Dear Festival Friends,

In a highly unscientific poll, we recently asked Festival staff and friends to name their all-time favorite books. More than a few of the lists included All The Light We Cannot See or Cloud Cuckoo Land—or both. Anthony Doerr, the New York Times bestselling author of these and other marvelous books, is clearly a crowd favorite here at Fest HQ, so we’re beyond giddy that he’ll be joining us in Santa Fe in May. Never meet your heroes? Bah—we can’t wait!

Though he’s won many highbrow prizes (the Pulitzer, the Andrew Carnegie Medal, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, to name a few), Doerr writes for everyone, not just literary smarty-pants. His popularity is due in part to this accessibility, but mostly it’s the top-notch storytelling. All the Light We Cannot See, which spent countless weeks on bestseller lists, won the Pulitzer, and was made into an acclaimed 2023 Netflix series, is historical fiction at its finest, with a propulsive plot, vivid World War II settings, and characters who lodge in our hearts. Its follow-up, Cloud Cuckoo Land, implausibly set in the ancient past, the present, and the near future, couldn’t be more different, yet it’s just as irresistible. In both novels, Doerr takes us on a hero’s (or heroine’s!) journey, an engrossing arc of adventure, crisis, and transformation. From Huck Finn to Thelma and Louise, strong protagonists and their tribulations captivate us. Marie-Laure in All the Light We Cannot See and Konstance, Anna, Omeir, and Zeno in Cloud Cuckoo Land are compelling in the same way—characters we fall in love with and mourn having to say goodbye to when the book ends.

Which brings us back to storytelling. In his three novels (his first, About Grace, is also wonderful—check it out), his anthologized short stories (many of them O. Henry and Story Prize winners, natch), and his memoir about living in Rome with newborn twins, Doerr takes us to new worlds. And isn’t that what reading is all about? In Cloud Cuckoo Land, one of the characters says, “If it’s told well enough, for as long as the story lasts, you get to slip the trap.” Whether the trap is heartache, small-mindedness, or merely the monotony and worries of everyday life, a good story helps us break free. Doerr delivers the proverbial file hidden inside the cake.

Doerr’s event is almost sold out—so don’t miss your chance to see him! Click here for tickets, then keep on clicking: We have dozens of other amazing authors on tap, including Jesmyn Ward, Julia Alvarez, Anne Lamott, David Grann, Tracy K. Smith, Tommy Orange, Patrick Radden Keefe, John Vaillant, and Javier Zamora. Your ticket purchase includes entry to the pre-event reception and, quite possibly, a chance to chat up one of these literary icons.

This festival would not be possible without the generous support of the Gale Family Foundation, Santa Fe Tourism, and so many other donors and supporters. We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who bought tickets, made tax-deductible contributions, and attended the Festival in 2023. We hope you’ll want to get even more involved this year. Please consider making a contribution below, no matter the size. It means everything to us!

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