LitFest in the Dena 2026
Books That Changed the Public Narrative
How do books shift our viewpoints? Powerful literature has reimagined what has already been established, reframed narratives that we thought we understood, and introduced new ideas that challenge the status quo.
Think of The Silent Spring and its role in sparking the environmental movement; The Jungle, which exposed labor conditions in the meatpacking industry; The New Jim Crow, which examined systemic mass incarceration; On the Road, which celebrated nonconformity and new mores; Grapes of Wrath, which foretold a day of reckoning against injustice; The Second Sex, which deconstructed gender roles – all part of a trove of revered books that became part of our national conversation.
LitFest 2026 celebrates the force of literature in turning around how we see the world and our place in it.
“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.”
— Malala Yousafzai
LitFest 2026 Videos
LitFest 2026 marks the first time we have recorded a portion of our event for posterity. We hope that the videos of these three special events capture the spirit of this year’s LitFest and reflect what is important to our literary community in 2026. Credit for these videos goes to JD Audio Visual, upon whom we depend for the A/V equipment that makes this event possible.
LitFest 2026 Program
The Press Enterprise - Hearing the Victim’s Voice in Literature is Valuable (5/30/2026)
Local News Pasadena - ‘You Can Make It Up, But It All Has To Be True:’ Litfest Panel Discuss Historical Fiction vs. History (5/6/2026)
Pasadena Star News - ‘LitFest in the Dena’ highlights LA fire victims, Altadena writers, student activism(5/3/2026)
Pasadena Now - LitFest Continues Saturday in Pasadena With 35-Plus Panels and Readings (5/2/2026)
Colorado Boulevard - LitFest in the Dena: Day Two (5/2/2026)
Pasadena Star News - LitFest in the Dena 2026 Showcases Young Literary Voices (5/1/2026)
Pasadena Now - LitFest in the Dena Opens Tonight With 200 Authors and an Immigration Discussion Panel (5/1/2026)
Colorado Boulevard - LitFest in the Dena: Day One (5/1/2026)
Colorado Boulevard - What To Do This Weekend: May 1-3, 2026 (4/30/2026)
Hey SoCal - Fun things to do this week: April 30-May 6 (4/29/2026)
USA Today - A rodeo, tacos and comedy. Your must-go SoCal festivals in May(4/29/2026)
Pasadena Now - Pasadena Students Write the Fire, Write the Fear (4/29/2026)
Colorado Boulevard - LitFest in the Dena 2026 Returns With a Powerful Celebration of Literature, Community, and Social Change (4/28/2026)
Snortland’s Substack - LitFest in the Dena: Be There! (4/23/2026)
Pasadena Now - Pasadena Senior Center’s Leader to Anchor Ageism Panel at Free Literary Festival (4/22/2026)
Pasadena Now - LitFest in the Dena Returns to Pasadena With Immigration Panel, Latine Literary Programming (4/15/2026)
NBC Los Angeles - Free and Full of Literary Cool (3/24/2026)
Pasadena Star News - Larry Wilson: The Coming of Spring’s Pasadena Literary Festivals (2/12/2026)
Pasadena Now - Free Literary Festival Returns to Pasadena With Theme of Transformative Books (12/1/2025)
Photos by Brian Biery
LitFest 2026 Flyer
LitFest 2026 Instagram Flyer
LitFest 2026 Press Release
LitFest 2026 Banner