Write On! San Miguel Global Literary Institute Debuts

By Catherine Marenghi

Organizers of the annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival announced the establishment of the San Miguel Global Literary Institute, a new umbrella organization designed to offer expanded year-round programs and a global reach for San Miguel’s bilingual and multi-cultural literary organization. Because the new Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in the U.S., contributions are now tax-deductible for U.S. donors.

“This is one of the most exciting and meaningful steps forward in the history of the organization. Establishing the San Miguel Global Literary Institute means we can not only do more for readers and writers year-round in San Miguel, but also extend our programs internationally,” said Jodi Pincus, executive director of the new Institute as well as the San Miguel Writers’ Conference.

The Institute has formed a board of directors with substantial professional experience as well as literary credentials. Mark Prior, an entrepreneur and business leader who has sat on over 15 non-profit and charitable boards, joins the Institute’s board of directors as president. He also has a passion for writing. Recently graduating with a Master of Fine Arts from Bennington College, he is currently writing a novel. “I look forward to helping the Conference continue to grow in quality and to help shape exciting new programs. As one of San Miguel’s largest cultural events, the Conference plays a big part in the vibrancy of our beloved city. I want to continue to ensure we’re top of mind when anyone thinks of writers’ conferences.Our Indigenous writers program, for one, is a terrific program to promote and preserve Indigenous voices, an area that is so underserved. Our Teen Creative Writing Program encourages young writers to be seen and heard, and our scholarship program for university students and emerging writers in partnership with the State of Guanajuato is very exciting,” Prior added.

Susan Koen, Ph.D., who joins the board of directors as secretary, previously led a consulting business for 35 years. She is also a psychologist and frequent speaker on healthy love, healthy grief, and caregiving amid dementia. She authored Dancing in the Face of Death, to be published June 2026.

“I look forward to using my varied skills to facilitate development of clear vision, mission, and values for this new 501(c)(3), and to support development of new initiatives that elevate diverse global voices. I am especially excited about the First Nations/Pueblos Originarios/Indigenous Initiative and the Featured Country Initiative that will focus on Haiti. We also are committed to engaging the local Mexican population in more writing and literary events. Our Institute will be a powerful multicultural, multilingual organization for elevating a diversity of emerging writers while also showcasing literary icons.”

The bilingual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival, which celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2026, attracts 1,750 attendees annually. Internationally prominent keynote speakers have included Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Sandra Cisneros, Abraham Verghese, Alice Walker, John Irving, Cristina Rivera Garza, Silvia Moreno Garcia, Joyce Carol Oates, Calvin Trillin, Paul Theroux, and many others.

In addition to the Writers’ Conference, programs offered by the San Miguel Global Literary Institute include the Aurora Books store, scholarships for emerging local writers and university students, youth programs, year-round courses, retreats, workshops, readings and live events, and literacy initiatives. These are available both in-person in San Miguel and online for a global audience. 

The San Miguel Literary Sala, founded by Susan Page in 2005 as the original umbrella organization over the Writers’ Conference and other literary programs, will continue as the Mexican nonprofit entity and will be funded in part by the new Global Literary Institute.

The next San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival will be held February 10^th-14^th 2027, at the Hotel Real de Minas. The full conference program will be announced on sanmiguelwritersconference.org, on August 1^st 2026.

Atención Book Club: Our popular monthly book club continues, featuring outstanding local authors presenting their books in person. All meetings are at 3:00 p.m. at Casa Nigromante on Umarán #38. These events are free and open to the public. Here is the lineup:

June 23^rd: Judith Jenya, Memories Do Not Burn

July 28^th: Natalie Taylor, The Tango Club

August 25^th: Martin Fletcher, Teachers: The Ones I Can’t Forgetd Our Lives