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2023 Santa Fe International Literary Festival

May 19, 2023 at 5:30 PM to May 21, 2023 at 7:45 PM
Santa Fe Community Convention Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Event Summary

Friday, May 19, 2023 - Event check-in begins at 4:00 p.m. 
Saturday, May 20, 2023 - Event check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 - Event check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.

TICKETS AND PASSES:
 

  • Individual Sessions: Build your own customized Festival schedule with tickets offered for individual purchase 
  • Day Passes: Five author events in one click, plus a reception, all with an added discount

  • Big Stage Pass: Seven renowned authors, three evening receptions, preferred seating, access to the Bibliotheque Lounge, featuring a Book Valet, refreshments, comfy seating, and an SFILF book bag

BOOKS: Be sure to get your Signed Featured Festival Books. To guarantee a copy of SFILF author books, please pre-purchase a book from Collected Works Bookstore, our official bookstore partner, by clicking here: Signed Featured Festival Books.

To return to the SFILF Home page, click here: Santa Fe International Literary Festival Home Page

Event Schedule / Activities
List Calendar
Fri, May 19, 2023
6:30 PM
Colum McCann — Reception and Big Stage Session
One of this century’s finest writers and author of the bestselling, transformative Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
Sat, May 20, 2023
8:00 AM
Morning Meditation and Author Talk with Roshi Joan Halifax
Morning meditation and author talk with Roshi Joan Halifax, activist, author of several books, and renowned Buddhist teacher.
 
VENUE
Nambe Room
9:15 AM
Jennifer Egan
The Pulitzer Prize winning author of the modern classic A Visit from the Goon Squad and its new sibling novel The Candy House.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
11:00 AM
Ed Yong
Pulitzer Prize–winning exploratory journalist and author of An Immense World, an ingenious look at the sensory worlds of animals, and I Contain Multitudes, about how the invisible world of microbes shapes our species.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
12:30 PM
Community Stage and Lunch Break
A youth poetry slam—and more! Open to the public. Details about food trucks and boxed lunches coming soon.
 
VENUE
Courtyard
2:00 PM
David Treuer
The bestselling author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, Rez Life, and several other much-admired books about the struggles to preserve Native identity and stories in a transformative era.
2:00 PM
Crime and Punishment, Cops and Journalists, with Sally Denton and Michael McGarrity
Investigative reporter and nonfiction author Sally Denton and bestselling crime novelist Michael McGarrity on writing about law enforcement, criminal justice, and more.
2:00 PM
Luis Alberto Urrea
The Pulitzer Prize finalist and critically acclaimed author of seventeen books, including Good Night, Irene and The House of Broken Angels, on breaking down borders instead of putting up walls.
3:30 PM
Laila Lalami
The Moroccan-born winner of the American Book Award and author of The Moor’s Account and Conditional Citizens, on race, immigration, and much more.
3:30 PM
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
The author of the New York Times bestseller Friday Black and the awe-inspiring new novel Chain-Gang All-Stars, one of the year’s most anticipated books.
3:30 PM
The Village: Writing Northern New Mexico, with Stanley Crawford, Lucy Lippard and Don J. Usner
Three authors of classic titles on New Mexico village life—from Dixon to Chimayó to Galisteo—compare notes on the inspirations and challenges of writing about the complex communities they call home.
4:45 PM
Spirits Tasting and Author Talk: Sazón's Spirits of Mexico
Join us on a short walk from the Convention Center to Sazón, where we'll join Chef Fernando Olea, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southwest Region, for an adventure into the spirits and tastes of Mexico.
6:30 PM
John Irving — Reception and Big Stage Session
Literary legend, lifelong voice for social justice, feminism, and tolerance for sexual minorities, and author of seventeen books, including The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, and The Last Chairlift.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
Sun, May 21, 2023
8:00 AM
Morning Meditation and Author Talk with Natalie Goldberg
Morning meditation and author talk with Natalie Goldberg, legendary writing teacher and author of Writing Down the Bones.
 
VENUE
Nambe Room
9:15 AM
Gillian Flynn
The legendary thriller writer and author of Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and the runaway international hit Gone Girl.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
11:00 AM
David Quammen
The revered author of Breathless, Spillover, and The Tangled Tree, and The Heartbeat of the Wild: Dispatches from Landscapes of Wonder, Peril & Hope, on scientific and moral thickets of our fast-vanishing natural world.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
12:30 PM
Community Stage and Lunch Break
A youth poetry slam—and more! Open to the public. Details about food trucks and boxed lunches coming soon.
 
VENUE
Courtyard
2:00 PM
Recuerdos y Respeto: Homage to Rudolfo Anaya, with Denise Chávez and Luis Alberto Urrea
A celebration of Rudolfo Anaya, the late New Mexican author of Bless Me, Ultima, godfather of Chicano literature, and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest artistic honor.
2:00 PM
Ingrid Rojas Contreras
The Colombian-born National Book Award finalist and author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree and The Man Who Could Move Clouds.
2:00 PM
Beth Macy
The journalist and bestselling nonfiction author of Dopesick, the basis for the award-winning Hulu miniseries, and the new Raising Lazarus, Macy’s moving next installment in the defining American disaster story of our time.
3:30 PM
Diana Gabaldon
The internationally bestselling author of the massively popular Outlander and the Lord John Grey series.
3:30 PM
Namwali Serpell
The Zambian-born author of the award-winning The Old Drift and the elegiac masterpiece The Furrows, named one of the top books of 2022 by The New York Times and President Barack Obama.
3:30 PM
Manuel Muñoz
“Master of the Short Story,” winner of three O. Henry Awards, and author of The Consequences, Zigzagger, and What You See in the Dark.
4:45 PM
Spirits Tasting and Author Talk: Los Poblanos Farm Shop Norte with Cheryl Alters Jamison
Join us on a short walk from the Convention Center to Los Poblanos Farm Shop Norte where we'll raise a glass of botanical spirits with local treasure and James Beard Award-winner Cheryl Alters Jamison.
6:15 PM
David Grann — Reception and Big Stage Session
The No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of such award-winning modern classics as Killers of the Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z, The Old Man and the Gun, and the just-published The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder.
 
