“What makes the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival so special? Several things!” says Susan Page, conference founder and president. “First of all, we are truly tri-cultural, bringing together the literary communities of Canada, the US and Mexico in a meaningful way. We are also bilingual; all of the keynote speeches and panels are simultaneously translated.”
“In addition, we effectively combine a writers’ conference with a literary festival, which is more rare than one might think. Literary festivals serve readers, with famous authors giving talks, while writers’ conferences feature classes on the craft of writing. Our conference offers both— at a world-class level! We have incredible faculty coming to teach writing workshops, as well as not one or two but eight top-tier authors as keynote speakers.”
A star-studded keynote speaker lineup
This year’s keynote speakers in San Miguel are Percival Everett, John Irving, Jorge F. Hernández, Ruth Reichl, Kaveh Akbar, John Vaillant, Jennifer Clement and Deepa Rajagopalan.
“When we invited this year’s keynote speakers, we didn’t know that three of them would be finalists for the National Book Award and one of them would win it!” Susan Page told me. Percival Everett is the winner of the 2024 National Book Award for his novel “James,” which retells “Huckleberry Finn” from the point of view of the enslaved man, Jim.
An award-winning poet, Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel “Martyr!” was shortlisted for the National Book Award, while John Vaillant’s “Fire Weather,” an unsparing account of the Alberta Sands fire, was a finalist for both this year’s Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.
John Irving is the author of sixteen renowned novels including “The World According to Garp” and “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” Jorge F. Hernández is a well-known novelist, columnist, short story writer, magazine editor and radio show host. Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet Magazine, is the author of cookbooks, memoirs and novels. Jennifer Clement is the author of five novels, two memoirs and several poetry collections and was the first female president of PEN International. Deepa Rajagopalan, winner of the 2021 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award, will be in conversation with Merilyn Simonds in the Giller Spotlight presentation.
“What an incredible opportunity for all of us to learn from these authors, all of whom are renowned at an international level—eight of them at one time, in one place,” noted Armida Zepeda, Director of the conference’s Spanish track.
Pulling out all the stops for the 20th anniversary
In addition to the keynote addresses and writing workshops, the conference also offers a diverse range of activities, such as agent pitch sessions, open mic events, discussion circles on relevant topics, a community “big read,” opening and closing receptions, excursions, and wellness activities such as yoga and reflection sessions. “The goal is to create a retreat-like atmosphere, fostering inspiration and connection among attendees,” explained Conference Executive Director Jodi Pincus.
“We are also launching affinity group lunches for emerging writers, seasoned writers, LGBTQ writers, et cetera,” noted Pincus. “With people coming from as far afield as Dubai, New Zealand and India, who may not know anyone and may be unfamiliar with San Miguel, it will be helpful for them to have a connection point on day one. We’re really trying to cultivate connection and community.”
Deepening local connections
All Mexican nationals are eligible for free tickets to conference events. “This is our way of saying thank you to Mexico and especially to local residents of our host city, San Miguel de Allende,” said Pincus. Mexicans do still have to reserve seats, which are going fast, so she recommends registering as soon as possible.
Page noted that the Spanish-language track of the conference has grown significantly under the leadership of Armida Zepeda, whose deep knowledge and connections in the Mexican literary community are crucial for the conference’s success. “This year we went together to the Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara, the second-largest book fair in the world, where she generated amazing buzz for our conference. We’re extremely fortunate to work with her.”
Zepeda is particularly proud of the conference’s teen program. “This year, 60 local teenagers get to participate in the conference. They will meet the Mexican keynote speaker, participate in other sessions and learn creative writing techniques. And three lucky students will win computers and the opportunity to present their work in front of our keynote speakers, including a winner of the National Book Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize— what an amazing experience for them!” said Zepeda.
This year’s bilingual workshops for teens include “A Look at Lyrical Poetry through Rap with Oscar Plazola” and “Future Avatars and Meta Types in the World of Comics with Isis Rodríguez.” For more information and to purchase tickets to the 20th annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference on Feb. 12 to 16, visit sanmiguelwritersconference.org.
Based in San Miguel de Allende, Ann Marie Jackson is a writer and NGO leader who previously worked for the U.S. Department of State. Her award-winning novel “The Broken Hummingbird,” which is set in San Miguel de Allende, came out in October 2023. Ann Marie can be reached through her website, annmariejacksonauthor.com.
