Look around. How much of our infrastructure — from roads and bridges to factories and food supplies — was built on the backs of American slaves? Three writer-researchers examine how the brutal history of slavery laid the foundation of American capitalism and shaped today’s racial and economic inequality. Blight just won the the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Frederick Douglass. Sponsored by the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation.

Terry Tempest Williams, a woman whose writings are as lyrical and formidable as her name, has been heralded as an “activist laureate.” She’s best known for her classic Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, an astonishing meditation on grief and the landscape of the West, and she joined Women Lit in Berkeley on October 17 to discuss her newest book of essays, Erosion.

What do mega-bestselling crime writers talk about around the family dinner table? Perhaps they plot their next juicy thrillers. After all, they do some great work together: Jonathan and Jesse have a new book that Stephen King calls “brilliant, page-turning fiction,” and Faye and Jonathan co-wrote the New York Times bestseller “Double Homicide.” Meet this family of mystery masters.

If we let them, natural spaces and creatures can help us slow down, notice and reflect on modern life. These authors come to us from England, Oakland and France to explore the wonders that acts of attention can bring. With the support of Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.

Ann Beattie is known for casting a gimlet eye on her generation’s ambivalence and ambition. “A Wonderful Stroke of Luck,” her 21st book, explores the complicated relationship between a charismatic teacher and his students and the secrets people keep from those they love. She’ll talk with her friend Carol Edgarian, author, publisher and cofounder of Narrative. With the support of Women Lit Members.

This roundtable includes the New York Times Ethicist columnist, the former National Book Critics Circle president, the Freeman’s literary journal editor, a Washington Post book critic, the German secretary of culture and The Paris Review’s editor. With support from “Wunderbar Together,” initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

Storytelling brings humanity to the headlines. Journalist Atia Abawi depicts a young boy who must escape from war-torn Syria. Aaron Bobrow-Strain follows an undocumented teen mom at a militarized border. Eliot Pattison concludes his mystery series set in Tibet, which he writes so readers can “understand what it feels like to witness an armed policeman assault a praying monk.” Moderated by Human Rights Watch researcher Clara Long.

Four distinct voices from Germany and Switzerland explore these questions in their work, all bestsellers in Europe. Discover these new voices in translation, one of the most exciting areas in literature today. With the support of the initiative "Wunderbar Together,“ initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI); the Goethe-Institut San Francisco; Goethe-Institut’s translation support program "Books First"; also supported by the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco and Pro Helvetia.

From the little island with the big reach: Hear from Mike McCormack with his acclaimed third novel “Solar Bones,” Catherine Ryan Howard and her debut propulsive thriller “Distress Signals” and Emilie Pine with her searching “Notes to Self.” With the support of Culture Ireland.

The 20th century brought us “1984” and “Brave New World” as harbingers of terrifying social and technological change. In the 21st century, we have bold and urgent climate literature. Hear from the talented authors bringing us these stories, moderated by the former deputy editor of The Paris Review.

Carmen Maria Machado, National Book Award finalist and author of “Her Body and Other Parties” and the forthcoming memoir “In the Dream House,” sits down with Lacy Johnson, author of “The Other Side” and “The Reckonings,” which was hailed by The Millions as “a collection that converses with itself and the reader, asking us to question our beliefs and our roles in a system that perpetuates violence.” The two discuss how they navigate their way through the thorny narrative terrain of abuse, discovering agency and power in the process. Sponsored by Zoetic Press; also with the support of Women Lit members.

Aya de Leon’s women characters rob the rich and protect the exploited, Laura Lindstedt depicts seven women meeting after death, Lisa Locascio tells of a young woman discovering her sexual power and Tamsen Wolff traces the path of friendship, love and heartbreak between two women. With the support of FILI - Finnish Literature Exchange, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and Women Lit members.

Winner of the prestigious Windham-Campbell prize for his body of work, Trinidad-born and Ottawa-raised André Alexis sits down with National Book Award and National Humanities Medal winner, and author of over 40 novels, Joyce Carol Oates. The pair will discuss genre-bending, world-building and their shared obsession with storytelling. With the support of the Consulate General of Canada, San Francisco/ Silicon Valley and Zoetic Press.

Join this cross-generational conversation between two dynamic Black American writers and cultural critics exploring the history and future of the American literary landscape. The legendary Ishmael Reed, Macarthur Genius Fellow, founder of the Before Columbus Foundation, and author of over 30 books including his newest “Conjugating Hindi,” sits down with rising literary star Morgan Parker, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Pushcart Prize winner, and author of the new poetry collection “Magical Negro.” Sponsored by Zoetic Press.

Two bestselling authors who are also top editors and critics come together to discuss their writing, the editing process, the state of the publishing industry in the U.S. and Europe, and translation. Geir Gulliksen is among Norway’s leading novelists; his latest is “The Story of a Marriage,” a searing novel about a man who attempts to empathetically understand his wife’s infidelity. John Freeman is one of today’s preeminent literary critics who also publishes literary nonfiction, much of it focused passionately on social justice issues, as well as poetry.

These novelists have received considerable praise, including a top ten nod from the New York Times and an Oprah’s Book Club pick. Edugyan’s magical realism explores slavery and freedom, and Jones depicts a modern marriage wrenched apart by a discriminatory American justice system. With the support of the Consulate General of Canada, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, She Writes Press and Zoetic Press.

These authors create worlds where secrets bubble just under the surface and protagonists must ask themselves who to believe and who to blame. With the support of “Wunderbar Together,” initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI); the Goethe-Institut San Francisco and “Books First.”

