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As Festival Director and Founder of the International Memoir Writers Association, I am delighted to announce our year-round programming online and in person.
Quick Snapshot of Events
- October 8 – SDWF celebrates our Poet-in-Residence Gill Sotu as he launches his new book Equally Strange, Beautifully Different – Poems
- December 6 – The 10th Annual Memoir Showcase: But I Did It Anyway
- January 2025 – SDWF celebrates historical fiction author and Instructor-in-Residence Jennifer Coburn as she launches her new book, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory
- April 5, 2025 – The 6th Annual San Diego Writers Festival on beautiful Coronado Island
Year Round
The San Diego Writers Festival
The San Diego Writers Festival is a FREE Writers Festival that is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers. We get to meet leading voices in all realms of the writing world. It’s an honor to be at the forefront of creative voices in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, screenwriting, genre writing, memoir, songwriting, poetry, comic books, and publishing. Please support our sponsors and exhibitors by visiting their profile pages.
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Stay tuned for announcements about our stellar lineup!
Writing about how much Marni Freedman has impacted my life is difficult. Difficult because I could fill two volumes with descriptive phrases that apply to this very gifted writing coach and mentor. Her ability to assess my writing and offer concrete tools, processes, and possible plans of action is what enabled me to grow my writing. With her guidance, I have succeeded with my personal writing goals. When I met Marni, I lacked confidence and clarity, but I have gained both. Marni met me where I was and gently nudged me forward. I thank her for being patient and supportive in my becoming a better writer. I am fortunate to have her in my life.
Janet Hafner
It is one year since I started my creative writing work with Ms. Freedman. I was very pleased and honored to win a spot in the Showcase Memoir Event in December 2021 under Marni’s thoughtful support.
Paul Steinkoenig
One of Marni’s gifts to developing writers is her ability to recognize the scope of our talent. She then provides unfailing encouragement, sincere friendship, and a broad scope of expertise to see our projects to completion. In the many years we have worked together, I have seen her nudge writers to mold an unwieldy narrative into a tight memoir, a rambling fiction into a punchy thriller, and a collection of travel experiences into a hilarious novel. Into the bargain, she weaves a tight web of professional and personal support, not only with the aspiring but also with the published among us. She’s a treasure, and I am proud to be part of her tribe.
Nancy G. Villalobos
Chuck Dunning
IMWA Memoir Showcase
10th Annual Memoir Showcase Submissions Open From June 12 to August 18
Performance will be on December 6, 2024
Theme: But I Did It Anyway
Winning showcase writers will be assigned a writing coach to help refine their story for the stage.
About The International Memoir Writers Association
Founded in 2016, The International Memoir Writers Association is a community of writers committed to the craft and business of memoir writing. Our purpose is to create a community of inspired, nurtured, and educated memoirists and non-fiction writers. We host monthly member meetings with speakers who educate our writers on both the craft and business of memoir writing. Writers of all levels are welcome and encouraged to join.
About Shaking the Tree – Our Award-Winning Anthology
The International Memoir Writers Association is proud to present a selection of the most compelling, true stories from their annual Memoir Showcase contests. These pivotal portraits speak to our diverse community and its willingness to share the most challenging, awe-inspiring moments that make up the human experience. The stories within these pages are breathtaking. You can’t make this stuff up.
Note: To be published in Shaking the Tree, you will need to submit your 5-page true story to the Memoir Showcase contest. This year’s theme is “But I Did it Anyway.” See full guidelines below.
The Best Book Club On Earth: Read the Book Meet the Author
The Warwick’s + San Diego Writers Festival Book Club
Since 2020, the Warwick’s + SDWF Book Club has met virtually four times a year to interview up-and-coming and best-selling authors. The best part? This book club is run by writers for writers, so this is a rare “spoiler event,” where we get to ask our authors anything and everything about how these page-turning novels or memoirs came together. It’s an hour of learning, discovery, insight, and inspiration as Tracy J. Jones interviews these amazing writers. And you can send in your questions, too! It’s a way for the San Diego Writers Festival community to be engaged all year.
