2022-07-12
Amor Towles, Tracy K. Smith, Erik Larson, Nikki Erlick, Bill Browder, Mary Roach, Desmond Shum, Manoush Zomorodi, Dave Barry, Jeffrey Brown and a dozen more authors and speakers.
SONOMA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA | AUGUST 2022 – The 2022 Sonoma Valley Authors Festival
(SVAF) announces this year’s lineup of world-class authors and speakers for the annual event. Now
in its fifth year, the lauded and intimate festival takes place once again at the beautiful and serene
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, August 26-28, 2022.
Founded in 2018, the Sonoma Valley Authors Festival is a 3-day wine country weekend like no
other. This “vacation with a purpose” is a highly-curated and exclusive event, limited to 400 guests
who are committed to lifelong learning. Offering a unique opportunity to hear some of the most
important authors and speakers of our time, the Festival engages listeners eager for thoughtful
conversations and discussions of ideas.
“We want Festival attendees to feel not only informed but transformed,” say Festival founders
Ginny and David Freeman. “These exceptional authors and remarkable thought leaders are truly
changing the world. Coming together means we can all be a part of these incredibly important
conversations.”
With a mission to “stimulate the Minds and Nurture the Souls of Readers,” attendees will enjoy a
series of “Ted talk” style events and breakout sessions where today’s greatest writers and thinkers
discuss their books and breakthroughs in science, technology and medicine. Filled with insightful
and thoughtful opportunities to connect, the 2022 Sonoma Valley Authors Festival is a powerful
and unique experience.
Festival attendees will hear the story behind their stories from world-class authors, with the
opportunity to meet in a comfortable and personal setting. Exploring a variety of literary genres and
advances being made in science, technology and medicine, this year’s festival features 20+
authors, speakers and moderators including Amor Towles, Tracy K. Smith, Erik Larson, Bill Browder,
Mary Roach,Nikki Erlick, Desmond Shum, Manoush Zomorodi, Dave Barry, Jeffrey Brown and more.
As part of the festival, SVAF hosts free special events for the Sonoma community. This year’s
family-friendly Authors on the Plaza will be held Saturday, August 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Under
the trees on the historic Sonoma Plaza in the city center, 2022 features introductions by humorist
Dave Barry, followed by New York Times best-selling fiction author, Amor Towles, talking about his
newest book, The Lincoln Highway, and Mary Roach, a non-fiction writer of science-based topics
with a generous helping of humor added. She will discuss her most recent book, Fuzz: When
Nature Breaks the Law about the conflicts between wildlife and humans. Reader’s Books is the
onsite bookseller.
The 5th Annual Students Day engages young scholars with a celebration of community, literacy.
Featuring a dozen authors and speakers including Tracey K. Smith, the former U.S. Poet Laureate,
Mary Roach, Dr. David Eagleman, Manoush Zomorodi, Alex Filippenko, Chris Gardner and more,
they speak and interact with over 2,700 students at Sonoma Valley High School. Each year an
average of 4,000 books, written by the presenting authors, are given free to the students, all paid
for with private donations. Due to campus safety protocols, Students Day is not open to the public.
Sonoma Valley Authors Festival passes are available now at svauthorsfest.org/attend/. The 3-day
VIP Festival Passes start at $2,750 and include all presentations, breakfasts and lunches, plus an
exclusive dinner with the authors, preferred seating, and access to year-round events. All VIP
passes include a tax-deductible donation. See all pass level options.
This year there are also a limited number of 3-day VIP Sponsorship Festival Passes available for
$1,250. These passes include all presentations, breakfasts and lunches. These limited 3-Day
Festival Passes go on sale June 15.
The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival is made possible through the generous support of individual
donors, corporate sponsors, and committed volunteers. SVAF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
Tax ID #84-4846165.
About Sonoma Valley Authors Festival
The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival (SVAF) was founded by husband and wife team David
and Ginny Freeman, who began developing the event after retiring to Sonoma County in 2016. The
inaugural SVAF event was held May 4-6, 2018, in honor of their mothers who were lifelong readers
and learners. The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival is made possible only through the generous
support of individual donors, corporation sponsors and volunteers. The Festival has no employees,
with Co-Founders Ginny and David Freeman donating their time, making a personal financial
commitment, and drawing no salary.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL HANDLES
svauthorsfest.org | Press Kit – Logos & Photos
FB @svauthorsfestival | IG @svauthorsfest | TW @svauthorsfestival | LI @svauthorsfestival
CONTACTS:
Beth Schnitzer | 917.287.7064 | beth@spritzsf.com