VENUE
Big Stage
Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors Who Make the Festival Possible
General Terms

Please note: Vaccine requirements and masks may be required to enter the Festival venue at Santa Fe Convention Center.

Ticket prices are subject to change.

You agree, as part of your use of this ticketing platform, to release Santa Fe International Literary Festival (SFILF) from any and all damages that may arise from use, including, without limitation, incidental or consequential damages. SFILF is not responsible and shall not be liable for the listings contained within the ticketing platform, including technical inaccuracies or typographical errors notwithstanding our efforts to eliminate them. In the unfortunate event that an author is unable to attend their event due to unforeseen circumstances or illness, SFILF will endeavor to replace that author with another author and tickets will be honored for that event.

Book Purchases and Book Signings:

To guarantee a copy of SFILF author books, please pre-purchase a book here. Books are also available for purchase at the Festival bookstore.

Ticketing Delivery:

Tickets will be sent to you electronically and you can show your ticket(s) at the event or present a printed copy. If you lose your ticket, please contact us and we will reissue your tickets.

Ticketing Fees:

There is a 6.75% processing fee charged for each purchase ($45 cap), a 3.2% credit card transaction fee, and New Mexico tax added to the ticketing price.

New Mexico Resident and Student Discounts:

Discounted tickets are available for New Mexico residents and New Mexico students and teachers. When purchasing your ticket, proof of residency (such as a drivers license or recognized student ID) will be required in the ticketing process, and must be shown prior to entering a session. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of your tickets.

Anti-Harassment Policy:

The Santa Fe International Literary Festival strives to create an environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency, and respect. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment of any kind. We will seek to prevent, correct, and discipline behavior that violates this policy.

Activities that are prohibited include: offensive verbal comments, physical assault, intimidation, harassment, non-consensual photography or recording, any disruption of the Festival sessions, inappropriate physical contact or unwanted attention to any other Festival guest, author, staff member, or volunteer. These include but are not limited to: actions in relation to race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, body size, disability, appearance, nationality, religion, and pregnancy.

All of the people working at the Festival, whether in paid or volunteer roles, authors, moderators, attendees, press, security, vendors and anyone else present at the Festival are included in this policy and expected to comply with it and to take appropriate measures to ensure that prohibited conduct does not occur.

Anyone who engages in harassing behavior will be subject to prompt action by SFILF staff, including expulsion from the Festival.

We encourage anyone who has been the subject of harassment or witnessed it to report it to SFILF staff. You may visit the welcome desk in the Convention Center lobby and ask to speak to the appropriate staff member. If necessary, we will contact the Santa Fe Police Department and will work to provide a safe place for anyone experiencing harassment for the remainder of the Festival. 

Please do not unnecessarily touch anyone at the Festival and always ask before taking anyone’s photo. We thank you for your help in making SFILF a safe place for everyone involved.

Refund Policy
Tickets, Day Passes, Big Stage Passes, and Books are non-refundable. Should SFILF have to cancel the festival due to events beyond our control, we will accept your tickets as a contribution or issue you a voucher for a future festival.
Cancellation Policy
In the event that the Santa Fe Convention Center is closed and the event must be canceled, we will accept your tickets as a contribution or issue you a voucher for a future festival. We recommend the purchase of travel insurance, including cancellation insurance for Covid, medical reasons, etc.  One option for refund protection is available for purchase upon checkout. This is provided by a third-party group and is not administered or regulated by SFILF.
Item Transfer Policy
In the unfortunate event that you are unable to attend and you have purchased a Day Pass or Big Stage Pass, you may transfer your pass to another individual. Notice must be given in writing to tickets@sfinternationallitfest.org, including the name and email address of the recipient. Transfer notice must be made no later than 48 hours prior to the Festival commencing. The recipient agrees to abide by all policies including the SFILF Covid policy.
Age Restriction
General admittance is for individuals age 18 and up. Children age 12 and over are allowed at SFILF when accompanied by an adult.
Miscellaneous Policies
  • The use of cameras, recording devices, and cell phones (e.g. calling, texting, apps) is prohibited during sessions. Please turn off or silence all mobile phones.

  • Latecomers and those who exit during a session will be seated at the discretion of SFILF staff and volunteers.

  • The Santa Fe Convention Center is ADA accessible on all levels. Please contact us in advance to let us know your needs.

  • Talking during sessions is strongly discouraged out of respect for the authors, moderators, and other audience members.

  • Food, beverages, and smoking are not permitted inside the session rooms.

  • You are prohibited from bringing into the Santa Fe Convention Center, home to the Santa Fe International Literary Festival, guns or any other weapons, illegal drugs, or alcohol. Attempting to do so will result in forfeiture of your pass or individual session tickets.  

  • In consideration of the health and safety of your pet, animals (with the exception of service dogs) are not permitted in the Convention Center and may not be left outside the premises.

When & Where
May 19, 2023 at 5:30 PM to May 21, 2023 at 7:45 PM MDT
Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W Marcy Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
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