Left Coast Crime Final 2026 Newsletter
February 16, 2026
We are looking forward to seeing you all next week!
San Francisco Schemin’ Notes
Left Coast Crime Convention Name Badge
It is required to wear your convention name badge at all times during the convention. Your Name Badge is your ticket into all LCC panels, interviews, and other events such as the Welcome Reception, breakfasts, and the Lefty Awards Banquet. Wearing your name tag also helps us all get to know each other.
Author-Hosted Tables
After you pick up your registration materials, look for the Author-Hosted Table nearby to sign up to sit with an author at the Banquet. Choose an author you already admire, or meet a new-to-you author!
Note: There will be open tables for those who don’t sign up to sit at an Author-Hosted Tables. Reservations are not available for open tables.
Hotel Layout
The Hyatt San Francisco has three floors of common areas below the hotel rooms. The map below is included in your Program Book. Elevators and an escalator connect the floors.
- Atrium Level (3rd Floor)
The hotel check-in desk and the hotel lobby are in this atrium, once hailed as the world’s largest. Many Author-Reader Connections are meeting here before heading out of the hotel. The Left Coast Crime Hospitality/Silent Auction Room is located on this level in Waterfront, and the Book Room and Signing are in the Garden Room.
- Bay Level (2nd Floor)
Check in and pick up your book bag in the LCC Registration Area in the foyer and return later to drop your Lefty Ballot in the Ballot Box. The Volunteer Table, Author-Hosted Tables sign-ups, and registration for LCC 2027 are next to the Registration Tables. Panels are held in the Seacliff Rooms, and Interviews in Bayview.
- Street Level (1st Floor)
There are two panel rooms (Grand B and Grand C) plus the Close Encounters Room (Regency) on this level. Speed Dating, the Opening Reception, the Cabaret of Crime, and both Breakfasts take place in Grand A. Movie Night is in Grand B. The Lefty Awards Banquet is in the entire Grand Ballroom.
Bring Your Own Snacks
This year we do not have permission to serve packaged snacks and fruit in the Hospitality Room. We considered purchasing snacks from the hotel, but the cost is prohibitive. One tangerine costs $6.20 and one Kind bar is $13.60.
We are purchasing a limited amount of coffee and tea for the Hospitality room, at a cost of $11.20 for each 6 ounce cup of hot liquid. If you fill up your Starbucks Venti cup, that would cost us about $37.00!
Our thanks to these generous publishers and authors
who have donated books for our book bags.
Convention Highlights
Thursday 9:00-11:00 AM: Speed Dating (Grand Ballroom A)
Author Speed-Dating is a fun way for authors to connect to a new set of readers. Hosted by Jeff Ayers & Terry Stevens-Ayers.
Thursday 5:00-5:45 PM: Fan Guest of Honor Randal Brandt interviewed by Gigi Pandian (Bayview, no signing after this interview)
Thursday 6:15-7:30 PM: Welcome Reception in Grand Ballroom A
Cash bar in Grand Foyer opens at 5:45. Light hors d'oeuvres inside Grand A and a short program including presentation of certificates to the Lefty nominees. At 7:30 the room will close to reset for the next event
Thursday 8:30-9:30 PM: A Cabaret of Crime hosted by Hal Glatzer
A unique live entertainment where a four-person ensemble performs songs of crime, murder, and detection — and what it takes to write about them!
Cash bar in Grand Foyer lobby remains open until 8:45 PM
Friday 7:15-8:45 AM: Meet the New Authors Breakfast (sponsored by Sisters in Crime) hosted by Mike Befeler with the assistance of Jeff Ayers & Terry Stevens-Ayers in Grand Ballroom A
Buffet breakfast served in the foyer, program begins at 7:30 AM
Friday 1:30-2:15 PM: Guest of Honor Robin Burcell interviewed by Lee Goldberg (Bayview, followed by signing in Garden)
Friday 5:15-6:00 PM: Toastmaster Leslie Karst interviewed by Catriona McPherson (Bayview, followed by signing in Garden)
Friday 8:00-9:30 PM: Movie Night Hosted by Leslie Karst (Grand Ballroom B) After the Thin Man with William Powell & Myrna Loy (1936)
Saturday 7:15-8:45 AM: Breakfast (Grand Ball Room A)
Saturday 1:30-2:15: Guest of Honor Gary Phillips interviewed by Christa Faust (Bayview, followed by signing in Garden)
Saturday 5:00-6:00 PM: Silent Auction Final Bidding (Waterfront)
Saturday 5:30-7:00 PM: Cash Bars (Grand Ballroom Foyer)
Saturday 7:00-9:00 PM: Lefty Awards Banquet & Live Auction (Grand Ballroom)
Saturday 9:00 PM: Redeem Silent Auction items in Waterfront
Sunday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Guest of Honor Closing Panel (Grand B, no signing after this panel)
Check the Panel Schedule for more details about the daily panels and breaks.
We Still Need Volunteers!
As an all-volunteer organization, LCC can’t run conventions without volunteers... like you! Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and support Left Coast Crime. Please consider signing up for one of these volunteer opportunities.
Registration
Sign up for a two-hour shift helping Registrar Stan Ulrich manage the registration table. We need both experienced Registration volunteers and those who have never done this fun job of welcoming convention registrants and handing out the envelopes and book bags. The Wednesday and Thursday shifts are staffed (thank you!) but we need lots of volunteers for two-hour shifts on Saturday (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM), and Sunday (8:30–10:30 AM). Please email Lucinda Surber if you would like to help at Registration, mentioning some days and times you are available.
