Poetry reading, storytelling, writing workshops, spoken word performances, and panel discussions will be featured at a day-long literary festival at Saddleback College on Friday, October 18. Open to the public for free with activities for all ages, WORD FEST OC will encompass multicultural literary works and promote creative writing as a form of individual and communal expression. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the ATAS and SSC buildings of the Saddleback College campus.
Featured authors include Gustavo Arellano, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, award-winning journalist, and book author, and Richard Bausch, a prominent short story writer, nationally honored novelist, and Chapman University professor.
The keynote event, ORIGIN STORIES: Indigenous & Immigrant Voices of Orange County, features two poets (Gustavo Hernandez and Rev. Adelia Sandoval) and two novelists (Lan Cao and Namrata Poddar) reading from works that explore how history and geography shape cultural identities. Writing workshops will be presented by Sarah Rafael Garcia, a nonfiction author, multimedia artist, and educator; and Marcus Omari, a poet and spoken word performer who has taught creative writing classes at school districts throughout Southern California.
Other featured events include spoken word poets from the Orange County School of the Arts and a Writing Awards ceremony featuring five OC authors reading poetry and prose that earned them first-place recognition in the WORD FEST OC Writing Contest.
Activities include a storytelling and art workshop for kids, a portable poetry and zine-making table, and booths representing campus literary journals and cultural clubs; and local writing groups in Orange County. Panel discussions will focus on creative writing in the age of AI and the impact of book banning on higher education. Byron Gonzalez, program, music, and social media director for The SoCal Sound (88.5 FM), will serve as DJ / Emcee, offering an eclectic music mix. Lunch and dinner will be served.
Several events have a maximum capacity and require registration. If you'd like to register please visit the Eventbrite page to review the agenda and register for limited capacity events.
WORD FEST OC is sponsored by the School of Humanities & Social Sciences; the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Student Development Office; Associated Student Government; the Saddleback College Foundation; the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Access; and the Office of Student Success.
For questions email scWordFestOC@saddleback.edu.