I’ve posted before about the San Miguel de Allende Writers’ Conference, typically held each February in the lovely Mexican World Heritage City. I’ve attended, it’s marvelous – and now it’s virtual, and starting next month. I don’t usually devote an entire post to a literary conference before it even begins but consider this a homage not only to the San Miguel event, but to the imagination and ingenuity such events are increasingly demonstrating in the face of adversity.
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| Joseph Boyden |
October’s lineup includes keynote speakers Margaret Atwood, best known for her novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Joseph Boyden, who writes about the First Nations people of Northern Ontario. Oh, and feel free to submit questions for them during the live-streamed Q&A sessions to follow.
Also, in
October, workshops with Angie Abdou (life story), Annie Tucker (all fiction),
April Eberhardt (publishing and marketing), and David Corbett (fiction). Plus,
a late night of fusion poetry and a life story/fiction panel on choosing the
best way to tell our stories.
And so on,
though the following months, with the likes of presidential inaugural poet
Richard Blanco, the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve
in such a role; Yuri Herrera, whose novel has been described as an entrance to
“the golden gate of Mexican literature” (in Spanish with English subtitles);
Diana Gabaldon, known for her Outlander series of novels; and New
York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester. And on and on.
Cost of a
season pass for writers, which includes all 12 keynote speakers, six in-depth
workshops for writers, seven special literary events, and six late night
literary events is $795 (what we might pay for a single-week – or weekend –
literary conference). A season pass for readers, which includes everything
except the writing workshops, is $435. And a month pass (two keynote speakers,
one writing workshop, one special literary event and one late night event) is
$125.
Tickets are
also available for single events – typically $25 for keynote speakers, $15 for
special literary and late-night events, and $70 for writing workshops. Please
note that the writing workshops have limited seating and are likely to fill up
quickly.
This early, several of the December events, as well as one of the keynote speakers each for January and February are still to be determined. Some of the keynote speakers and literary events beside Yuri Herrera’s will also be offered in Spanish with English subtitles. Check the site
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| Margaret Atwood |
Having more
virtual literary events – either stand-alones or as accompaniments to in-person
ones – would seem to benefit everyone. How about virtual book signings? Tune
in, listen to your favorite author read, take questions – your questions – in
real time, and sign a personalized copy of the book you’ve just bought online?
When can we
expect hands-on, virtual reality presentations of skill such as those presented
at the North Texas Writers in the Field, cancelled, alas, this year due to the
pandemic?
And why
can’t we consider all of these as incentives to bring internet connectivity to
those who most need it?
I would
never expect virtual events to crowd out in-person events. There’s nothing
quite like the hot, breathing, electric presence of a crowd; the in-person
schmoozing; or the late-night bar hopping with your favorite agent or author at
a live conference. But just as we’ve learned to appreciate filmed dramas and
recorded music as artistic venues without eliminating their live counterparts,
there’s room for something similar with virtual events. We can all raise a
glass to that future!
