning and social impact of representing immigrant experiences in literature.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• Fiction
• Identity
• Indigenous stories

Identity, Resilience, and Shared History: Tommy Orange and Greg Sarris

Tommy Orange in conversation and Greg Sarris

This conversation between celebrated novelists Tommy Orange and Greg Sarris will span the intersection of historical trauma, identity, and resilience within Indigenous communities, as explored in their respective works. Orange has explored the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in his new novel, Wandering Stars, and Sarris, who’s serving his sixteenth term as Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, examines themes of identity and belonging in his new story collection, The Forgetters. Both authors know well how literature and storytelling can serve as powerful tools for confronting and processing intergenerational trauma, as well as for reclaiming and preserving Indigenous cultural heritage and identity. They will speak to the power of storytelling as a means of resistance, reconciliation, and cultural revitalization within Indigenous communities.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Climate
• Social justice

Changing Landscapes of Mother Earth and Motherhood: Uncertainty and the Climate Crisis 

Christina Gerhardt, Manjula Martin, Rosanna Xia, Jade S. Sasser, moderated by Maddie Oatman

Join this essential and urgent conversation that examines the changing physical and cultural landscapes of the climate crisis. This panel centers one of the most pressing issues of our times and brings together in conversation four panelists who have written in depth aboutclimate change and its impacts on both the natural environment and human communities. Manjula Martin, Rosanna Xia, Jade Sasser, and Christina Gerhardt approach this topic from different angles, whether it’s through the lens of wildfires in Northern California (Martin), sea level rise along the West Coast (Xia), reproductive anxiety in the face of an uncertain future (Sasser), or the plight of low-lying island nations in the face of rising oceans (Gerhardt). They all shed light on the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation borne by marginalized communities and advocate for approaches to climate action that prioritize equity and justice. Moderated by Maddie Oatman, a senior editor and writer at Mother Jones, this conversation promises to be an urgent call to action that includes equitable climate solutions and addresses how all of us can foster dialogue for a better way forward.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

In association with Mother Jones

• Black voices
• Social justice
• Wellness, Psychology & Spirituality

The Vibration of Liberation: Healing through Sound, Word and Breath

gina Breedlove in conversation with Ericka Huggins

gina Breedlove returns to the Bay Area to share new book, The Vibration of Grace: Sound Healing Rituals for Liberation, “a sacred sound healing journey through the restorative power of our own voice.” This book is designed to help readers work with grief and anger, release fear, find and give forgiveness, and reconnect with their soul. gina Breedlove brings decades of experience to this conversation as a traditional healer who has been sourcing the power of Sound as a modality since age 5. gina is a grief doula, vocalist, composer, author, and sound healer who has toured the world,co-created new works for the Broadway stage, and now brings the medicine of sound and Grace to every city she visits. gina will be in conversation with educator, activist and former leading member of the Black Panther Party Ericka Huggins whose latest book is Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party. According to Angela Davis: “This stunning collection…reminds us that women were literally the heart of this new political approach to Black freedom.” Huggins brings decades of experience as an organizer and healer who taught herself to meditate while in solitary confinement as a political prisoner. Come hear what these two long-time healing changemakers have to offer about the power of our own bodies, breath, and voices to heal us and fortify us in these challenging times.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• BIPOC voices
• Current events

Behind You Is the Sea: Stories and Visions for a Just Peace in Palestine

Dr. Hatem Bazian, Susan Muaddi Darraj, Penny Rosenwasser, moderated by TBA

Three panelists–Palestinian and Jewish–have written about Palestine from vastly different perspectives and across different genres. Susan Muaddi Darraj’s debut novel, Behind You Is the Sea, gives voice to the diverse residents of a Palestinian American community in Baltimore whose lives intersect across divides of class, generation, and religion. Hatem Bazian, PhD, is on the UC Berkeley faculty and is the author of ErasingThe Human: Collapse of the Postcolonial World and Refugee Immigration Crisis. He is also a leading scholar in Islamophobia Studies. Penny Rosenwasser, PhD, is a white Ashkenazi Jewish intersectional feminist and author of the award-winning Hope into Practice, Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite our Fears, which links healing from internalized anti-Semitism to working for the liberation of Jews, Palestinians, and all people–including ending the occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza. All three of these authors delve deeply into different aspects of what it means to live as part of a community in diaspora, and how to stand for justice in the shadow of horrific violence.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

