June, 2026
Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Maine Literary Awards! Awardees include:
- Book Award for Crime Fiction
Sara Sligar, Vantage Point - Book Award for Fiction
Jud Widing, Bud’s Dead. - Book Award for Nonfiction
Alix Morris, A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea's Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures - Book Award for Memoir
Michelle Lewis, Spare - Book Award for Poetry
Lily Brown, Blade Work - Book Award for Young People's Literature
Robin Elsbeth Jenkins, The Secret of the Catapus - Book Award for Children’s
Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet (Illustrator), Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends - Book Award for Speculative Fiction
Miriam I. Rimkunas, Survivor Concentrate - Book Award for Excellence in Publishing
Rylan Hynes (Editor), It Rains Diamonds on Neptune, The Telling Room
A complete list of award winners can be found at: 2026 Winners — Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.
May, 2026
Elizabeth DeWolfe, author and Professor Emerita from the University of New England, led a discussion on “Crimes in the Archives” at the Maine Historical Society|Brown Research Library as part of the MWPA’s May 2026 Maine Crime Wave. Referring to herself as an “accidental crime writer,” Elizabeth’s work has focused largely on women in history who are “ill-behaved.” Her books include The Murder of Mary Bean and Alias Agnes: The Notorious Tale of a Gilded Age Spy.
During her tour of archival materials and documents, Elizabeth noted the many (unexpected) places to find inspiration in generating story ideas, including:
- Bins of old papers and antique books discovered at used bookstores.
- Newspapers- including the side notes and ads. Writers can also get a sense of dialogue and regional/historical terminology from old papers.
- Early maps, which often illustrate not only street names, but the names of those who lived there as well. Maps can also inform writers about places where characters could hide (or their bodies found).
- City directories, which often include histories of the area, churches, societies, and a window into what the town was like during a specific period of time. (They’re also a great place to find character names.)
- Old photos- focus on street and business signs, note what people are doing/wearing and what modes of transportation are used, and peer into shop windows for an unusual view of that snapshot in time.
No matter what genre we write, Elizabeth reminds us that all authors share the same goal: to tell a great story.
Spring, 2026
From March through June, the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance offers a series of workshops for writers and aspiring authors under the theme of Standing Up with Community by Writing & Acts of Resistance. The series’ goal, as stated by the MWPA, is to sow seeds of resistance, hope, communal strength, personal clarity, and shared values.
Featured presenters include:
- Leslie Nadir- Lyric Essay as Subversion (March 11; Online)
- Hannah Matthews- A White Blank Page and a Swelling Rage (April 1; Online)
- Debra Spark- Standing up with Community by Writing & Acts of Resistance (May 21; Portland, ME)
- Mira Ptacin- Standing up with Community by Writing & Acts of Resistance (June 4; Portland, ME)
The MWPA offers a full slate of workshops for writers of all levels of experience throughout the year. More information can be found at their workshop website.
February, 2026
On February 26th, the Manuscript Academy held its second annual #MSWL Day on Bluesky. During the event, agents and editors posted what they hoped to discover in their inboxes from querying authors. This informal “meet and greet” provided prospective authors with great ideas on who might be the best fit for their current writing projects.
The Manuscript Academy also recently announced two new initiatives to assist emerging authors. Authors can now search for agent/editor posts from ManuscriptWishList.com and Bluesky simultaneously at manuscriptwishlist.com/smart-search. In addition, a new #MSWL Trend Report provides updated information for authors on the latest genre trends agents are following in the publishing industry.
January, 2026
Located in the heart of Portland’s arts district, Maine’s Portland Museum of Art (PMA) has planned a month-long focus on Mindfulness and the Arts to promote “calm, reflection, gratitude, and creativity at the museum.” Events include Yoga in the Galleries, Art-making for Wellness, Noon-time Talks, and conversations exploring how the PMA and Maine Medical Center work together with physicians and educators to use reflective healing practices. Also of particular interest are the special workshops on Mindful Writing, which have the specific goal of turning “inspiration into intentions.”
November, 2025
Fighting food insecurity is always a challenge within our communities, but the impact of hunger is being more keenly felt by an increasing number of individuals and families this fall. Many agencies are stepping up to support our community members, including our local libraries. Dyer Library, in my hometown of Saco, is collaborating with Youth Full Maine, an organization managing food pantries and backpack programs in Pre-K through Grade 12 schools across our region.
There's always more than great books in our libraries—including people and programs that truly care about our communities!
September, 2025
The MWPA’s annual “Crime Wave” was held in Portland’s iconic Mechanics' Hall (an appropriate venue, as the building is said to house ghosts on the vacant fourth floor). The event featured Maine Crime Master and author Paul Doiron, who shared that one of his driving motivations to write was his frustration with not seeing Maine authentically represented in fiction. As with all of us in attendance, it’s so critical as Maine authors to share with readers that our state consists of many distinct and unique communities, people, and experiences.
The conference also featured several roundtables, facilitated by Maine authors, on topics ranging from The Blueprint for Murder, Choosing Your Weapons, and First Drafts that Kill, to High Stakes Thrillers and the Supernatural. Our Crime Wave wrapped up with a large—and rather raucous—author panel, with participants grilling each other on the worst advice they’ve ever received, superstitions, and what favorite villain they’d like to become.
The biggest takeaway I gleaned from the day—in addition to making some wonderful new connections—was the repeated reminder to bring our own true self to our writing. We are unique as writers, and that distinct voice should always be reflected in what we bring to our readers!
Summer, 2025
This season’s Book Club kicked off at Saco’s Dyer Library with members sharing our favorite summer reads. Our tastes were decidedly eclectic, ranging from Asimov’s classic Foundation and Schwab’s Darker Side of Magic, to the much lighter Stuck up and Stupid by Angourie & Kate Rice and anything by the amazing author Freya Sampson.
Not surprising for a group of Maine readers, water was a predominant theme for many of our books: The Covenant of Water (Abraham Verghese), A Marriage at Sea (Sophie Elmhirst), Deep Water (James Bradley), and The Sirens (Emilia Hart).
Our group’s favorite books? The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and How to Read a Book by Monica Wood (a Maine author!). I would add to that list my two summer favorites: the very timely Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu, which explores many of the challenges educators are currently facing in today’s polarized environment, and the darkly humorous Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Australian humorist Benjamin Stevenson.
Happy Reading!
