The Literary Women of Long Beach is holding its annual Festival of Women Authors on March 10, at 9 a.m. at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 110 S. Pine Ave. Seven authors are slated to speak: Lesley Nneka Arimah, “What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky;” Emily Fridlund, “History of Wolves;” Elsa Hart, “The White Mirror;” Nathalia Holt, “Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars;” Eowyn Ivy, “To the Bright Edge Of The World;” Tilar J. Mazzeo, “Irena’s Children” and Pamela Paul, “My Life With Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues.” In 2016, The Literary Women of Long Beach established the Harriet Williams Emerging Writer program, which sponsors seven emerging writers from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Long Beach City College and PEN Center USA to attend the festival. The program is named after one of the organization’s founders, who started it in 1982 when she discovered the lack of female authors on local high school reading lists. This year, three of the writers are enrolled in programs at CSULB and one at Long Beach City College. “It’s important to nourish writers who want to write,” Emerging Writers Program Chair Margaret Durnin said. “Each [emerging] writer will be seated at a table with one of the authors. It’s a way for them to connect with an established author and be encouraged to continue writing.”