The Events of Faulkner for All, 2026
The 2026 Faulkner for all festival will open on William Faulkner’s birthday,
September 25, with events for dedicated readers—including toasts to William Faulkner, shown here in 1925 in Pirate’s Alley— and for writers who wish to improve their work, find literary agents, and get their work published.
Most of the events are free and open to the public but we request that you reserve in advance as some of the venues have limits on numbers of people to be admitted, limits established by The New Orleans Fire Marshall’s
Office. You may reserve a seat at Faulkhouse@aol.com
Special food and wine events require advance, paid reservations.
Email us for information and reservations.
We look forward to having you with us.
Friday, September 25
8:00 a. m. – Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
Continental Breakfast for Presenters and Out of Town Guests
8:45 a. m. – Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
How to secure an agent and how to work successfully with an editor.
Led by Literary Agent Jeff Kleinman, this session will feature comments
from literary agents Michelle Tessler, Katherine Fausset, and Sally Wofford-Girand; Publisher Celina “Cindy”Spiegel; Editors Ben George and Retha Powers; and Dr. Eddie Gammara, whose company Gammara Media, offers the full range of literary marketing services.
10:00 a. m. — 11:00 a. m.
Agents and editors will begin their appointments with their assigned writers.
Note: Critique sessions with writers are not to be scheduled for times
when other sessions are being presented, so that registered writers
and literary professionals all have the opportunity to hear other presenters.
11:15 a. m — Beauregard – Keyes House (Across Street from Hotel).
Registration, General Reading Public Programming Begins
11:30 a. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
Light lunch, Book purchases for later signings.
12:30 p. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
Festival Theme Keynote Session
From the standpoint of the American literary heritage and how books are madeand, then, made to succeed, one of the most important books of the year is The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature.
It was written by one of contemporary literature’s most important insiders,
Gerald Howard, who until his recent retirement was Executive Editor and
Vice President of one of the world’s leading publishing houses, Doubleday.
The book was released to widespread critical acclaim and, not surprising when the author is such an accomplished editor, it is fun to read. Although it is centered around important literary history, the rescue of William Faulkner’s
career, it also has important messages for literary professionals and writers
today. Because 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we have stolen a piece of his subtitle, The Triumph of American Literature, as our humanities theme and presentations for the general reading public, including the 2026 New Orleans, Mon Amour presentations, will revolve around American literature and authors. We are privileged to have him with us as our theme standard bearer. He will be introduced by one of the country’s leading literary agents, Jeff Kleinman, a partner in Folio Literary Management, who has chaired the Faulkner Society’s sessions with agents and editors for 25 years, helping us each year secure some of the most accomplished literary professionals in the business to work with writers during the festival. Their presentation will be followed by a Q. & A. session.
Students are invited to attend the keynote session.
1:30 p. m. – Beauregard- Keyes House
Break for book signing.
1:45 p. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
History as a Muse for American Literary Success.
Featuring noted New Orleans historian, author and Professor of Literature
Nancy Dixon, bestselling fiction writers Maurice Carlos Ruffin and Karen Essex, and Non-fiction author Catherine Whitney, whose new book is
Painting Catherine.
2:45 p. m. — B-K House
Break, Book signing opportunity
3:00 p. m. — B-K House
New Orleans, Mon Amour, the Society’s annual ode to New Orleans.
Bohemian New Orleans. Dr. Penny Morill—an art historian whose special interest is art of the early colonial period and of the modern era of Mexico—is an an authority on William Spratling, a New Orleans architect, artist, and cultural bon vivant, Faulkner’s New Orleans landlord. She will discuss Spratling’s relationship with Faulkner and how Spratling and other cultural socialites created an environment that encouraged artists of all genres to broaden their artistic horizons.
Dr. Morrill and her family foundation are underwriting the Prize for the 2026 Book-in-Progress Category of the William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition in memory of William Spratling and his contributions to the literary culture of New Orleans. With William Faulkner, he created the treasured literary collector’s item, Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles, which was published 100 years ago.
3:30 p. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
A Writer’s City. Tulane University Professor of literature, jazz DJ, and authority on the literary heritage of New Orleans, T. R. Johnson, will discuss what New Orleans has contributed to the success of American literature, not only at home but internationally.
