Islanders Write 2026 Schedule
Free to attend. No advanced registration needed. Islanders Write is first come, first seated. Please note there is no seat saving permitted. We will give what appears to be empty seats away – seats draped with a scarf, a bag, even a book or a desperate plea for seat-saving – if the seats are needed.*
Wednesday, July 15 at 7:30 pm
Writing on the edge: New models for reporting and the current state of journalism
- Jane Mayer
- Nathaniel Horwitz
- Charles Sennott
Thursday, July 16 all day
8 am: Wake Up and Write!
- An hour-long writing workshop with Judith Hannan
9:30 am: Book Reviews and the Art and Business of Reviewing
- Brooke Allen
- Bob Drogin
- Joshua Hammer
10:30 am: The Pitch Panel: Five writers will pitch their book projects to publishing professionals
- Torrey Oberfest (publishing executive)
- Nancy Star (best-selling author)
- Rosemary Stimola (literary agent)
- Gretchen Young (publisher and editor)
11:30 am: The Gatekeepers: Editors, Agents, and Publishers on How They Think about Books
- Vicky Bijur (literary agent)
- Dawn Davis (editor and publisher)
- Adriana Stimola (literary agent)
- Gretchen Young (editor and publisher)
- Kate Feiffer (moderator)
1 pm: Writing about People: Obits, Interviews, and Biographies
- Bob Drogin
- Mary Jordan
- Linsey Lee
- Kevin Sullivan
2 pm: Creating Credible and Complex Characters
- Carole Hopson
- Elisa M. Speranza
- Nicole Galland
- Martha Hall Kelly
3 pm: Comic Approaches to Serious Subjects
- Annabelle Gurwitch
- Cazzie David
- Sarah Kernochan
4 pm: Memoirists in Conversation
- Belle Burden
- Keisha Lance Bottoms
- Sherry Sidoti
* Seats are reserved for event sponsors. If you are interested in supporting Islanders Write and becoming a sponsor, please contact Kate Feiffer at kate@mvtimes.com.