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10:00 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. PST WELCOME AND SPOKEN WORD Thedynamic,raw,andcompellingspokenwordartist,GillSotu,willopenourFestivalonJune27.TheSanDiegoWritersFestivalishonoredtohaveGillopeneacheventbecauseoftheheart,spirit,andwisdomGillbringstothestageandeachlistener.Joinusinbeingforeverchangedbyhiswords.

Thank you to our generous sponsors Jim Moreno, Joe Milosch, and Chris Vannoy

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GILLSOTUGillSotuisanavyveteran,amulti-facetedpoet,playwright,musician,DJ,andperformingartist.Heisatwo-timeGrandSlamPoetryChampion,two-timeRawPerformingartistoftheyear,andathree-timeTEDxSanDiegopresenter.Currently,heisateachingartistandacommissionedplaywrightwithTheOldGlobeTheatre,aprogramdirectorandteachingartistwithIntrepidTheatre,themusicaldirectorforTEDxSanDiego,andtheArtistiInResidenceatMakersChurch.Hehasbeencommissionedtoproduceoriginalpiecesforleadingartsandcommunityorganizations,includingTheSanDiegoSymphony,TheUnitedWayofSanDiegoCounty,FeedingAmerica,SDFringeFest,andtheSanDiegoOpera.

MARNIFREEDMAN

MarniFreedman(BFA,LMFT)isaproduced,published,andaward-winningwriter.AftergraduatingfromUSCFilmSchool,Marnibeganhercareerbringingherplay,TwoGoldsteinsonAcidtothestage,afterwhichitwasmadeintothefilm,PlayingMonaLisa,”producedbyDisney.ShehaswrittenforTonyAward-WinningHarveyFierstein,AcademyAward-nomineeElliotGould.Sheco-authoredtheplay,AJewishJoke,abouta1950scomedywriterfacingtheHollywoodBlacklist,whichwontheNYSoloShowforbestdrama,critics’choicefortheSanDiegoUnion-Tribune,receivedcriticalacclaimacrosstheUS,andwasrecentlyproducedOffBroadway.

MarnileadstheMemoirCertificateProgramforSanDiegoWriters,Ink,producestheSanDiegoMemoirWritersAssociation’stheatricalMemoirShowcase,andisaneditoroftheaward-winninganthologyseries,ShakingtheTree:short.brazen.memoir.Sheisalsoawritingcoachandatherapistforartistsandwriters.Herfirstbook,7EssentialWritingTools:ThatWillAbsolutelyMakeYourWritingBetter(AndEnliventheSoul)isanAmazonBestseller.Hersecondaward-winningbookisPermissiontoRoar:ForFemaleThoughtLeadersReadytoWrite.Last,butcertainlynotleast,in2019,Marnilaunchedthefirst-annualSanDiegoWritersFestivalin

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conjunctionwithherpartnerincrime,JenifferThompson.YoucanfindMarniatwww.marnifreedman.com,awritinghubtohelpwritersfindtheirauthenticvoice.JENIFFERTHOMPSON

JenifferThompsonisapersonalbrandingexpert,digitalmarketingstrategistandhostofThePremisepodcast.Sheisanaward-winningauthorandspeakerwhodeliversstrategy-richcontentandactionabletoolsthateducateandempowerauthors.WithaBAinJournalismfromSDSU,Jenifferisanardentbelieverinthepowerofstorytelling—sheisalwayslookingfor,ortelling,astory.Shebelievesthatstoryhasthepowertodevelopagreatersenseofempathy,transformus,andbuildcommunity.Jenifferispassionateabouthelpingauthorsestablishhighlyvisiblebrands.Sheandherhusband,Chad,co-

foundedMonkeyCMediain2004andhavebeencreatingaward-winningbookcoverdesignsandauthorwebsiteseversince.Theyspecializeinauthorservicesthatintegratedigitalmarketingstrategiesandengagereadersallovertheworld.Sheisaco-founderoftheSanDiegoWritersFestival,servesontheboardoftheSanDiegoMemoirWritersAssociation,andiscurrentlywritingherowncomingofagememoir.Jenifferisarockclimberandthrillseeker.SheandChadliveinSanDiegowiththeirpersnicketyManxcat,Mishka,andthreefluffychickenswholovetofollowheraroundandgiveherdeliciouseggsalmosteveryday.Forauthorservices,visitMonkeyCMedia.com;foractionablebrandstrategytechniquesanddigitalmarketingstrategies,subscribetoherblogatJenifferThompson.com.ListentoherpodcastatThePremisePod.com.