Washington Island Literary Festival
2025: HOLDING TIME
September 18 - 20, 2025
Thursday, September 18: Creative Lab
Friday, September 19: Writing Workshops
Saturday, September 20: Author Talks & Panel Discussions
2025 Presenting Authors
marcia bjornerud, nonfiction
Marcia Bjornerud is Professor of Geosciences and Environmental Studies at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. Her research focuses on the physics of earthquakes and mountain building, and she combines field-based studies of bedrock geology with quantitative models of rock mechanics. She has done research in high arctic Norway and Canada as well as mainland Norway, Italy, New Zealand, and the Lake Superior region. A contributing writer to The New Yorker, Wired, the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, she is also the author of several books for popular audiences: Reading the Rocks, Timefulness, Geopedia and the recently published Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks.
marcia bjornerud nonfiction
nickolas butler, fiction
Nickolas Butler was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and educated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop. He is the internationally best-selling and prize-winning author of one collection of short stories and three novels. He lives in rural Wisconsin with his wife and their two children.
nickolas butler fiction
dionne irving, fiction
Dionne Irving is originally from Toronto, Ontario. She is the author of Quint (7.13 Books) and The Islands (Catapult Books) in 2022. Her work has appeared in Story, Boulevard, LitHub, Missouri Review, and New Delta Review, among other journals and magazines. Irving teaches in the Creative Writing Program and the Initiative on Race and Resilience at the University of Notre Dame.
dionne irving fiction
william kent krueger, fiction
William Kent Krueger is the author of twenty novels in the New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series, which is set in the great Northwoods of Minnesota. He lives in Saint Paul and does his creative writing in local, author-friendly coffee shops. His 2013 stand-alone novel Ordinary Grace won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. This Tender Land, published in 2019, spent six months among the top ten on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent stand-alone novel The River We Remember appeared on many lists for the Best Book of the Year and was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Mystery. Spirit Crossing, the latest in his Cork O’Connor series, was chosen by Barnes and Noble as one of the best books of 2024. His work has been translated into more than two dozen foreign languages and optioned by Hollywood.
william kent krueger
fiction
heather swan, poetry
Heather Swan’s poetry has appeared in journals such as Poet Lore, Phoebe, Cold Mountain, The Raleigh Review, Basalt, About Place, Midwestern Gothic, The Hopper and anthologies such as Healing the Divide, New Poetry from the Midwest, and The Rewilding Anthology. Her chapbook, The Edge of Damage, was published by Parallel Press and won the Wisconsin Writers Chapbook Award, and her full collection, A Kinship with Ash, was published by Terrapin Books. Her nonfiction has appeared in journals such as Aeon, Catapult, The Learned Pig, Minding Nature, Edge Effects, Belt Magazine, and Resilience Journal and her book, Where Honeybees Thrive Stories from the Field, was published by Penn State Press. She teaches writing and environmental literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
heather swan poetry
Festival Schedule
Thursday, September 18, noon - 3 pm: FREE Community Creative Lab
Thursday's Creative Lab is free; no registration required. Open to all! Trueblood Performing Arts Center, 870 Main Road
Friday, September 19: Writing Workshops & Opening Reception. Various locations.
Writing workshops held at various locations. Find descriptions below.
10:00 am - noon and 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Welcome reception for all registrants, workshop leaders, presenters, and their guests.
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Open Mic: Share your words with other Festival attendees! Guests and non-Festival attendees are welcome.
6:00 - 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 20: For Readers & Writers: Author Talks
8:30 am - 4 pm
Schedule details coming in March 2025. Trueblood Performing Arts Center, 870 Main Road.
MORNING WORKSHOPS: 10 aM - noon
FICTION: Plot and Narrative: Looking for a Perfect Marriage with William Kent Krueger
Plot and Narrative: Looking for the Perfect Marriage
Plot is the backbone of a good piece of fiction, the necessary skeleton. Narrative is the soul. Striking a balance between these two, sometimes competing, essentials is not an easy task. We'll review the elements of both plot and narrative and, along with some in-class exercises, attempt a better understanding of that elusive balance.
POETRY: Rift and Repair with Heather Swan
Impermanence is an essential part of our existence. Forms change, landscapes change, we change. We break and heal. We plant seeds and say farewell. How can poetry help us make these transitions gracefully? In this workshop, we will bring our attention to the rifts and the moments of repair in order to find peace and healing in the present moment through poetry.
Fiction: Dionne Irving
Details coming soon!
Multigenre: Writing 101: A Beginner's Toolkit with Marianne Fons and Alessandra Simmons Rolffs
Many people who love words and stories would like to try writing, but something holds them back. Maybe they fear the blank page, or they think real writers belong to some secret club, or they're just not sure how to start. If you have a novel, a memoir, or a collection of poems inside you, or just want to learn about the writing process, this workshop will demystify the solitary practice of writing and equip you with the tools to help you take those first steps.
