Santa Barbara Literary Festival
Inaugural Event May 2–3, 2026
The Santa Barbara Literary Festival (SBLF) debuts May 2–3, 2026, bringing together readers, writers, and storytellers in a vibrant, citywide celebration of the written word. Anchored across downtown Santa Barbara, SBLF will host keynotes, panels, workshops, and pop-up events in the city’s most iconic locations including the Lobero Theater, La Arcada, the Canary Hotel, and the Santa Barbara Public Library Plaza.
Walter Mosley, Kim Michele Richardson, Chris Whitaker, and Steven Rowley will serve as Festival keynote speakers. Additional literary luminaries attending include Dawn Tripp, Susan Orlean, Meg Gardiner, Ivy Pochoda, Danielle Trussoni, Mariel Hemingway, Hollywood screenwriters Bob Gale, John Gatins, and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner. Thought leaders include Cheley Goodan, Shannon Watts, Beatrice Dixon, and Katherine Stewart. A Romantasy Panel includes Ann Liang, Ariel Sullivan, R.M. Gray and Romina Garber. Award-winning journalists attending include Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Humes, Abe Peck, Ann Louise Bardach and Katherine Stewart. SBLF’s programming will span a wide array of genres and formats: from hands-on workshops to thought-provoking panel discussions, drop-in pop-ups, and nightly social gatherings. A curated Festival Bookstore, hosted by Chaucer’s Books, will offer guests the opportunity to engage directly with featured authors.
Festival Focus & Mission
SBLF is rooted in the belief that literature is not just read, but experienced. Over two days, we aim to break down barriers between writers and audiences by activating the city itself. Site-specific and pop-up events will enliven storefronts, plazas, and cultural spaces while bringing stories into the public sphere.
Participation & Collaboration
Writers, authors, publishers, agents, and storytellers across all genres are welcome to apply to host panels or workshops. SBLF is also seeking community partnerships, hospitality alignments, and volunteer support to help expand access and build local ownership of this new cultural event.
Founders
Leslie Zemeckis is a best-selling author, award-winning actress and award-winning documentarian. She writes a monthly book column with the Montecito Journal.
Lorissa Rinehart is an author, women’s historian and the creator of “The Female Body Politic”, a Substack exploration of women’s participation in American democracy. Both founders are TEDX speakers and local residents of Santa Barbara.
Contact:
Leslie Zemeckis & Lorissa Rinehart
Co-Founders, Santa Barbara Literary Festival
Website: santabarbaraliteraryfestival.org