The seventh annual San Diego Writers Festival returns to Coronado on March 28, featuring bestselling author Jodi Picoult as the headline speaker. The free event at the Coronado Public Library and nearby venues will include 90 speakers across 32 sessions, covering panels, workshops, and readings. Topics range from trauma writing and historical fiction to horror and children's literature.
The San Diego Writers Festival, organized in partnership with the Coronado Public Library, is set for Saturday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All events are free and open to the public, with Warwick’s of La Jolla serving as the official bookseller on site. The festival will host 90 speakers and 32 events, including food, music, and poetry, with a full schedule available on the event website.
Jodi Picoult, a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 29 novels, will discuss her latest book, “By Any Other Name,” on the main stage. Joining her are Katherine Woodward Thomas, a licensed therapist and New York Times bestselling author of “Conscious Uncoupling,” presenting her new work, “What’s True About You,” and David Ambroz, a child welfare advocate sharing his memoir, “A Place Called Home: A Memoir,” about overcoming childhood poverty and homelessness.
Local highlights include Coronado author Dr. Tara Deliberto, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Yuna Health, which uses AI for mental health support. She will appear on the panel “Spiritual Writing: Lived Experience and the Supporting Science” and discuss her upcoming book, “Inner Turmoil to Inner Peace.” Other panels cover “I’m Still Here: Writing Trauma Into Healing,” moderated by Dr. Gina Simmons-Schneider; “Based on a True Story: Historical Fiction Brings the Past to Life,” featuring Maria Dolores Aguila and Jennifer Coburn; “Mystery Authors Writing Across Genres,” with Caitlin Rother and moderator Matt Coyle; and “Fantasy & Hot Romance: Romantasy That Will Keep You Up All Night,” including Sara Hashem, Sunya Mara, and Foz Meadows.
A Books to Film panel will feature Matthew Quirk, whose thriller “The Night Agent” was adapted into a Netflix series now in its third season. Workshops on screenwriting, playwriting, elevator pitches, debut authorship, and publishing options are planned. Additional sessions include a horror discussion with Jonathan Maberry and Luke Dumas; a talk on Christian Nationalism from Chris Jennings' “End of Days,” moderated by Dean Nelson; publishing insights with Christine Pride and Laura Cathcart Robbins; and a conversation on AI in art between Marni Freedman and composer Lucas Cantor Santiago about his book “Unfinished: The Role of the Artist in the Age of AI.”
Poetry readings by Jane Muschenetz and Karla Cordero, memoir excerpts from “Funny, Not Funny: Shaking the Tree” volume 7, and children's author Carrie Dawn showcasing “Tales from Wiggleberry” round out the program.
