Litquake

Litquake is San Francisco's annual literary festival. Originally starting out as Litstock for a single day on July 16, 1999, it ran for two years under the same name before going dark in 2001 after 9/11. It re-emerged in 2002 with a new name, determined to make the most of the fact that according to USA Today, San Francisco has the highest per capita consumption of both alcohol and books. Consisting of readings, discussions, and themed events held at different Bay Area venues, the annual festival features predominantly Bay Area authors but opens a limited number of slots for those from the outside, and kicks off during either the first or second weekend of October, depending on the year. The Litquake Literary Project produces the event, while Intersection for the Arts and others provide fiscal sponsorship.

The first year under the Litquake name, 2002, included over 60 authors and four venues. At the 2003 festival, 100 authors participated over four days. By 2004, the event had grown to 175 authors and nine days. The nine day 2005 festival included 250 Bay Area participating authors and 6,975 attendees. The 2006 festival hit the 7833 attendee mark and included over 300 authors as well as Litquake's first ever movie, the cartoon Best Book Ever.

2011's festival saw a total attendance of 16,581, a 23% increase over 2010.

Jack Boulware and Jane Ganahl are the co-founders and Artistic Directors, while Elise Proulx is the Executive Director.