Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival


The Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival takes place the last weekend of September in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Held annually since 2007, it attracts many of the world's top authors and thinkers, including Pulitzer Prize winners. Presenters have included Frank McCourt, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Greg Mortenson, Khaled Hosseini, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Elizabeth Edwards, Seymour Hersh, Michael Pollan, Douglas Brinkley, Elizabeth Gilbert, Carl Hiaasen, and P. J. O'Rourke.
The three-day event combines main stage presentations, smaller breakout sessions, and a social atmosphere that encourages attendees to have one-on-one conversations with presenters. Founders Cynthia and James McGillen were inspired to create the event after attending the Sun Valley Writers' Conference, according to magazine.
Scheduled 2010 speakers include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and New York Times columnist David Brooks.

Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival Speakers

Some of the speakers who have presented at the festival to date:
In alphabetical order