Litquake 2008 is underway! This is the best literary festival in the city, or perhaps any city. If you’re not familiar with Litquake here’s a quick explanation.

Litquake is a San Francisco literary festival with heart, guts and a taste for the wilder side of the literary world.

It all started in January 2002, when a group of San Francisco writers and media folks met up and started working on the idea of a festival that would be a literary version of the city’s music, film, and cultural festivals. We wanted it to be diverse and inclusive – a mix of readings, panel discussions, themed events, and general literary mayhem – from a wide range of Bay Area authors. And we definitely didn’t want it to be boring.

This 9 day event will feature authors such as Tobias Wolff, Ann Packer, Tom Perrotta, Daniel Handler and Neil Gaiman. Better yet, more than 80% of all Litquake events are free! If you’re in the Bay Area please go out and attend a Litquake event.

If you’re really feeling adventurous, join the Lit Crawl. The literary equivalent to the traditional pub crawl, this three-hour trek takes listeners through the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District. Oh and all Lit Crawl events are free. (Drinks, however, are not.) Download a Lit Crawl map (PDF).

I’ve worked with the Litquake folks and they are great people. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary event.