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS: 1:30 - 3:30 PM
NONFICTION: Letting the Natural World Speak: Creative Nonfiction with Humans in the Background with Marcia Bjornerud
Wisconsin has been the inspiration for eminent natural history writers including John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Sigurd Olson. In this workshop, we will take inspiration from their legacies and consider different approaches to writing about nature and science for non-specialist readers. The natural world is full of untold stories, with wilder plotlines and stranger protagonists than anything in human-centered literature. What happens when we give voices to rocks, rivers, landscapes? How can we maintain scientific nuance while crafting narratives that keep readers reading? Is anthropomorphism taboo -- or necessary? Are there fresh new forms of nature writing that could help 21st century Earthlings navigate the Anthropocene?
FICTION: Nickolas Butler
Details coming soon!
POETRY: Capturing the Moment through Haiku with Albert DeGenova
In this workshop, we'll explore the art of haiku, a traditional Japanese form of poetry that captures fleeting moments with imagery and emotion. Participants will discuss how to observe the world around them and translate those observations into concise, evocative poems. The focus will be on "presence"--capturing a moment in time. In Japanese tradition, the haiku aesthetic is a "zen moment of clarity" referring to a sudden realization or epiphany that brings understanding, a shift in perspective, often associated with a state of mindfulness and self-awareness. Through discussion and writing prompts, we will attempt to distill the essence of a moment into three lines of poetry.
FICTION: Getting it Right When You Write Historical Fiction with Ann Heyse
Both readers and writers of historical fiction will enjoy this interactive workshop led by Ann Heyse, author of The Light is Ours, a novel set in Door County in 1871-72. Heyse will discuss how she balances the two equally important aspects of this genre: writing and research. She'll offer tips about how to conduct research effectively and offer resources and examples. Finally, with some low-key, interactive exercises, she'll offer a chance to imagine the lives of historical characters and write about them in a creative way.
2025 Additional Faculty
albert degenova, poetry
Albert DeGenova is an award-winning poet, publisher, and teacher, as well as the Executive Director of Write On, Door County. He is the author of five books of poetry and two chapbooks. DeGenova is the founder of After Hours Press and editor of After Hours magazine, a journal of Chicago writing and art which launched in June of 2000. He received his MFA from Spalding University in Louisville. He is also a blues saxophonist.
albert degenova
poetry
marianne fons, prose
Marianne Fons spent many years in the quilting industry, co-authoring numerous how-to books, including a best seller, Quilters Complete Guide, and publishing the magazine, Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. A lover of the written word, she is pursuing an encore career in fiction writing, has completed two novels, and has landed an agent. She's studied writing craft with noted authors Rebecca Makkai, Lan Samantha Chang, and Shelby Van Pelt. She holds degrees in English from Drake University.
marianne fons
prose
ann heyse, prose
Ann Heyse is a multi-genre author who most recently published The Light is Ours, a novel of historical fiction set in a Door County lighthouse in 1871-72. The book won a Wisconsin Writer's award in 2023. A retired teacher, she continues to encourage writers through workshops, classes, and writing groups.
ann heyse
prose
alessandra rolffs, poetry
Alesandra Rolffs is the executive director of Gathering Ground, a nonprofit with the mission to connect learners of all ages to nature, community and healthy food through sustainable farming education on Washington Island. She is also a writer, mother of two boys, and she helps operate Hoot Blossom, a flower and veggie farm, with her husband. Her poetry and essays have been published in The Southern Review, Spillway, About Place Journal and elsewhere. Her column Everyday Nature is published in the Washington Island Observer. She holds a PhD in Eco-Literature from UW-Milwaukee and MFA in Creative Writing from Indiana University.
alessandra rolffs
poetry
2025 Books
About the Washington Island Literary Festival
The Washington Island Literary Festival is a moveable feast of writing, reading, discussion, and thought about the written word. Writers' workshops, author panels and presentations, readings and social activities are scheduled at various quaint, historic, and beautiful venues around the Island.
Participants have a unique opportunity to share time with prominent authors and dedicated readers in the intimate, friendly setting of Washington Island, a half-hour by ferry from the Door County mainland, in September's color and warmth.
If you aren't an Island resident, we recommend you secure your housing as soon as possible! Visit Destination Door County for a listing of accommodations. (Narrow your search to Washington Island.)
Come for all or just part of the Festival. We look forward to welcoming you to our community!
Thank you to our partners and sponsors
Connect and Celebrate with Literature:
What Past Participants Love
Marion Boyer
The venues chosen for all the events were just perfect. The barn was magical with its lights and chickens and beautifully laid tables. I appreciated being able to give my workshop on the veranda of such a lovely hotel! The auditorium was perfect for the panel and readings. It was lit so well and the sound systems were flawless. Believe me, as planning chair I appreciate these things.
Paula Carter
An intimate engagement with world-renowned writers.
Sandra Lindow
Intelligent and challenging workshops in an absolutely gorgeous setting.
Libby Sachs
Washington Island is a perfect place to read and write and therefore a perfect place to immerse one's self in the spoken and written word.