Once Hearst and his long - time companion, actress Marion Davies, moved into Casa Grande, the «cottages»
became guest quarters for an illustrious list of visitors — Hollywood icons including Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, world leaders such as Winston Churchill, and literary master George Bernard Shaw.
From a humble gathering of around 400 bibliophiles, it has
become a staple for the community that expects to draw in around a
quarter of a million
guests over its ten day run this year.