Saturday, February 28, 2026 | Manistique, Michigan

9:30 AM–10:30 AM — Check-In and Author Meet ‘n Greets

Location: The Mill

Ticket required: No

Note - Tickets will be available for purchase at The Mill all morning.

10:30 AM–10:45 AM — Welcome with Meagan Francis, Writing North Organizing Director

Location: The Mill

Ticket required: No

11:00 AM - Free Book Signings Begin. Tentative schedule here. 

11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Panel 1: Writing the Wild

How landscapes, isolation, and the natural world shape storytelling — and how setting choices can transform a book’s emotional impact.

Moderator: Anne-Marie Oomen

Panelists: Karen Dionne • Dave Dempsey • Ellen Airgood 

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

11:00 AM–1:00 PM — Family Focus

Three children’s book authors will read their books and engage with Writing North’s youngest readers and writers:

• Dana Saugstad, author of The Twelve Days of Yooper Christmas

• Mary McCune, author of Rumpelknitskin Makes Things Right

• Chelsea Ekquist, author of Animal Jubilee: An Alphabet of Wildlife Glee!

Location: The Mill

Ticket required: No

12:00 PM–1:15 PM — Lunch and Midday Break Experiences

Take a pause between panels to grab lunch, explore downtown Manistique, browse books, and take in local art at The Mill. We’ll open the doors at Lake Effect Arts Center again at 1:00.

1:15 PM–2:00 PM — Panel 2: (Re)Writing the Past: History in Fiction and Nonfiction

How do writers make the past feel alive? In this lively discussion, a historical novelist and a historical nonfiction author compare notes on digging into archives, uncovering forgotten stories, and deciding what can — and can’t — be changed. 

Moderator: Steve Amick

Panelists: Mikel Classen • Chad Broughman

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

2:00 PM–3:15 PM — Panel 3: Writing from Real Life: Home, Memory, and Imagination

Authors talk about drawing inspiration from real towns, real people, and lived experience, and how they balance truth, memory, and storytelling on the page.

Moderator: Helen Raica-Klotz

Panelists: T. Marie Bertineau • Anne-Marie Oomen • Ellen Lord • Lane Regan

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

3:15 PM–4:15 PM — Panel 4: Behind the Reviews: How Authors (and Readers) Really Feel About Feedback

A friendly conversation about book reviews — how authors experience them, how readers use them, and how word-of-mouth helps stories travel from one reader to the next.

Moderator: Sara Maurer

Panelists: Carol Dunbar • Steve Amick • J.L. Hyde

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

4:00 PM–5:00 PM — FREE Community Journaling Workshop

Discover simple techniques and inspiring prompts to help you start—or keep—a journaling practice. Bring a pen and notebook/journal (also available for purchase at The Mill.)

Instructor: Helen Raica-Klotz

Location: The Mill

Ticket required: No

4:15 PM–5:15 PM — Panel 5: “Chilly Thrillers”: Suspenseful Stories in Northern Places

Authors of thriller and suspense titles unpack how remote settings, unpredictable weather, and isolation turn northern places into unforgettable backdrops for high-stakes stories.

Moderator: Sara Maurer

Panelists: J.L. Hyde • Bryan Gruley • Karen Dionne

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

5:15 PM–6:00 PM — Panel 6: From Book to Movie: A Conversation with Karen Dionne

Karen Dionne shares stories about bringing her book, The Marsh King’s Daughter, to the big screen. Learn how the film rights were optioned, how long filming and production took, and how the cast and crew overcame the challenges of filming in Canada during COVID.

Moderator: Meagan Francis

Panelist: Karen Dionne

Location: Lake Effect Community Arts Center

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Reader Day Pass

7:00 PM–9:00 PM — Fireside Salon

The Fireside Salon includes readings from several of our guest authors, followed by a cozy after-hours mixer with drinks, light bites, and relaxed mingling in a cozy setting.

Location: Blue Mystique Inn

Ticket required: All-Access Pass or Fireside Salon Pass

Sunday, March 1: Writers’ Day Mini-Conference 10AM - 3PM

For Writers & Aspiring Authors
Want to go deeper? Join us for a half-day Writers Conference created for authors at every stage — from those just beginning to put words on the page to published writers looking to sharpen their craft and think about what’s next. Through intimate panels and practical conversations with working authors, the conference explores craft, process, publishing paths, and the realities of a writing life. You’ll leave inspired, better informed, and connected to a community of fellow writers. Lunch included. Tickets here.