Hundreds of book lovers flocked to the Pasadena Presbyterian Church for the 13th annual LitFest in the Dena on May 1 and 2, celebrating the legacy of Altadena, Pasadena, and Los Angeles County writers.
This year’s theme was books that change the narrative and hosted panels ranged from Altadena poets laureate, poetry from Eaton fire victims, Pasadena Unified School District’s student-written work, immigration, and literary inspirations.
LitFest is put on annually by the nonprofit Light Bringer Project, a Pasadena-based arts organization founded in 1990. They put on several literary visual arts programs in Pasadena and LA County Public Schools, organizers said.
“Before the fires, we were doing this at Mountain View Cemetery, which is up in Altadena,” said Patricia Hurley, LitFest in the Dena’s managing director. “Because of the fires, they have not reopened yet.”
The book event was hosted just down the street from Pasadena’s iconic Vromans Bookstore, in the heart of Old Pasadena. The event comes just a few weeks after Southern California’s biggest book festival, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, hosted on the USC campus.
Susan Auerbach reads her poem during a panel about LA wildfire victims during the LitFest in the Dena at Pasadena Presbyterian Church on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Victoria Ivie.)
Pasadena resident Eric Chang is a repeat attendee of the literary festival, having come three other years.
“I’m local, so it’s very convenient,” Chang, 49, said. “I write fiction as well, so it’s always nice to just kind of mingle with a community of writers and meet literature-minded people.”
He attended multiple panels, including “Storytelling as a Political Force,” with writers Dana Johnson, Lisa Alvarez, Mary Camarillo, and moderator Victoria Patterson, which he called a compelling topic.
Multiple panels revolved around recovery one year post-Eaton fire.
One panel became emotional at multiple points when discussing firsthand accounts of fire victims, as part of a fundraising anthology, “Catching Fire: The Los Angeles Wildfires,” edited by S.A. Griffin and Richard Modiano. The book contains dozens of artists, with poetry and prose exploring grief, devastation, and resilience.
One poem by Pam Ward honored Victor Shaw, who died trying to save his family home in Altadena.
“We lost so much in the fires. We didn’t just lose property… we lost complete environments, histories and cultures,” Griffin said. “We move forward by talking to each other.”
Hundreds of book lovers attended the 13th annual LitFest in the Dena on May 1 and 2, celebrating the legacy of Altadena, Pasadena, and Los Angeles County writers. (Photo by Victoria Ivie.)
“This book is artifact, it is our raw history,” he added. “This is the history that is not told by corporations, by politicians. This is not propaganda… Our narratives are under direct attack. We need to be heard.”
Many panel-goers became emotional while asking questions or sharing their stories and memories of the parts of Altadena gone to the fire.
Beverly Higginson, who attended the panel, lived in Altadena for 24 years before moving away.
“Even though we moved away, our house still held memories and so many good times there,” Higginson said. “It was unbelievable to see the devastation, I feel for everybody. Nine women in my exercise class lost everything.”
Los Angeles resident Rhoda Bruton said focusing on Altadena art and writers is essential to rising from the ashes of the Eaton fire.
“The festival is very important, because poets and the community are going to help rewrite what Altadena is going to look like and what they wish to see,” Bruton, 59, said. “It gives it a little bit more inspiration, they can purposely say ‘This is what we come from’ to bring people together.
Other notable works included “The Learning Curve: A Five Year Anthology,” highlighting essays from dozens of PUSD students, ranging in topic from the Eaton fire, immigration activity in the area, and life.
This anthology was created as part of the PUSD Think Tank and is a student publication. Students Adhalia Rivera, Lesley Chee, Mariah Tillman, and Julia Martinez were among some of the anthology writers and spoke on a panel at LitFest. Other student panels included “Diasporan Witness and Wonder: 8th Graders Respond.”
For more information on LitFest, visit www.litfestinthedena.org.
Victoria Ivie is a correspondent with the Southern California News Group.