4:00 p. m. — BK House
Is New Orleans Cool? The country’s leading authority on the concept of
American Cool, Tulane Professor Joel Dinerstein, will explore how the
concept of Cool has impacted the success of American literature and
whether or not, New Orleans can be considered Cool and in what ways.
4:30 p. m.— BK House
Signing Opportunity for festival presenters
5:00 p. m. to 6:00 p.m.— Hotel Provincial
Editors and Agents are free to meet their assigned authors at hotel locations, such as the courtyard or bar.6:30 p. m to 8:00 p. m.—111 Audubon Street, Number 201
Happy Birthday, Mr. Faulkner! — 2026 Welcome Cocktail Party
Special guests of honor will include Ellis Anderson, Publisher of the French Quarter Journal, and Susan Schadt, owner of Susan Schadt Press, for their contributions to reinvigorating publishing in New Orleans; National Book Award Winner Sarah Broom; and the other presenters and sponsors of Faulkner for All, 2026 The welcome event is hosted by Rosemary James,
Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Faulkner Society at her new condominium residence adjacent to Audubon Park and the Mississippi River. Members of the Society will welcome guests at the lobby entrance and direct them.
As it is a 20-minute journey from the hotel to the party site, we suggest that presenters and other guests group-Uber uptown and back to the Quarter post party.
8:00 p. m. —Until
Evening is free for festival guests to enjoy the sights, sounds, and cuisine of New Orleans.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
8:00 a. m. – Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
Continental Breakfast for Presenters and Out of Town Guests
8:30 a. m. – 10:00 a. m. Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
Manuscript critiques continue.
10:15 a. m. —Beauregard – Keyes House
The Art of the Memoir
Led by legendary editor and publisher Celina “Cindy” Spiegel,
the session will feature Sarah Broom, who won the National Book Award
and many other awards as well for her brilliantly crafted memoir, The Yellow House, and noted non-fiction author, journalist, and former Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Nicholas Lemman, whose new memoir is a soul-searching exploration by the son of a highly assimilated New Orleans Jewish family of his Jewish roots and his longing to return to them. His book, Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries, is making waves in literary and Jewish cultural circles.
11:15 a. m.
Break for book sales and signings.
11:45 a. m.
Will the ethnic, race, gender diversity and socio-economic divisions of America now, 250 years after the Revolution, keep American Literature vibrantly on a triumphant march into the future?
Led by Curtis Brown, Ltd. Vice President and literary agent Katherine Fausset, whose clients include multiple New York Times bestselling and internationally-acclaimed authors, the discussion will include prize-winning short fiction writer, Annell Lopez, Creative Writing Director at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; Henry Holt literary editor Retha Powers, who is passionate about books by authors who write inventively about the intersections of race, identity, gender, history, and current events; and Tracey Watts, Chairman of the Loyola University Department of English. Tracey is committed to exploring the work of writers who are creating beauty with words and the way they arrange those words for our reading joy and is introducing here students to rising literary stars. Last year, when Loyola
co-sponsored appearances of National Book Award winner Justin Torres at the festival and composed an ode of an introduction,
CLICK HERE to read it.
12:45 a. m.
Break
1:00 p. m. —Holy Water, 616 Conti Street
The Enormous Contributions of Jewish Writers to the Triumph of American Literature. Where would we be without the likes of Saul Bellow?
This lunch session featuring Nicholas Lemman and jdinerstein@tulane.edu will be led by literary agent Jeff Kleinman, a partner in Folio Literary Management, who will introduce the authors and set the scene.
The authors will sign at Holy Water after their presentation but please buy your books in advance at B-K House and bring to the luncheon.
3:00 p. m.— Beauregard – Keyes House
Can American Literature continue to hold a leading role globally without more emphasis on literary fiction? What does the future hold for dedicated readers demanding more of American literature than celebrity tell-alls and airport novels?
Led by Ben George, Executive Editor of Puskin Press, USA, the newly established American division of the successful UK literary publisher, Puskin Press. The event will feature Gerald Howard, former Executive Editor and Vice President of Doubleday, and literary agent Sally Wofford-Girand, who founded her boutique agency Union Literary 12 years ago, merging her former company with another. As an agent, Sally has worked with both emerging and globally recognized authors, both American and foreign.
