Featured Writers
Emily Strasser
Emily Strasser’s first book, Half-Life of a Secret, is a deeply researched memoir that traces her journey to reckon with the toxic legacies of her grandfather’s work building nuclear weapons in the atomic city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Strasser’s work has appeared in Catapult, Ploughshares, Guernica, Colorado Review, The Bitter…
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Pete Kero
Pete Kero is an author, speaker, and environmental engineer. His work focuses on the intersection of people, industry, and the environment. Kero was the visionary behind the award-winning Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm, Minnesota which has been featured in Outside magazine and the nation-wide documentary film Biketown. His book,…
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Ty Chapman
Ty Chapman is the author of Sarah Rising, Looking For Happy, and A Door Made for Me (written with Tyler Merritt). Chapman’s forthcoming publications include multiple children’s books and a poetry collection through Button Poetry. He was a 2022 Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellow – an award that…
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Laura Ashwood
Laura Ashwood is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of sweet contemporary and historical western romance, and women’s fiction. In her novels, Ashwood brings to life characters and relationships that will warm your heart and fill you with hope. Her stories often have themes involving redemption, forgiveness, and family. Ashwood and her husband live in…
Angela Harrelson
Angela Harrelson, George Floyd’s aunt, grew up in North Carolina facing racial discrimination. Despite challenges, she excelled in school and pursued higher education. After encountering racism in law school, she switched to nursing. She served in the military and became a Registered Nurse. She promised to support her nephew, George Floyd, known as Perry to…
Dann Hurlbert
Dann Hurlbert has a BSED in English and Theater Education from the University of South Dakota, an MFA in Digital Cinema from California’s National University, and has spent many years as an educator and professional actor and director. He currently serves as a Media & Design Specialist at Minnesota’s Carleton College. He’s a sucker for…
Jennifer Manthey
Jennifer Manthey’s first book, The Fight, was winner of the Trio Award and a finalist for the 2024 Minnesota Book Award. Her work has appeared in journals such as Prairie Schooner, Poet Lore, Calyx Journal, Palette Poetry, and Best New Poets. She has received support from MVICW and Bread Loaf Writers Workshops. She lives in…
Marnie Dachis Marmet
Marnie Dachis Marmet is an author, podcaster, serial entrepreneur, board-certified health coach, and the founder of Zenful Life Coaching, a practice dedicated to helping women and teens create a healthier and happier life. She supports clients in implementing personalized nutrition and wellness plans and making gradual, sustainable lifestyle changes. Her areas of expertise include longevity,…
Liz Heinecke
Liz Heinecke thrives at the intersection of science and the arts. With an undergraduate degree in art, a master’s degree in bacteriology, and 10 years of laboratory research, Heinecke shares her love of science regularly on television, on social media, and in print. Her book, Ecology for Kids: Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome…
Joe Friedrichs
Journalist and writer Joe Friedrichs lives near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. His books, Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters and Her Island: The Story of Quetico’s Longest Serving Interior Ranger, focus on in-depth storytelling from the canoe-country wilderness. An environmental and outdoor writer, he…
Pamela Hill Nettleton
Pamela Hill Nettleton is an award-winning writer, editor, playwright, and author. She holds a doctorate in communication and women’s studies and teaches at the University of St. Thomas. Nettleton has 26 books in publication including a biography of Shakespeare and Students Write the Darnedest Things. More than 300 of her essays and features have appeared…
The Minnesota Writers Directory is a project of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. The Library of Congress designated The Friends as Minnesota’s Center in 2012, and in that role The Friends promotes reading, literacy, and libraries throughout Minnesota. Learn more >>
How To Get Listed on the Directory
Thanks for your interest! If you live in Minnesota and you meet the Directory Eligibility Criteria, you can apply to be listed. (Before applying, read the Eligibility Criteria to see if you are eligible for listing.) We will contact you after we’ve reviewed your application.
Criteria for all applicants
- You must live and work in Minnesota. If you live in Minnesota for part of the year, outline your availability in your application. You will be accepted at the discretion of the Minnesota Center for the Book.
- You must provide an email address for your profile. (This will not be listed on the website, but it will be used to create a unique contact form linked to your email address.)
- Your county will be listed in the directory. (Addresses will not be listed.)