Saints + Sinners Literary Festival

Saints and Sinners Literary Festival

Since its inception in 2003, the Saints + Sinners Literary Festival has brought together a who’s who of the LGBTQ literary world for a weekend-long extravaganza, and this year, the festival makes its highly anticipated return.

The festival is open to anyone interested in contemporary literature discussions or seeking a like-minded LGBTQ writing community. Whether you’re an established, emerging or aspiring literary talent, SASFest’s programming will leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on your next big project.

Though the weekend provides abundant opportunities for entertainment and celebration (including a drag brunch hosted by Poppy Tooker and LGBTQ tours through the Crescent City), Festival Director Paul Willis says the bottom line is to connect and nurture LGBTQ creative endeavors.

“We are building a supportive community of writers, and SASFest provides an outlet for intellectual growth, an opportunity to create or renew relationships, and a chance to have a lot of unique experiences in the French Quarter,” Willis says. “After these past two years, we all need a bit of fun and creative inspiration!”

Specialized lectures and craft sessions are designed to get attendees in the room with creatives who share their specific interests, from short fiction and poetry to songwriting and theater. And because literature serves as a tool for social introspection and change, SASFest unites LGBTQ thinkers for conversations about issues like climate change, the prison industrial complex, authenticity and appropriation in storytelling, and much more.