Tahoe Literary Festival
Join us in the mountains for the third annual
I October 9-10, 2026
Call for Submissions
is Open!
The Tahoe Literary Festival is for aspiring writers, published authors and for those who simply love the literary arts.
Sharpen your craft, build community and make lasting connections as you listen, learn, and gain insight from acclaimed authors and industry leaders.
Attend generative workshops designed to strengthen your writing.
Learn from the process and approach of award-winning writers and poets.
Discover publishing trends, practical guidance, and actionable steps for building your own literary path.
“Coming to this festival was about me stepping out of my box and reaching for a dream. The literary community came- and proved- it is possible.”
— Mary Tolbert
Sacramento, CA
“Tahoe Literary Festival was like a big, warm hug for the creative arts. The breakouts were galvanizing, the readings inspiring and the Tahoe literary community welcoming.”
— Martha O'Sullivan
Tampa, FL
©Tahoe Literary Festival video and images courtesy Court Leve
2026 Authors and Presenters
Parvati Shallow
Nice Girls Don't Win:
How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power
Parvati Shallow is a mother, a National Bestselling author, the winner and five-time competitor of the hit TV series Survivor, and the breakout star of Peacock's The Traitors. In her acclaimed 2025 memoir, Nice Girls Don't Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power, she explores themes of radical self-acceptance, resilience, and healing from trauma.
Lee Herrick
In Praise of Late Wonder:
New and Selected Poems
Lee Herrick is the California Poet Laureate. He is the author of four books of poems: In Praise of Late Wonder: New and Selected Poems (Gunpowder Press, September 2024); Scar and Flower, finalist for the 2020 Northern California Book Award; Gardening Secrets of the Dead; and This Many Miles from Desire.
Shaun Griffin
River Ask Me Why—
Into the West on Two Wheels
Shaun Griffin co-founded and directed Community Chest, a rural social justice agency for twenty-seven years. His new book of poems, No Charity in the Wilderness, is out from the University of Nevada Press. Southern Utah University Press just released River Ask Me Why—Into the West on Two Wheels, a memoir. In 2014 he was inducted into the Nevada Writer’s Hall of Fame and is currently serving as Nevada’s second Poet Laureate.
Grant Faulkner
Pep Talks for Writers
Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of Memoir Nation (and the co-host of Memoir Nation podcast), the co-founder of the Flash Fiction Institute, the co-founder of 100 Word Story, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He has published three books on writing: The Art of Brevity: Crafting the Very Short Story; Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo; and Brave the Page, a teen writing guide.
Suzanne Roberts
Animal Bodies
Suzanne Roberts is the author of the award-winning essay collections and memoirs, Animal Bodies, Bad Tourist, and Almost Somewhere, as well as four collections of poetry and a creative writing craft book 52 Writing Prompts: Inspiration for the Creative Writer. Named “The Next Great Travel Writer” by National Geographic’s Traveler, Suzanne’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares, CNN, National Geographic, and The Fourth Genre.
Sands Hall
Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology
Sands Hall—author, professor, theatre artist, singer-songwriter—is the author of the award-winning memoir, Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology. Her extensive theatre experience, as playwright, actor, and director, allows her to offer a unique perspective on writing, and infuses her teaching. She is also the co-Director of the Memoir/Nonfiction Program for the Community of Writers.
Tahoe Literary Festival details, including call for author submissions, is coming soon—be sure to join our newsletter to stay in the loop.