Panel Room Timekeeper
Sign up for a shift managing a panel room. Responsibilities include picking up the Panel Packet and arranging the panelist name tents before the panel, holding up signs so the Panel Moderator knows how much time is left before the end of the panel, and escorting the panelists to the signing space after the panel. Written instructions will be provided. We just need eight more volunteers! Please email Lucinda Surber for a list of available Panels and Close Encounters still in search of volunteers.
Book Signing Room Helper
Sign up for a shift helping with the book signings. Duties include placing signage for each panel, greeting and directing authors to their seats, and managing lines to avoid congestion. There are many open shifts in the signing room. Please email Laura Boss & Thena McArthur if you would like to volunteer, mentioning some days and times you are available.
Volunteer Table Helper
Sign up for a shift at the Volunteer Table, helping the Panel Room Timekeepers pick up their packets and pitching in as needed if other volunteers don’t arrive. We need volunteers for two-hour shifts on Thursday (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM), Friday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Saturday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Sunday (8:30–10:30 AM). Please email Bruce Johnson & Lexa Mac if you would like to volunteer, mentioning some days and times you are available.
Left Coast Crime 2026 Charity
Each Left Coast Crime Convention raises money to support a local literacy organization with funds raised through a silent and live auction. The 2026 recipient will be the Literacy and Learning Fund, received and administered by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, to support the Library’s literacy programming for children and adults in San Francisco.
FOG Readers matches community volunteers with students for one-on-one tutoring live and online. The program is designed to accelerate reading skills in students with learning differences in grades 1-4, primarily from, but not limited to, the San Francisco Unified School District.
Project Read for Adult Literacy provides one-on-one instruction by trained volunteers in person and online as well as classes and workshops to improve essential reading and writing skills.
We encourage you to make a donation to our Silent Auction, and then visit the Hospitality Room to bid on auction items throughout the convention. Questions about your donation?
Email Silent Auction Chairs Claire M. Johnson & Jenn Hooker.
Author-Reader Connections
Author-Reader Connections provide a unique forum for readers and authors to enjoy some time together in a small group. These Author-Reader Connections are free, and in some cases may include some special benefits from the authors.
- Visit our Author-Reader Connections page and click the links to learn more about each Connection. You will need to click READ MORE to see the full description.
- Only registered attendees may sign up for Author-Reader Connections.
- After exploring the Connections, click RESERVE A SPOT to sign up for the Connection.
- We will continue to add more Connections through February 10th, so check back often.
- Registered attendees may sign up for no more than two Connections and no more than one per Author.
Shipping Services
FedEx Office is located very close to the hotel at 4 Embarcadero Center, the next connected building to the north. Directions will be available at Registration. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Sunday Noon-6:00 PM.
Central Coast Writers Club
Calling all Northern California MWA members (or even those mystery writers who don’t wear the secret MWA decoder ring). The Central Coast Writers Club (based in the Monterey area) is looking to see if any of you mystery marauders residing somewhere between San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Monterey might be interested in getting together here at LCC to discuss the idea of monthly or quarterly in-person meet-ups. Getting to San Francisco is a trek for some of us, but we do love the idea of meeting up in an area that could work for those of us based in the vast writer region south of SF. If you like the idea of putting together periodic meet-ups, let’s meet up Saturday, February 28th at 4:30 in the Regency Room to talk about this harebrained scheme. Questions? Comments? Discarded murder weapons? Give me a call, and we’ll continue the conspiracy. Scotty Cornfield (831) 242-0856
FOG: An Evening of Original Crime Short Story Readings
When: Wednesday, February 25th from 7:30-9:00 PM
Where: The Best Bookstore in Union Square, 226 Powell Street, San Francisco
What: Ten crime writers will read original stories featuring San Francisco’s most famously creeping and moody main character: FOG.
Host: Elsa Touche, beloved San Francisco Drag Queen
Author/readers: Paul Bradley Carr, John Copenhaver, James D.F. Hannah, Audrey Lee, Karen Odden, Rob Osler, Gigi Pandian, Sara Paretsky, Gary Phillips, Faye Snowden
You can travel to
The Best Bookstore in Union Square via public transportation from the Hyatt, or via ride share including the futuristic self-driving Waymo cars. (Download the Waymo app
HERE so you are ready to reserve your Waymo ride.)
San Francisco Schemin’ Souvenirs
Planning ahead for the cool nights in San Francisco? Visit the
LCC 2026 store at Cafe Press to order your San Francisco Schemin’ sweatshirt or other souvenir LCC 2026 logo items.
Left Coast Crime 2027
The Big Chile Rides Again!
The 37th Left Coast Crime convention will convene April 1–4, 2027, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Special Guests
Lifetime Achievement: Craig Johnson
Guest of Honor: Lee Goldberg
Guest of Honor: Gigi Pandian
Toastmaster: Wendall Thomas
The Convention rate at the Eldorado Hotel is $249 on the convention nights, plus three nights before and after the convention (subject to availability) so you can extend your stay to explore the wonders in Santa Fe, the Rio Grande Pueblos, and northern New Mexico. The hotel’s usual $35 nightly “Amenity Fee” has been reduced to $10 for convention registrants, and is included in the $249 room charge. Amenities include complementary valet parking and wifi, the rooftop outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and the Spa.
Convention Registration is now open!
The Registration Price is $250 through March 1, 2026, the close of Left Coast Crime #36 in San Francisco. More information and the Registration link can be found on The Big Chile Rides Again! website.