4:00 p. m. Beauregard-Keyes House
Signing opportunity for Festival presenters.
4:30 to 5:30 p. m. — Hotel Provincial or B-K House sitting Room
Manuscript critique sessions continue.
6:00 to 8:00 p. m. —Beauregard – Keyes House
How have Afro-American storytelling traditions impacted the success of American Literature?
An Evening with National Book Award winner Sarah Broom in Conversation with bestselling fiction writer Maurice Carlos Ruffin. The session will be introduced by a publishing insider himself, Gerald Howard, author of the new non-fiction publishing history book: The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature. Cocktails at 6:00 p. m., Program at 6:30 p. m., Book Signing Opportunity, 7:30 to 8:00 p. m.
8:00 p. m. — Until
Free evening to enjoy the sights, sounds, and cuisine of New Orleans.
Sunday, September 27
8:00 a. m. – Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
Continental Breakfast for Presenters and Out of Town Guests
8:30 a. m. – 10:00 a. m. Hotel Provincial Meeting Room
Manuscript critiques continue.
10:15 a. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
Journalism as American Literature: When is journalism considered literature and how has journalism enhanced American literature?
Led by Ellis Anderson—Publisher of the French Quarter Journal, non-fiction author and a winner of both the Eudora Welty Prize and a Faulkner Society gold medal for Essay—featured speakers will include three distinguished journalists: Charlotte Hays, winner of the Society’s 2026 Prize for Non-fiction book; Jack Davis, judge of the Non-fiction book category; and Nicholas Lemman, renowned author, boutique publisher, and Dean Emeritus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Interesting note: Hays, Davis, and Lemman all began their careers as journalists at New Orleans alternative newspapers: The Vieux Carre Courier and Figaro.
11:15 a.m. — B-K House
Break, Book Sales, Signing
11:30 a.m. — B-K House
Hollywood and the Triumph of American Storytelling
Featuring bestselling historical fiction writer, Karen Essex, whose career has embraced screenwriting as well as the creation of an enviable body of fiction about historically important women, such as Kleopatra, and their passions and power. She will be introduced by Dr. Eddie Gammara, who operates Gammara Media, a Hollywood savvy firm that offers the full range of literary representation services for packaging and selling a writer’s work as
a book to be published and placing it for silver screen or television production.
12:15 p. m. — Beauregard – Keyes House
Break, Book signing Opportunity, Light Lunch
1:15 p. m.—Beauregard – Keyes House
The Keys to the Kingdom of Successful American Fiction Writing: Love and Death, Romantic Encounters, Families and Their Secrets, The Help, Magnificent Obsessions, A Stranger Came to Town, and Mysteries Unraveled.
This session, led by with prize-winning Short Fiction author Annell Lopez, who judged this year’s Short Fiction competition, will feature New York literary agent Michelle Tessler, who judged this year’s Novel competition, and their winners of 2026 gold medals for fiction in the Faulkner – Wisdom Creative Writing competition: Novel winner Laura Lane McNeal, whose winning manuscript is The Wisdom of Water and whose first novel was the bestselling and New Orleans-set Dollbaby, and Short Fiction winner David Martin Anderson, whose fiction and essays have been published in a variety of literary journals and whose winning short story is What the River Took. David also copped the 2026 gold medal for the Society’s new category: Complete Collections for his manuscript: What Cannot Be Undone. They will be joined by the winner of the Book-in-Progress gold medal, Lawrence William Coates for his Novel-in-Progress Boom!
2:30 p. m. — B-K House
Break for book sales and signings.
