Sharing from her own journey becoming an author, Namrata Poddar will encourage writers and creatives from all walks to be the heroes in their own journeys. She'll pull threads from stories found in her novel "Border Less" and weave them into a session that will both challenge and inspire, with time for a Q&A to conclude. 

Namrata Poddar is the author of Border Less, Silver Medalist for Best Regional Fiction from 2023 Independent Publisher Book Awards, finalist for Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award and Feminist Press's Louise Meriwether First Book Prize, and longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her writing across genres has also appeared in several publications including Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Longreads, The Los Angeles Times, The Kenyon Review, and The Best Asian Short Stories. She holds a PhD in French literature from the University of Pennsylvania, an MFA in Fiction from Bennington College, and a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Transnational Cultures from UCLA. Find her on X,  @poddar_namrata, or on Instagram, @writerpoddar.

Manny Escamilla grew up at the McFadden Public Library and Jerome Recreation Center in central Santa Ana. He began working for the Santa Ana Public Library in 2004 as part of the White House Award-winning TeenSpace program. In 2015 he was recognized by Library Journal for his work with the Teen Community Historian program to collect, preserve, and share local history. Manny served as a City representative on the Santa Ana Arts & Cultural Master Plan, formerly worked at the City of Santa Ana's Planning Department, and currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor for Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento. He volunteers as a consultant to local artists incorporating historical themes and site-specific considerations across Santa Ana and presently serves on both the City's Planning Commission and Historic Resources Commission. Manny has received a BA in History from UC Berkeley, a Masters in Library & Information Science from UCLA and Master's in Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs.

José Lozano is a poet whose work recalls childhood memories, muses on nature and the creative act, and charts the universal journey of self-discovery. Growing up in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico, his childhood interest in writing was sparked by the authors Leon Felipe, Ruben Dario, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. His immigrant journey to the United States in the 1980s and rediscovery of his artistic self through Saddleback Visual Arts have shaped his language. Now an active writer, his childhood dreams are flourishing.

Catch Boca de Oro Festival curator Steven Homestead as he brings poetry to the promenades and streets of Santa Ana, embodying the Festival's theme as he creates custom typewritten poetry for you—live. 

Steven Homestead is an artist, composer, writer, curator, speaker, and mystic who brings genre-spanning creativity to life, whether composing music, incarnating community art projects, writing and speaking on creativity and faith, or curating generative events and programs. Overall, Steven works to promote honor, champion voice, share wonder, and develop unity. Discover more at stevenhomestead.com and follow him on Instagram at @scubahomie.