Sponsored by T.M Scruggs

• local interest
• nonfiction
• Politics

Architectural Insights: Revealing Layers of Meaning in Bay Area Landmarks

John King, Eric Porter, moderated by Bianca Taylor

Discover the Bay Area’s architectural gems through a narrative lens, as they unveil the intricate interplay of cultural, social, and technological forces. This panel showcases the authors of two captivating reads: John King, author of Portal, a vivid exploration of the Ferry Building’s rich history and symbolic significance, and Eric Porter, author of A People’s History of SFO, a compelling voyage through the ever-evolving landscape of San Francisco International Airport, beyond its terminals and tarmacs and into the ongoing struggle for regional equity. This panel promises to be as rich as the Bay Area culture and landscape itself, delving into the rise of activism, locally sourced food, globalization and climate change, and regional equity struggles. Moderated by Bianca Taylor (KQED), this conversation promises to unravel hidden narratives embedded within these iconic structures and to explore the insights they offer into our collective future challenges.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Literary
• Poetry

National Book Critics Circle Superstars of Poetry

D.A. Powell, Forrest Gander, Victoria Chang, moderated by Heather Scott Partington

Honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the National Book Critics Circle, this panel presents a stunning range of voices representing some of the best and most beloved poets of our times. NBCC poetry award winners Forrest Gander, Victoria Chang, and D.A. Powell will read from their work and be in conversation with moderator Heather Scott Partington, NBCC president, about the power of poetry and the value of an award judged by the critics themselves.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Fiction
• Horror
• Indigenous stories

Are You Ready to be Un-settled? Celebrating Indigenous Horror

Rebecca Roanhorse and Dani Trujillo

A not-to-be-missed conversation between Indigenous horror writers Rebecca Roanhorse and D.H. Trujillo, both of whom are featured in Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. This groundbreaking book celebrates Indigenous resistance by highlighting themes of magic, tradition, ancestry, family, and cultural rediscovery. Making connections between horror and settler colonialism, the collection dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?” Both authors are known for their important contributions to speculative fiction, blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror with Indigenous storytelling traditions. This genre-bending approach has earned them both a loyal following as they continue to captivate readers’ imaginations in ways that push the boundaries of conventional stories.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• Current events
• nonfiction
• Technology/Media

Creative Alchemy: Exploring the Intersection of Creativity and Artificial Intelligence

Alex Hanna, Hamsa Buvaraghan, Annalee Newitz, Maja Thomas, moderated by Lance Knobel

Join an illuminating panel discussion moderated by Lance Knobel (Berkeleyside) about the dynamic interplay between creativity and artificial intelligence (AI). From literature to visual arts, music to film, AI is increasingly becoming a compelling collaborator, challenging traditional notions of creativity and redefining what it means to be an artist. Our distinguished panelists, leading voices in both the creative and technological spheres, will navigate the intricate terrain where human ingenuity converges with machine intelligence. We bring you writers and thinkers and publishing professionals to this panel, all of whom are thinking about AI in creative ways, and grappling with what AI might displace, for better and worse. Whether you’re an avid reader, a curious technologist, or an aspiring artist, this panel invites you to open your mind to all the ways we’re beginning to interact, collaborate, and create with AI.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• BIPOC voices
• Poetry

Climate Poetry Across Generations: An Inspirational Reading

Aya de León, Forrest Gander, Jane Hirshfield, John Shoptaw, Gabriel Cortez, Julia Segrè and other teen poets. MC Hilary Amnah of the City of Berkeley Civic Arts Commission

June Jordan said poetry saves lives. Can it fortify the movement to save our planet? Come hear poetic visions of hope and resistance from a diverse, intergenerational lineup of dynamic authors, educators, and organizers. Readers include award-winning climate novelist and current Berkeley Poet Laureate Aya de León, whose most recent climate novel is That Dangerous Energy; translator and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Forrest Gander, who recently published Mojave Ghost, a long poem on the desert; Jane Hirshfield, whose recent collection,The Asking, interrogates language, life, beauty, scale of existence, and grief; John Shoptaw, who plays with perspective in his new collection Near-Earth Object; and Gabriel Cortez, the inaugural poet in residence of Berkeley’s Ecology Center, who uses poetry and arts education to uplift local legacies of resistance rooted in climate justice and food sovereignty. These established poets will be joined by a squad of teen and young adult climate poets, including Julia Segrè, the current Youth Poet Laureate of Berkeley.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• Black voices
• Climate
• Food
• Social justice

