SVWC is a festival of ideas and literature with some of the most extraordinary writers and thinkers in the world, the most generous audience one is ever likely to encounter – close to 1,000 people, a good number of whom wield considerable influence in business, politics, media, and entertainment circles, but all of whom love to read – in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in the American West. The conference started 18 years ago and is now considered by many to be the best literary festival in the U.S.

“. . .Our expectations were high, but the reality was so much better — more gracious, more interesting — than we could have imagined.” JAMES FALLOWS, a national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and author of CHINA AIRBORNE.

“In my opinion, this year’s conference was one of the best times ever available to humankind. . .” NAOMI SHIHAB NYE, author of seven collections of poetry, including her most recent TRANSFER.

Speakers/Participants

Liaquat Ahamed

Peter Bergen

Jeffrey Brown

Billy Collins

Neal Conan

Wade Davis

Peter Duchin

Firoozeh Dumas

David Eagleman

Gretel Ehrlich

Gillian Flynn

Amanda Foreman

Alex Gansa

Howard Gordon

Aleksandar Hemon

Craig Johnson

Bret Anthony Johnston

Eric Karpeles

General (RET.) Stanley McChrystal

W. S. Merwin

J. R. Moehringer

Kevin Powers

Austin Ratner

Jacob Rosenberg

Will Schwalbe

Maria Semple

Mona Simpson

Walter Stahr

Strobe Talbott

Simon Winchester

Jessica Yu