A Sneak Preview of the 2026 Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey

San Miguel de Allende’s world renowned Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival (Festival de Escritores y Literatura) is back this February 11^th- 15^th, celebrating 21 years with a spectacular lineup designed to inspire, challenge, and delight.  Keynote speakers are: 

Abraham Verghese. Bestselling author, physician, and professor at Stanford University. His acclaimed novels Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water have captivated global audiences.

Andrés Neuman. Argentine-Spanish writer, poet, and translator whose work spans novels, short stories, essays, and aphorisms.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Nigerian author of novels, short stories, and essays, her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

Rebecca F. Kuang. A Marshall Scholar and translator with degrees from Oxford, Cambridge, and Yale. Kuang blends literary, historical, and speculative fiction.

Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil.Linguist and writer from Ayutla Mixe, Oaxaca. A passionate advocate for Indigenous rights, language justice, and climate action.

Emily St. John Mandel. Canadian novelist and essayist who has written six novels, including Station Eleven (2014), The Glass Hotel (2020), and Sea of Tranquility (2022). Station Eleven has been translated into 33 languages.

Joining these outstanding speakers and authors is a stellar bilingual faculty.  Eduardo Antonio Parra, winner of the Juan Rulfo International Short Story Award, Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, and member of the National System of Art Creators, will teach the narrative workshop "Anatomy of the Short Story" and will be the professor of the masterclass "The Short Story and Its Shores."

Additionally, this distinguished Mexican and Spanish-speaking faculty includes Amaranta Caballero, Ana Luisa Isla, Araceli Ardón, Bernardo Govea, Marcela R. Loreto, Mónica Hoth, Rodrigo Díaz Guerrero, José María Moreno, Antolina Ortiz Moore, Matthew Sanabria Stenger, Magali T. Ortega, and Verónica Flores.

The San Miguel de Allende bilingual, multi-cultural Writer’s Conference & Literary Festival, founded by Susan Page 21 years ago attracts over 1500 worldwide attendees every year.  Now global, eleven countries were represented last year, including Dubai, the Congo, and Spain. Jodi Picus, Executive Director, emphasized the effort to connect with literary groups worldwide to increase faculty and keynote speaker diversity.

Armida Zepeda, Director and head of the Spanish Program, said “The Festival de Escritores y Literatura in San Miguel will present a new literary program in February 2026 that includes 18 creative writing workshops with an incredible group of Mexican teachers.” These workshops will be aimed at the San Miguel de Allende University Scholars Program, the Emerging Writers Program, and the general public. The Festival will once again offer its Spanish Workshops for Teens, Bilingual Workshops for Teens, a new Early Childhood Workshops program, and a children's show.

The conference is very proud of its many free events, including the Americas Read, and as Susan Page put it, “It is a chance to showcase our world-class faculty.” There are three days, one each for México, Canada, and the United States. Faculty members read their work, an event free and open to the public.

There is also The Big Read, where everyone is invited to read a designated book, after which small discussion groups are formed to discuss it.  Additionally, there are the following free events open to the public:

• Open discussion groups on announced topics, such as how AI is affecting writing and publishing

• Affinity groups – fiction and non-fiction

• The famous Mexican Fiesta

• The highly anticipated La Gran Lectura en Español event.

In other words, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival - Festival de Escritores y Literatura - 2026, has something for everyone!

As we recognize the wonderful opportunities that the Writers’ Conference brings to San Miguel, remember that the conference relies on sponsors and patron support. Consider becoming a member, supporter, or patron, for significant benefits. Some of these include priority seating at events and hospitality lounge privileges throughout the conference week. Local writers, who are members, can display and sell their books at the conference.

Complete conference information and tickets are available on the website as of August 1, 2025 sanmiguelwritersconference.org

Aundria McMillan Humphrey, slowdowngranny.com & founder, Kickbutt Ageless Living