About the Women's Literary Festival
In 2005, a group of women readers from throughout Santa Barbara County came up with the idea of holding an annual literary festival to celebrate women authors and the diverse life experiences that have shaped their writing. Thus the Women's Literary Festival of Santa Barbara was born, with our first festival held on March 4, 2006.
We firmly believe that the strength of language can stir the soul, increase awareness and understanding of social injustice, strengthen our bonds as community members through mutual respect, and offer solutions to the problems that often divide us. Through the power of literature, we often find the simple truths that help set us free from the notions of “us” and “them.” Each genre of literature contributes to this collective of the human spirit, this fabric that makes us more alike than different.
We are pleased to offer scholarships to those who need assistance in order to attend the Festival. Scholarship information may be obtained by contacting Magda Torres at torres@sbcc.edu. Scholarship funding comes from our generous Sponsors and the WLF, to whom we offer our most sincere thanks. There are a variety of levels of giving and any donation is gratefully accepted. To learn more about becoming a Sponsor of the WLF, please contact us at womensliteraryfestival@yahoo.com.
As we enter our fifth year of the WLF, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose driven by the enthusiasm and support of Festival attendees, sponsors and our participating authors. We feel fortunate in having provided a memorable day each year for readers and writers to experience the unique viewpoints and subject matter offered by these, our outstanding past authors, from the years 2006 to 2009:
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Diana Abu-Jabar Maria Amparo Escandón Cristina Garcia Reyna Grande Frances Halpern Mary Hershey Dima Hilal Bonnie Hearn Hill Wendy Johnson Laila Lalami Jennifer 8. Lee Sandra Tsing Loh Jacqueline H. McMahon Adina Nack |
Gina Nahai Katya Noyes Ruth Ozeki Nancy Pearl Amada Irma Pérez Starshine Roshell Tanya Shaffer Monique Sonoquie Sojourner Kincaid Rolle Gail Tsukiyama Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez Rebecca Walker Jacqueline Winspear Paula L. Woods |
Committee Members:
- Jennifer Adams
- Ellen Broidy
- Mary Ellen Brooks
- Wynn Clevenger
- Rachel Couch
- Jane Faulkner
- Sharon Hoshida
- Joyce Howerton
- Carol Keator
- Gail Marshall
- Magdalena Torres
- Nancy Warren
