Litquake 2026

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

Get in the spirit of scary season with the latest moody masterpiece from bestselling novelist Olivie Blake, author of Girl Dinner. Loosely inspired by the 1947 Black Dahlia murder, Dreamland is a dark Hollywood fable about fame, ambition, and the price some people are willing to pay to achieve both. Alix E. Harrow calls it nothing short of a “gory, gothic masterpiece.” In conversation with Kristina Ten, whose work Blake selected for the latest Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy anthology. Dress in your Hollywood finery (or come as you are) and bring your burning questions for Olivie Blake! Doors at 6:30pm.

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.