MARQUETTE – From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17th, the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association will be holding their Spring Conference at Peter White Public Library. The conference will offer networking opportunities, as well as a variety of breakout sessions and a Young Writers Storytelling Workshop.

“We have a very special keynoter this year–Michael Carrier, whose Jack Handler Mysteries have highlighted the U.P. in more than a dozen thrillers,” said Victor Volkman, who has been president of UPPAA since 2019. “Attendees will learn his writing system and receive a special book highlighting his unique method. Our most popular breakout is “Self Publishing 101,” helmed again by award-winning writer Tyler Tichelaar (Marquette) … Those are just a few highlights available to attendees this year.”

UPPAA was established in 1998, and its membership has increased significantly in the past decade, including notable U.P. writers such as Terri Martin, Nikki Mitchell, and Deborah K. Fronteria.

“Today, UPPAA is a Michigan 501(c)6 nonprofit association with more than 150 members across the U.P. and upper Midwest in general,” said Volkman. “We invite writers of all stripes–and ages–to participate with us regardless of whatever genre they might work in: journalism, nonfiction, poetry, and fiction in all its multifarious genres such as romance, mysteries/thrillers, humor, horror, science fiction and so on. We embrace and support authors of young adult, middle grade, adult, and children’s literature.”

Some recent notable U.P. literature includes Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daugher (2021) and Warrior Girl Unearthed (2023), Sue Harrison’s The Midwifes’ Touch (2023), and Karen Dionne’s The Wicked Sister (2020).

“Readers of the Mining Journal are well aware of the challenges of making a life in a landscape that is as harsh as it is beautiful,” said Volkman. “Fortunately, joining UPPAA puts you immediately in contact with like-minded writers from the Soo to Ironwood and from Copper Harbor to Escanaba–we have members in all those towns!

“Although online events, such as U.P. Notable Book Club are fun and easily accessible, we firmly believe there is still no substitute for the serendipity of in-person meetings. That’s why we have UPPAA Spring Conference which provides the most important networking opportunity in addition to stellar breakout sessions from author-experts around Michigan.”

In addition to adult programming, the UPPAA Spring Conference hosts the Young Writers Storytelling Workshop, which seeks to foster the writing talent of U.P. youth.

“The YWSW is a unique opportunity for U.P. kids in grades 6 to 12 to hone their understanding of critical elements of great writing, such as plot, character development, locale, sensory description and so on,” said Volkman.

“Children and teens have the creative energy and ideas to produce great stories. However, it’s important to belong to a community of fellow writers who understand the challenges and can provide feedback. Young Writers Storytelling Workshop is part of that. We’ve seen that in our program called the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest where writers from grades 6 to 12 submit their best work, with a little help from their teachers. The top three winners in high school and middle school divisions are featured in this year’s U.P. Reader Volume #9.”

U.P. Reader is an anthology of U.P. authors that UPPAA has been publishing for the past ten years.

Due to space constraints, the conference will only be accepting the first 110 attendees, so those looking to register should visit www.UPPAA.org and join as a member.

“Membership includes free admission to the full day’s conference, including a pizza lunch,” said Volkman. “Attendees of Spring Conference can also register for Friday Night Live, our exclusive event of both Open Mic and open networking on May16th 2025 at The Crib.”

For more information, email Victor Volkman at president@UPPAA.org.

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 542. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.