From the Real Farm to the Culturally Rooted Table

Micah Siva, Rowena Scherer, Brea Baker, Toriano Gordon, moderator Suzette Chaumette, MPH

Who grows what we eat? What are the traditions of our meal preparation? Who gets pushed out of the political economy of food? How can foods be used to revitalize urban economies? What is the feedback loop between all these systems and the climate crisis? This panel brings together diverse authors who are working on different ends of our food supply. From systemic racism in farm policy to heritage-based cookbooks with an eye to sustainability, how can we work together toward visions of food justice that respect our food traditions? Brea Baker’s book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership, argues that justice stems from the literal roots of the earth. Micah Siva’s Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine is a vegetarian cookbook for those looking to connect with and share their Judaism in today’s landscape. Written by Rowena Scherer, who has roots in Malaysia, A Taste of the World is a carefully curated collection of recipes celebrating global cuisine and designed to be made by families with kids of all ages, Vegan Mob: Vegan BBQ and Soul Food is a cookbook written by rapper-turned-restauranteur Toriano Gordon, whose focus is making plant-based soul food accessible in Oakland. The panel will be moderated by Suzette Chaumette, a public health executive leader and the founder of Food Indy, a local nonprofit that educates people about growing small scale food forests, and the host of The Food Indy podcast.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, by the stage

• BIPOC voices
• Memoir
• nonfiction

Memoir and Imagination: Where Truth and Creativity Collide

Grace Loh Prasad, Sylvia Brownrigg, Leta McCollough Seletzky, Tarek El-Ariss, moderated by Piper Kerman

Moderated by Piper Kerman (Orange Is the New Black), four panelists share their process and experience of memoir as the telling of a true story, but also as a work of imagination. Our esteemed panelists, Grace Prasad (The Translator’s Daughter), Sylvia Brownrigg (The Whole Staggering Mystery), Leta McCollough Seletzky (The Kneeling Man), and Tarek El-Ariss (Water on Fire), have recently released memoirs that touch upon the authors’relationship to their parents—how they mourn them, imagine them, reconcile with them, and in the process, come to terms with themselves. Writing memoir is a process of self-understanding that also invites the reader into a context and a world that is by definition subjective. Our stories and personal agency can also be circumscribed by institutions and systemic pressures, which may in turn shape memory and imagination. Join this deep conversation about memory, lived experience, and how writers choose the stories they do in a journey of self-understanding, reinvention, and empathy.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Indigenous Language Revitalization 

TBA

A fascinating panel emphasizing the importance of Indigenous language revitalization with award-winning linguist Leanne Hinton and Bay Area members of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival. Leanne Hintor researches Native American language revitalization and strongly supports interdisciplinary approaches to linguistics, prioritizing the consideration community needs and interests and theory. The Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival is a Native-run and led organization focused on implementing and supporting the revitalization of Indigenous California languages. They support this revitalization through advocacy, education, speaker training, identification of language resource materials, and more.

Book signing information: Books Inc, by the stage

• Ticketed

Page to Screen: A Dance Between Words and Images

Viet Thanh Nguyen, Piper Kerman, Alka Joshi

Turning a beloved book into a compelling film or series is a journey filled with creative collaboration, financial considerations, script development, casting decisions, and years of meticulous preparation. For the authors at the center of these adaptation journeys, it also involves roadblocks, setbacks, near misses, and plot twists, with lessons about letting go of control and outcome. This all-star panel brings us three celebrated authors whose books have been or are being adapted for a viewing audience. Piper Kerman’s internationally renowned memoir, Orange Is the New Black, about her time in a women’s prison, became one of Netflix’s most watched and longest-running series. Pulitzer Prize-winning Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, The Sympathizer, the story of a Vietnamese communist double agent who infiltrates the South Vietnamese army and later moves to the United States, is now one of the most anticipated series to hit HBO this year. Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestseller, The Henna Artist, centering a young woman who escapes an abusive marriage to build a new life for herself in the vibrant city of Jaipur in the 1950s, is in development with Netflix. This exciting panel offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what adaptation is really like—the surprises, delights, and disappointments of having one’s work reimagined; the power of screen adaptations to reach much broader audiences; and insights into the differences between storytelling on the page and storytelling on the screen. Don't miss this rare opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the fascinating world of book-to-screen adaptations from the perspective of these three acclaimed and beloved authors as they discuss the intricate dance between words and images, imagination and interpretation, in a discussion that promises to be as enlightening as it is inspiring.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue