Open Book Committee
- Carmie Rodriguez Co-Chair
- Elizabeth White Co-Chair
- Barbara Abercrombie
- Annie Bigelow
- Jennifer Bigelow
- Melanie Clark
- April Davila
- Liz Gleason
- Peggy Gregerson
- Katie King
- Teresa Payton
- Katie Poole
- Grace Russak
- Betty Sargent
- Shelley Thompson
- Rosa White
- Debra Whitehouse
- Emily Vitan
We work together to bring inspiring author events to Pasadena and to make enduring friendships.
If you are interested in volunteering send us a message.
The Beginning
The Pasadena Festival of Women Authors (PFWA) founders, Susan Long and Elsie Sadler, felt that book lovers in Pasadena would embrace the experience of a literary event and would make donations to support the community. In 2009, they launched the first PFWA at the Pasadena Senior Center where it was hosted for 7 years.
The Mission
To recognize the accomplishments of authors, to advance community dialog about the literary arts and to raise money for literary programs at community non-profits.
Non-profit status and growth
In 2016 PFWA Committee established the Pasadena Literary Alliance (PLA) and moved the popular PFWA event to the Pasadena Hilton Hotel to accommodate a larger audience. The PLA is a 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID: 47-2569785. The Pasadena Literary Alliance Board members are:
- Katie Poole, President
- Peggy Adams
- Norah Morley
- Jill Polsby
- Carmie Rodriguez
- Grace Russak
- Shelley Thompson
- Liz White
- Leslie Zasa
Grants
In 2017 the following organizations received grants from the proceeds of the PFWA:
- Pasadena Senior Center: Masters in Learning Series
- Pasadena City College: Writers in Residence & Summer Creative Writing Academy
- Pasadena Public Library: One City, One Story Program
- WriteGirl: Seminar at the Huntington Library
- PEN Center: Emerging Voices Stipend
New Events
In 2017 the PLA board formed the Open Book Committee to host year round author events starting in 2018.