“Literary NAFTA” Begins This Week

Writers and readers in cold climates wanting a blast of warm air with their literature might consider heading down to the San Miguel Writers’ Conference in stunning San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Starting tomorrow until the 18th of February, more than 64 speakers including writers and agents will be talking books, writing and literature in a perfectly idyllic setting.

The conference web site includes a blurb from Tom Robbins. “If Dante had had the San Miguel experience,” says Robbins, “he may have written more about heaven and less about hell.” While this may or may not be true, Quill & Quire’s description sounds only slightly less inviting:

For the past eight years, San Miguel de Allende, an idyllic colonial town in central Mexico, has played host to the San Miguel Writers’ Conference, the only bilingual literary event in North America that focuses on Canadian, U.S., and Mexican authors.

Unlike many other festivals that cater primarily to readers, San Miguel has become a gathering place for writers to share their craft, meet with literary agents, and attend workshops and parties. Canadian writer and Kingston WritersFest artistic director Merilyn Simonds, who spends her winters in the community, calls the event “the NAFTA of literary festivals.”

The San Miguel Writers’ Conference runs from February 13th to 18th. The conference schedule is here. While you’re there, you might consider taking in the monarch butterfly tour. Information about that is included here.