It all started in 2002, when a group of intrepid readers and writers decided to throw a literary version of the myriad music and arts festivals around town, offering readings and panel discussions with an eye toward mayhem. Since then Litquake has grown exponentially. Though the event spans a week, its nightly gigs feature something rare for literary happenings — author lineups that sometimes reach the double digits (due to the staggering number of participants). It all comes to a head during Lit Crawl, the capper and shoo-in for Best Drinking Event Within a Literary Event. The four-hour, multivenue crawl combines all the elements that make for a good day — drinks, authors, drinking authors, the Mission District, a pub crawl, and the ability to follow a map — in a wild mix of inspired thinking and hope-it-all-works gamesmanship. At last year's event, more than 20 venues held readings, with starting times staggered so determined fans could put together solid runs through the boozy afternoon.