Litquake 2026

FREE, $10–$15 suggested donation

Sponsored by Mission Local
Co-presented with Bay Area Book Festival and San Francisco Public Library

Sure, Silicon Valley’s wealth, power, and technological innovation loom large over the entire Bay Area—but what about the rest of us? Tonight we’ll hear from three authors who can share deep knowledge of Silicon Valley’s effects on Bay Area housing, economic inequality, urban planning, and public policy. Investigative journalist Brian Barth (Front Street: Resistance and Rebirth in the Tent Cities of Techlandia), anthropologist Manissa Maharawal (Anti-Eviction: The Fight Against Tech-Led Gentrification in San Francisco), and journalist Jonathan Weber (City on the Edge: Technology, Politics, and the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco) will be joined by architect and urban planner Vinita Goyal. Doors at 5:30pm.

Pay what you can ($15 suggested) for guaranteed seat; FREE to walk-ups (space depending)

Pitchapalooza is American Idol for books (only kinder and gentler). Twenty writers, selected at random, will pitch their book for one minute only! Judges (including The Book Doctors, Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry) will help you improve your pitch, not tell you how bad it is. Judges critique everything from idea to style to marketplace potential, and authors gain concrete advice as well as a greater understanding of the publishing industry. Whether potential authors pitch themselves, or simply listen to the critiques, Pitchapalooza is educational and entertaining for one and all. At evening’s end, the judges will pick a winner. Like the dozens of Pitchapalooza winners who have gone from talented amateurs to professionally published authors, this lucky participant will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher. Doors at 6:30pm.