"Vagina Monologues" creator Eve Ensler discusses her groundbreaking new book, "The Apology," in which she imagines an apology from her long-dead father who physically and sexually abused her as a child. Ensler is interviewed by Brooke Warner of SheWrites Press.

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner discusses her newest book, "Mrs. Everything."

After being detained in a notorious Iranian prison, Shane Bauer returned to journalism and took on an astonishing assignment: to go undercover as a guard in a private prison in Louisiana. His book “American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment” was one of President Obama’s favorite books of 2018. Sponsored by Mother Jones Magazine.

An early proponent of intersectionality, Adrienne Rich’s ideas have profoundly shaped feminism. In celebration of “Essential Essays,” a new collection of Rich’s work edited by poet-scholar Sandra Gilbert, join Rich’s friends, colleagues, literary and scholarly descendants and longtime editor as they pay homage to Rich’s legacy. Sponsored by Reed Schmidt.

One of the most important fiction writers comes to Berkeley from England to celebrate the paperback release of "Kudos," the final installation of her acclaimed "Outline" series.

The widow of Paul Kalanithi, author of the bestselling “When Breath Becomes Air,” is joined by Rebecca Soffer, editor of the new anthology “Modern Loss,” and contributor Elizabeth Percer to discuss grief and meaning. Sponsored by SACHI - Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India.

A must-see for anyone who believes they have a book in them: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Executive Director Grant Faulkner appears in person with coach and publisher Brooke Warner to discuss turning inspiration into a tangible product.

In a time when truth is ever more embattled, one of its greatest creative and intellectual practitioners releases his new book at the festival.

Ehrenreich has taken on the minimum wage, abortion rights, women’s lives, marijuana laws, and now, in her new book, death itself. She examines diet culture, disease screenings and all of the other practices humans engage in to ensure a long life. Sponsored by Mother Jones.

World-renowned Buddhist teacher Frank Ostaseski discusses the tenets of a life well lived and share simple suggestions everyone can practice. Sponsored by North Berkeley Investment Partners.

These titans of storytelling discuss the power stories have to galvanize the world, create cultures and bind us all together. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Arts + Design and the Simpson Family Literary Project.

These esteemed reviewers take us inside the process: Lydia Kiesling, editor of The Millions; Paul Laity, non-fiction reviewer at The Guardian; Ismail Muhammad, reviewer for The Millions and contributor to Slate and the Paris Review; and Jane Ciabattari, BBC reviewer and former president of the National Book Critics Circle.

Memoir writers have the especially challenging task of confronting their own past and creating themselves as a character. In their memoirs, these writers address the U.S. Border Patrol, the experience of Holocaust survivors and growing up mixed-race in America.

Come hear how writers dream up, and then capture on the page, entirely new people who are exceptionally complicated. With the support of the Norway House Foundation, NORLA - Norwegian Literature Abroad, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and the Consulate General of Sweden in San Francisco.

One of the Bay Area’s most famous activists talks with a movement insider on the history and future of activism. How have past movements used disruptive tactics to catalyze change? Is there hope in the dark, and how do we act on it? Sponsored by UC Berkeley Arts + Design.

This smart, compassionate woman — who arrived in this country as a near-penniless immigrant student and became one of the founding board members of Salesforce — gives other smart women the tools they need to win. Sponsored by Strong Legacy Planning.

As women across the world make their painful experiences visible, men have begun to grapple with how the masculine identity shapes the power imbalance.

Nina LaCour’s characters look a lot like her readers. This awardwinning author has devoted her life to young adults: first as a teacher, then as a writer. Her new novel “We Are Okay” deals with trauma, isolation, coping and change.

Writers shoulder a responsibility as voices for their time. Faculty members from CCA’s MFA in Writing program, spanning travel, memoir, fiction and poetry, interrogate the role of creative practice in the 21st century. Sponsored by the California College of Arts MFA in Writing Program.

Greg Sarris’s book, “How a Mountain Was Made,” mythologizes the Northern California landscape with Native stories — fables with universal resonance and beauty. Sponsored by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

A new generation of female authors holds in their hands the future of speculative fiction. With the support of Zoetic Press, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and the Consulate General of Sweden in San Francisco.

What is the role of creative political resistance in a time of ascendant fascism? From the elegy to the love poem, from the individual to the collective, these poets will explore how words give us strength.

These authors — an eminent historian, an attorney and critical race scholar and a mixed-race lawyer — explore race and the deep origins and expressions of racism in this country.

The best travel writing is about exploration of “the other” and an embrace of this new terrain into self and one’s understanding of the greater world. These writers explore the concept of “place” from very different perspectives.

This festival favorite and former U.S. Poet Laureate will teach you everything he knows about being a poet on the move. While his new book is technically for kids, anyone can learn to jabberwalk! With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Disparity in wages and opportunity between the rich and the rest of us has grown rapidly in the U.S.; what are the causes and consequences? With support from the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation.

Post punk rocker (formerly of the feminist cult band The Slits) comes to us from the UK to confront questions of feminism, family and inevitable death with her trademark raw, intimate, vulnerable style. Legendary rock critic Greil Marcus interviews.

These writers showcase the art of writing trauma — one focusing on Native women and the other inspired by her own experience as a survivor of assault. With the support of the Consulate General of Canada, San Francisco/Silicon Valley.

These powerful rising voices are breaking new ground in Native literature. The first 100 attendees will receive an excerpt of Orange’s book, set to hit shelves in June. With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Consulate General of Canada, San Francisco/Silicon Valley.

Two eminent historians and a tribal chairman discuss the trauma visited upon Native tribes and explore the challenges and opportunities of the current moment, including Native activism. With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.