LITERARY WOMEN

Celebrating Women Authors Since 1982

Meet Literary Women 2026 Harriet Williams Emerging Writers

Harriet Williams

In memory of our co-founder, Harriet Williams, an Emerging Writer Program was established in 2016 and named in her honor. This program is a fitting legacy for Harriet who, over 40 years ago, formed The Literary Women Committee to ensure that the works of established women authors would be introduced to a greater reading public. It was to continue her vision that the Harriet Williams Emerging Writer Program was created.

This Program allows Literary Women Committee to focus on our mission to support and encourage new writers of talent and promise by selecting individuals from California State University Long Beach, Long Beach City College, Chapman University and PEN America Los Angeles to attend the Festival of Women Authors. It is our hope that these Emerging Writers will be encouraged to pursue literary aspirations as envisioned by our Festival founders.

We are particularly grateful for the sponsorship of the Port of Long Beach which has been a steady support and contributor to the success of this program.



M. Anne Kala'i

M. Anne Kala'i

Pen America Emerging Writer M. Anne Kala’i is a graduate of Vassar College’s creative writing program and a member of the Los Angeles chapter of Women Who Submit. Her poetry has been published in the San Pedro River Review. Her fiction has been published in Halfway Down the Stairs and was shortlisted for the 2024 Cheshire Novel Prize.

Anna Lynch

Aspiring novelist, Anna Lynch loves hiking, art museums, cat cafes, and making new friends. Her biggest hero is Jane Austen, whose ability to blend wit and tension still inspires her no matter how many rereads. She received her BA in Creative Writing and BS in Cognitive Psychology at UC San Diego and feels that having studied the human mind and behavior helps her develop and write better characters. Currently in her final year of her MFA at CSU Long Beach, Anna pulls from her own turbulent teenage experience combined with her understanding of adolescent psychology to write Young Adult genre that tackles all the hiccups of coming of age and the discovery of self.

Kate McNeil

Kate McNeil

Writer, poet, and aspiring novelist Kate McNiel is from central Los Angeles. While she doesn’t work exclusively within one genre, she has a longstanding, passionate love for all things fantastical/speculative. K. will graduate this year with a BFA in Creative Writing from Chapman University. Her writing has been published in both wildscape. literary journal and Anti-Heroin Chic. Currently she is working on her first novel. You can find more of K. on Instagram and Substack @kmcneilwrites.

Ashlee Mitchell

Ashlee Mitchell

Pen America Emerging Writer Ashlee Mitchell is a Gen-Z writer, content creator, and actor. While earning her Communications degree from Northwestern University, she studied abroad in South Korea and started interviewing prominent artists like BTS and Saweetie. Her non-fiction work can be found in publications including Teen Vogue, GRAMMY.com, Complex, and more. She’s passionate about representation for Black women and writes coming of age stories that challenge the status quo. She was a 2024 and 2025 RevPit Runner-up, a participant in We Need Diverse Books 2024 Black Creatives Revision Workshop, and a finalist in Simon & Schuster’s 2024 Books Like Us Contest.

Alexis Leigh Ragan

Faith-focused Alexis Leigh Ragan is a deep image poet fascinated by epiphanic shifts and convinced that the arts serve as a powerful window of worship. Her literary journal, Vessels of Light is a virtual lighthouse where Christ is illuminated through poetry. Alexis has been published in places such as Ekstasis, Rip Rap Literary Journal, Calla Press, Alabaster Co, The Way Back To Ourselves, and Christianity Today. She is currently pursuing an MFA in poetry at California State University Long Bech and pouring herself into her first full-length poetry collection Holy Voltas: Poems that Turn.