If you went to the Mission district Saturday night in the hopes of tossing back a few drinks at your favorite bar, you may have found yourself in some odd company – the company of writers.

The culmination of a nine-day annual literary festival called Litquake, Litcrawl was an evening that allowed Bay Area residents and visitors to sample the flavors of local writers in diverse settings. With more than 150 authors performing in 31 venues, Litcrawl offered a broader selection of literature than most pubs offer beer, including a handful affiliated with SF State.

Readings took place up and down Valencia Street, each location offering a general theme that was expounded upon by a group of writers. Litcrawl was an entirely free event, partially because of volunteers and donations.

There was something for everyone: Good Vibrations, a progressive local sex shop, featured erotica readings for the 18 and older crowd, 826 Valencia presented works from a pool of students who participate in their writers’ workshops and after-school tutoring sessions, and the Latin American Club was slated on the Litcrawl schedule as “Getting boozy: writers with drinks….”

It was a night for people who love literature, such as J. Brandon Loberg, 22, an SF State design and industry major.

“I’m a sucker for good writing,” he said.

Tara Austen Weaver, 35, a Litcrawl producer who has helped organize the event for the past four years, said this year’s Litcrawl is the largest one she has seen since the festival began seven years ago.

“It’s just an opportunity to present a truly diverse publishing and literature scene,” Weaver said. “Every year it allows us to bring in different voices and new writers.”

Some of the writers showcased in this year’s Litcrawl were SF State creative writing graduate instructional aid Mimi Lok, SF State alumnus Jason Morris and SF State master’s student Evan Rehill.

These three authors read at the Marsh Café on Valencia Street, a venue that lacked enough seating or standing space to facilitate the crowd of around 50 people who came to hear the program, “Short stories for the underdog: hard-hitting authors with a soft spot.”

“The energy in here felt like there were 5,000 people in the room,” said Morris, who graduated from SF State’s MFA program in spring 2006.

While it is impossible to fit 5,000 people in the confines of the Marsh Café, it was possible to fit nearly 4,000 people into all of the Litcrawl venues combined, according to Litquake organizers.

Lok was also amazed by the energy and turnout of audience members.

“It’s really incredible that everyone’s in the spot for the same reason: they love good writing. It feels great to be a part of it,” she said.

This was exactly the impact that Weaver was hoping for.

In an e-mail Weaver sent to friends and family to explain her commitment to the festival, she said, “Litquake brings these people together in one place and fosters connections between those who might otherwise be isolated in their attempts to build a literary life.”

And many Litcrawl attendees were grateful for the chance.

“It’s a good sign,” said attendee David Sullivan about the impression Litcrawl has given him of San Francisco since his recent move from the United Kingdom. “I think it’s a noble effort. I think literature is a marginalized art form.”

The event also attracted a few out-of-towners, its reach extending beyond the Bay Area and into neighboring counties.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Geoff Willard, who came from Fairfax to attend Litcrawl. “I like the vibe. I like that it’s kind of crawling. There are good people and good words.”

Matthew McDevitt, 66, who came from Sonoma County for the evening said that he appreciated an opportunity to sit in an audience of people who were all happy to hear a bit of literature.

“One of the main problems we as a people have solving social problems is that we as a people listen to each other less and less, and the opportunities we have to do it are less and less,” McDevitt said.

He added that the Litcrawl was one of those rare chances one has to sit and listen. His only complaint of the event was that it doesn’t happen more often.

For some, like Lok, events like Litcrawl are part of the reason they live in the Bay Area.

“I’ve lived in other cities before in different countries, and this is the most literary city I’ve experienced,” she said.