3:00 p. m. — B-K House
God Bless the Poets and Their Contributions to American Life, Literature, and Liberty
Led by Louisiana Poet Laureate Gina Ferrara, the session will kick off with a round table discussion about the great poets of the past and how they have enriched the fabric of American life. Following the discussion, participating poets will passages read from their work relevant to celebration of the American Revolution. The session will feature Rodger Kamenetz, who was selected Winner of the Individual Poem category for his poem,
The Golden Raintree, and, this has never happened before, Runner-up for his poem, This is the Life. Rodger and his wife fiction writer Moira Crone will be in Paris during the festival but Rodger will be appearing electronically. Rodger also won the 2026 gold medal for best Essay. Appearing in person will be Benjamin Aleshire, winner of the 2026 gold medal for Poetry Collection for his manuscript Poems for Bystanders. He was selected by master poet and publisher, Bill Lavender, who also will be participating in the session. Joining them will be Cassandra Delaney, Runner-up for Poetry Collection with her manuscript, Phoenix, and also Runner-up in the Book-in-Progress category for Dolly Mamma; and Stacey Balkun, a past Society poetry winner and
short-listed this year for her Book-in-Progress, Root.
5 p. m. – 6:00 p. m. Hotel Provincial
Final manuscript critique appointments.
6:30 p. m. —The Ursuline Convent Chapel (Directly Across the Street from the B-K House.
The black tie 36th Annual Meeting of the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society.
Winners and Runners-up of the William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition will be presented and the Society will announce its 2026 ALIHOT (A Legend In His/Her Own Time) Award, given for service to literature and/or to the New Orleans cultural community.Representing the English Speaking Union, Dr. Robin Sinclair, a scholar in the work of William Faulkner, is invited to give this year’s toast to Mr. Faulkner, “Why William Faulkner is the Quintessential American Author.”
8 to 9:30 p. m. —Convent Garden.
Drinks and Dinner.
Monday, September 28
11:00 a. m. — Lupin Hall, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, 2800 Chartres Street.
Writing to Save Your Life!
The Faulkner Society and NOCCA are partnering to present National Book Award winner Sarah Broom, a New Orleans native, whose award-winning memoir, The Yellow House, encompasses all of the important elements that go into the making of great literature: finely honed storytelling skills, compelling characters, family, home, and sense of place. Ms. Broom will be introduced by NOCCA’s Director of Creative Writing, Annell Lopez, who is a prize-winning creator of short fiction, as well as a much-admired writing teacher. The 250 students participating are being provided with free copies of
Ms. Broom’s book in advance of the event so that they can be a well-prepared
audience. Limited seating is available for guests of the Faulkner Society and
must be reserved in advance.
3:30 p. m. — Michael Early Studio, Loyola University of New Orleans Campus
The Crisis in American Journalism
The Faulkner Society and Loyola University’s College of Music and Media are partnering to present a special on-campus event featuring distinguished journalist and non-fiction author, Nicholas Lemann. His journalism career includes writing for some of America’s most prestigious magazines, including The New Yorker and The Atlantic. He is Dean Emeritus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and continues to teach there. As a critically acclaimed non-fiction author, he has tackled some of the great issues of importance to Americans, including the educational meritocracy, slavery, the great migration of Afro-Americans out of the South and into the North and West, and the death of the American dream. He will be welcomed to Loyola by Dean Sheryl Kennedy Haydel and Dr. Shaniece Bickham, director of the School of Communication and Design, and introduced by Joe Duke, journalist in residence at Loyola. At the end the Lemann presentation, Dessadra Tezeno, a senior at Loyola majoring in Mass Communication with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism, will lead a Q. & A. session with the author. The event is free and open to students and the general reading public. Advance
RSVPs to faulkhouse@aol.com will be appreciated to determine adequate seating.
5:30 p. m. — The End.
So long, ooh long, we hope you had a good time!
Faulkner for All, 2026
Is Presented by the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society with its Partners:The Deming Foundation: Bertie Deming Smith,
Susan and Charles Schadt,
Rosemary James, Jana Napoli & the Ana Foundation,
Jack and Mimi Davis,
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities,
Loyola University of New Orleans: College of Music & Media
Penny Morrill and the Morrill Gift Fund, Faulkner House Books,
Ben & Kathleen Waring,
French Quarter Realty: Michael Wilkinson,
Luna Press: Josephine Sacabo & Dalt Wonk,
David Speights, Anne & Ron Pincus, Anne Fitzgerald
Garden District Books
Quinn Peeper & Michael Harold
English Speaking Union: Dr. Robin Sinclair
Holy Water: Alexander Pincus & Miles Pincus, Owner
The Catholic Cultural Center & The Beauregard – Keyes House