San Miguel Writers’ Conference Announces 2027 Keynoters

By Catherine Marenghi

The envelope please! The 22^nd Annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival has unveiled its eagerly anticipated roster of keynote speakers and distinguished faculty. The Conference will be held February 10–14, 2027, at the Hotel Real de Minas in San Miguel de Allende.

The 2027 keynote speakers are:

Amor Towles, an internationally bestselling novelist celebrated for elegant storytelling and unforgettable characters. Before becoming a writer, Towles spent two decades in investment management, an experience that sharpened his understanding of character, society, and twists of fortune. His debut novel Rules of Civility became a bestseller. A Gentleman in Moscow is an international phenomenon, translated into dozens of languages and adapted into a major television series. His novel The Lincoln Highway and the story collection Table for Two further established him as one of today’s foremost storytellers.

Kiran Desai, Indian author celebrated for sharp, lyrical explorations of displacement, identity, and family. Awarded the Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss, Desai draws from a life spanning multiple cultures and perspectives. Her debut novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard received the Betty Trask Award. Her latest novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, continues her exploration of connection, displacement, and the enduring search for home.

Michelle Good, an award-winning Cree writer whose work confronts the legacy of the Indian Residential School system while celebrating the resilience of Indigenous communities. A member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Good practiced law for more than 25 years, advocating for Indigenous clients. Her bestselling debut novel Five Little Indians received the 2020 Amazon Canada First Novel Award and the HarperCollins/UBC Prize for Best New Fiction.

Roxane Gay, one of today’s most influential literary voices, celebrated for fearless and deeply compassionate writing. Her extraordinary fiction, memoir, essays, criticism, and cultural commentary examine identity, power, relationships, and the complexities of contemporary life. Her bestselling essay collection Bad Feminist, her memoir Hunger, and her novel An Untamed State have earned international acclaim.

Martha Bátiz, a Mexican writer based in Canada. Her short story collections include A todos los voy a matar, De tránsito, and Plaza Requiem: Stories at the Edge of Ordinary Lives, named Best Popular Fiction in English at the International Latino Book Awards. Her novella Boca de lobo has been translated into English and French. Her novel Las Cervantas (The Daughter’s Place), based on women in the life of Cervantes, delivers a feminist perspective on the Spanish Golden Age.

Xavier Velasco, a México City native whose career spanned journalism, advertising, radio, and television before he devoted himself fully to writing. His fiction creates richly imagined worlds with unconventional characters. International recognition came with Diablo Guardián, winner of the Premio Alfaguara de Novela, one of the Spanish-speaking world’s most prestigious awards. Described as picaresque punk, it became a Latin American bestseller.

The 2027 distinguished faculty will include Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street; Macaria España, Banana Street; Socorro Venegas, Leche de silencio; Nita Prose, The Maid; Adrián Chávez, Querido Quetzalcóatl; and Jennifer Finney Boylan, Mad Honey. The winner of Canada’s annual Giller Prize, which honors the best in Canadian fiction, will be announced in November and will be invited to keynote.

Established in 2004 by Susan Page, the bilingual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival is dedicated to forging literary connections across México, the US, and Canada. The five-day conference attracts more than 1,700 attendees and offers keynote speakers, intensive workshops with world-class authors and publishing professionals, a writing contest, discussion groups, open mic opportunities, and social and cultural events.

“Our 2027 lineup represents some of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature. From award-winning novelists to visionary storytellers and cultural commentators, these writers challenge us to think more deeply, imagine more boldly, and connect more authentically,” said  Jodi Pincus, executive director of the Conference.

Interested attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets early to take advantage of limited-time savings. Individual keynote tickets and packages are discounted through September 1. After that, certain discounts are also available for students, teachers, Mexican nationals, and others.

Tickets, a downloadable program, and writing contest information are available through sanmiguelwritersconference.org

Media inquiries may be directed to editorial director Ben Widdicombe, media@sanmiguelwritersconference.org

Catherine Marenghi is an author and poet and has published five books. She has been active in the San Miguel literary community for more than a decade.