Sonoma Valley Authors Festival Announces Lineup for Ninth Annual Event

The three-day festival in May will feature over 20 renowned speakers including authors, journalists, and cultural leaders.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival has announced the lineup for its ninth annual event, set to take place from May 1-3 at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Boyes Hot Springs. The three-day festival will feature more than 20 renowned speakers, including authors, journalists, poets, historians, and cultural leaders, who will participate in intimate guest lectures, Q&A sessions, and one-on-one conversations with attendees.

Why it matters

The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival has become a highly anticipated annual event, drawing book lovers and those passionate about literature, science, technology, and lifelong learning from across the region. The festival provides a unique opportunity for the community to engage with renowned authors and thought leaders in an intimate setting.

The details

This year's festival will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, including Soyoung Lee, the newly appointed director and CEO of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer and bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin; Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist and bestselling author Dave Barry; and Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times financial columnist and author of '1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History.' The festival was founded in 2018 by Ginny and David Freeman to create a space for those passionate about literature, science, technology, and lifelong learning.

  • The ninth annual Sonoma Valley Authors Festival will take place from May 1-3, 2026.
  • The free-to-attend Authors on the Plaza event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 2, 2026.

The players

Sonoma Valley Authors Festival

An annual literary festival founded in 2018 by Ginny and David Freeman to create a space for those passionate about literature, science, technology, and lifelong learning.

Soyoung Lee

The newly appointed director and CEO of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, who will be a speaker at the festival.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

A Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer and bestselling author, who will be a speaker at the festival.

Dave Barry

A Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist and bestselling author, who will be a speaker at the festival.

Andrew Ross Sorkin

A New York Times financial columnist and author of '1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History,' who will be a speaker at the festival.

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What they’re saying

“Each year, we welcome brand-new attendees and longtime supporters; they have all become friends. The enthusiasm hasn't just been sustained — it's grown — creating a camaraderie that fills every room and elevates the conversations on stage and off.”

— Ginny Freeman, Co-founder, Sonoma Valley Authors Festival (Press Democrat)

What’s next

Sponsorship passes to attend the three-day festival are on sale at svauthorsfest.org, with more passes becoming available in April.

The takeaway

The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival has become a must-attend event for book lovers and those interested in literature, science, and technology, providing a unique opportunity to engage with renowned authors and thought leaders in an intimate setting. The festival's continued growth and enthusiasm from the community underscores its importance as a hub for lifelong learning and intellectual discourse.