FAQ

So what is Litquake?

Litquake is an annual week-long festival, held each October in various venues throughout San Francisco, and is the second-largest literary festival on the West Coast. Litquake galvanizes the thriving local scene by bringing more than 300 authors together with fans of the written word for readings, performances, cross-media events, and panel discussions. The week’s programming is unique, eclectic, and emblematic of the Bay Area, whether it’s celebrating the Beat tradition, a serious discussion about science, a roomful of children making their own books, or an explosion of readings all in one night, in a pub crawl down the streets of the Mission.

What is the history of Litquake?

In 1999, journalist/authors Jane Ganahl and Jack Boulware organized a one-day event called Litstock, an afternoon of readings by Bay Area authors at the bandshell in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The response was so positive from the audience, participants, and media, that they agreed to produce it again the following year at Yerba Buena Gardens. After taking a year off during the dotcom bust, they assembled a team of volunteers and relaunched the festival in 2002 as Litquake. Since that time, Litquake’s mission has expanded to foster interest in literature, to perpetuate a sense of community by making the solitary social, and to publicize San Francisco’s literary heritage, present and future.

Can anybody attend the festival?

All Litquake events are open to the public and free or low-cost, so that everyone”from children to seniors”can attend.

Where can I buy fine personal items imprinted with the Litquake logo?

All merchandise is available for your purchasing pleasure at our online store and at select events throughout the festival.

You have a lot of sponsors and grants. You must be rich, right?

Litquake’s total budget is a fraction of many arts organizations’ budgets. All funds raised are spent directly on producing the best festival possible.

Why is the Edinburgh Castle Literary Pub so associated with Litquake?

The idea for the festival was hatched at the Edinburgh Castle, and it has functioned as the unofficial Litquake office for several years. Fish and chips, anyone?

Who designed the Litquake logo?

JD Beltran, an excellent multi-media artist in San Francisco. She also won the Honolulu Marathon at age 14, so there.

Why was there a reading on the sidewalk of Valencia Street?

During the 2004 Lit Crawl, the MacAdam/Cage reading was scheduled to take place at an Irish pub on Valencia. For some reason, even though the bar had agreed to host the reading, the staff refused to turn down the music so people could hear the authors. MacAdam publisher David Poindexter grabbed a chair from the bar, and led a crowd out the front door and onto the sidewalk. He set down the chair, and MacAdam authors stood on top of the chair, and did their readings right there on the sidewalk in front of a janitorial supply store. The crowd grew larger, people holding their drinks and listening, photographers materialized, cars slowed down to see what was happening. It was a great moment.