Islanders Write — It’s gametime!

The good news is that if you spent too much money at the fair, you can still afford to come to Islanders Write. The MV Times–sponsored writers’ festival, which kicks off on Sunday, August 18, at 7:30 pm, is free to attend.

The event, which I’ve been writing about in this column for much of the summer, starts in a few days. Whether you’re an established or aspiring writer, an avid or finicky reader, the MV Times invites you to stop by Featherstone Center for the Arts to take in a panel discussion and try out a writing workshop, or to stick around for the day’s offerings of seven panel discussions, six writing workshops, and a host of author signings.

As the event producer for Islanders Write, I once again find myself in awe of the extraordinary number of talented writers who are on the Vineyard at any given time. I’m not just talking about all the Pulitzer Prizes and best-selling authors circling about the Island; I’m talking about the self-published authors whose brilliant manuscripts haven’t found the right agent, the filmmakers whose work packs a visceral punch, the songwriters and poets who somehow see inside our masked souls, and the list continues on.

We can safely say Islanders Write is the only writers’ festival in the world where everyone who speaks at it has what we might call Vineyarditis. (Define that yourself, or send me your definition, and we’ll publish them at a later date.) They all have felt the magnetic pull of the Vineyard, whether they live here year-round or seasonally, or spend a week or two a year on the Island.

We are exceedingly grateful to the writers and publishing professionals who will be joining us at this year’s Islanders Write. Newcomers to the event include John Battelle, Victoria Bijur, Márcia De Castro Borges, Bill Eville, Marc Favreau, John Forté, Perry Garfinkel, James W. Jennings, Honor Moore, Dawn Porter, Dr. Ala Stanford, Nancy Star, Fred Waitzkin, and MV Times publisher Charles Sennott.

And we are delighted to welcome back Nancy Slonim Aronie, Elizabeth Benedict, Elise Broach, Geraldine Brooks, Dawn Davis, Nicole Galland, Susan Golomb, Judith Hannan, Richard Michelson, Gregory Mone, Mathea Morais, Torrey Oberfest, Sherry Sidoti, Elisa M. Speranza, Adriana Stimola, Rosemary Stimola, Jennifer Smith Turner, Patricia J. Williams, and Gretchen Young. (I’ll also be returning to the talking part of the program as part of a panel discussion this year.)

The Sunday night kickoff event will be a spirited discussion about finding truth in what has been called a post-truth era. As MV Times publisher Charles Sennott recently wrote in MV Arts & Ideas magazine, “We have seen the denial of facts around tobacco, climate change, vaccines, and evolution, going back generations. When you add in the very human phenomenon of cognitive biases and how those biases are exploited through the algorithms of social media, and then combine that with a decline in traditional journalism and the rise of ‘fake news,’ you find yourself in a perfect storm of modern history where truth is indeed battered by what feels like a Category 5 hurricane.”

Monday morning will begin with Judith Hannan’s workshop, “Wake Up and Write!” at 7:30 am. Yes, it’s early — but isn’t that the best time to write? There are five additional writing workshops throughout the day — on memoir, craft, and publicity. And for the first time, a writing workshop in Brazilian Portuguese.

The panel discussions start at 8:30 am, and continue throughout the day. At this year’s event we will dive into using nontraditional narrative devices, children’s book writing, memoir and personal narratives with a purpose, essay writing, and publishing. The pitch panel — where six writers will pitch their book projects to publishing professionals in front of the live audience — will be back as well.

Edgartown Books will be selling books and hosting the author signings. Scottish Bakehouse will be onsite with food and coffee — but not with a credit card swiper, so please bring cash.

We are thrilled to be back at Featherstone, our home since 2019, and are grateful to Ann Smith and the entire team at Featherstone for hosting us.

And now about the thing that won’t quit — COVID. We want you to join us, but if you feel symptomatic or have tested positive, please wait until next year.

For more information about Islanders Write and a complete schedule of the day’s events, go to islanderswrite.com. For questions, please contact Kate Feiffer at kate@mvtimes.com.