MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Later this month, book lovers can meet some of their favorite authors at a new event in Manistique.
The Writing North Winter Book Fest will take place at various downtown locations from February 28 through March 1. Attendees can enjoy panel discussions and book signings with authors from the northern Great Lakes region.
“We are just excited about books, authors, readers, and writers in general,” said Eric Neilson, owner of The Mill, one of the organizations hosting the festival. “We just wanted to kind of celebrate writing and reading and get everyone in the same space together.”
The lineup of authors includes Karen Dionne, bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter, and local author J.L. Hyde, known for her murder mystery novels often set in a fictionalized version of Delta County.
“I feel like plenty of readers don’t know that there are so many local authors,” Neilson said. “It’s nice to remind people that it’s still a bit part of a lot of people’s lives.”
The Mill will act as the venue for much of the festival, including free family events and creative sessions with children’s authors. Other local businesses will be involved throughout the weekend, encouraging visitors to see more of Downtown Manistique.
“At Lake Effect [Community Arts] up the street, there will be ticketed events,” said Neilson. “There will be a lot of author symposiums where different subjects will be discussed—how to find a publisher or getting started writing, if that’s your interest. There will also be a fireside salon at Blue Mystique, the Airbnb. It is a fireside reading, discussion with the author, meet and greet, and that kind of stuff. It should be a lot of fun.”
Tickets for the Writing North Winter Book Fest are now available online at writingnorth.com. To see the full list of participating authors, click here. Updates about the festival are being shared to The Mill Manistique Facebook page.









