The Marian Jacobs Literary Forum was established by the Arts Commission to honor its founder and charter chair, Marian Jacobs, and to promote the literary arts in Stockton. It has supported numerous writing competitions, classes and workshops.

Over the years, the Forum has sponsored appearances in Stockton by such artists as Maya Angelou, Michael Chabon, Billy Collins, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Tony Hillerman, Robert Haas, Ken Kesey, Larry McMurtry, Frances Mayes, Richard North Patterson, Isabel Allende, Peter Matthiessen, Alice Walker, Robert Pinsky, Adrienne Rich, Martin Cruz Smith, Jon Carroll, Julie Smith, filmmakers Michael Moore and Spike Lee, Stockton’s own Janet Leigh and Maxine Hong Kingston, and others.

The Forum is currently chaired by archivist and bookseller William Maxwell; its committee members are attorney Kathleen Abdallah, arts activist Janet Bonner, university lecturer Katrina Jaggears, publisher Brian Paris, and former journalist and retired Arts Commission director Vince Perrin.

The contest offers adults and young people in the community the opportunity to display their talents in writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry. A call for entries is extended in January and responses are reviewed by distinguished members of the literary community. First and second prizes in each age group and genre are awarded and recipients are honored at a reception in the spring.

The Writing Contest has been suspended due to budgetary restraints.