The 2024 Literary Women Festival of Authors will soon make its much anticipated 42^nd return to Long Beach.  The event will be on Saturday, March 9^th  at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center Ballroom and brings together the best of women’s literary talent.  Tickets go on sale January 1, 2024, and can be purchased at literarywomen.org.   Attendees of the all-day conference will have the opportunity to listen to sometimes funny, often poignant stories from the event’s featured authors.  Festival goers will be able to purchase books and have their books autographed by the authors.

This year’s festival will host the following featured authors:

• Lily Brooks-Dalton lilybrooksdalton.com, author of The Light Pirate
• Diane Marie Brown dianemariebrown.com, a Long Beach local author of her debut novel, Black Candle Women
• Kim Fu kim-fu.com, author of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21^st Century
• Rebecca Makkai rebeccamakkai.com, author of I Have Some Questions for You
• Ann Napolitano annnapolitano.com, author of Hello Beautiful
• Shelley Read shelleyread.com, author of Go as a River
• Warsan Shire instagram.com/warsanshiree, author/poet of Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head
• Shelby Van Pelt shelbyvanpelt.com, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

Featured authors will each speak for about 30 minutes, sharing their lived experiences and writing processes and for the first time this year, will also be presented on a simultaneous large screen projection to enhance the visibility for all.  Presentations are varied and speak to every kind of reader.  Authors are chosen by the Literary Women Committee, which operates as a nonprofit and is entirely volunteer.  The committee reads year-round to select a diverse group of both established and emerging writers whose books span a range of topics and genres. The festival also invites local emerging writers nominated by local college faculty and institutions.

Registration is conveniently online. The ticket price, including morning coffee and lunch, is $120. This fee is offset by generous donors and sponsors who are recognized in the program, promoted in media, and celebrated the day of the event.

The festival was the brainchild of Harriet Williams and Virginia Laddey who were shocked to discover that their children’s high school reading list included few female authors.  They wanted to highlight and recognize the notable contribution of women to literature. By attending every year, book groups, friends, grandmothers, mothers, and daughters continue to support this meaningful celebration of renowned women authors.  It is a chance for bibliophiles of all kinds to be surrounded by people with shared interests and passions.

Tickets and donor/sponsor information can be found at literarywomen.org and for more current updates, like/follow on Facebook at facebook.com/literarywomenorg, X (Twitter) at twitter.com/literarywomenlb, and Instagram at instagram.com/literarywomenlb.