Mountain Words Festival 2026

Author and editor Rakesh Satyal discusses the author-editor relationship and process with festival director, Arvin Ram. This will be an excellent opportunity for all writers to understand what happens to a manuscript once it goes from the agent phase, to the publisher phase of its life. 

Satyal is the author of the novels Blue Boy and No One Can Pronounce My Name. Blue Boy won a Lambda Literary Award, the Prose/Poetry Award from the Association of Asian American Studies, and was adapted into an award-winning short film by the actor-writer-director Nik Dodani, who is currently developing it into a feature film. No One Can Pronounce My Name was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. Satyal is currently an Executive Editor at the HarperOne Group/HarperCollins and currently sits on the advisor council for Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts. He lives in Brooklyn.

When plans shift, the conversation deepens. Join acclaimed Colorado authors Claire Boyles and Shelley Read for an inside look at the author-agent relationship — from finding representation to navigating the publishing world — in an honest, engaging literary discussion.

Writing and publishing is a world in constant flux. Join this panel of authors for a discussion about publishing alternatives and what a writing career looks like in 2026.