Our September issue is all about the arts, which might at first bring to mind paintings and dance performances—but literature is a huge part of the arts scene too! The North Sound is a hotbed of literary activity, from writing classes and retreats to independent bookstores that put Amazon’s recommendation algorithm to shame. Here are just a handful of our favorite ways to celebrate the literary arts in our bookish corner of the world.
Literary Festivals
If a weekend surrounded by other readers and talented writers sounds like your heaven, then you want to get to the next literary festival you can find! We love both Orcas Island Lit Fest and the Skagit River Poetry Festival for their well-organized events and friendly community members.
Orcas Island Lit Fest
Held in the stunning San Juan Islands, The Orcas Island Lit Fest (OILF) invites readers to engage with writers of all genres and experience levels, from across the U.S.—including the North Sound. They welcome “everyone who loves books and good conversation” to join the fest for a carefully curated series of readings, panel discussions, and other events over a weekend of literary community and inspiration.
Skagit River Poetry Festival
The Skagit River Poetry Festival is in its 12th year—it’s held every other October. The festival started in 2000, two years after the organization that puts it on took root. The Skagit River Poetry Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to “support our high literacy standards with the arts; poetry was the natural vehicle.” The foundation designates poets for residencies at more than 50 schools in Skagit, Island, and Whatcom Counties, where they teach students to play with their words (and develop a deeper understanding of language through that play). Resident poets also prepare lessons for teachers to use and model a range of instructional strategies for their implementation.
The biennial festival marks the culmination of the previous two years of in-class work by students, teachers, and resident poets with a variety of events, including a special five-hour event on the Friday during which the students have unfettered access to the poets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This seems only fair since, as the foundation puts it, “Students are at the heart of our foundation and our mission.”
Small Publishers
Independent publishers play a huge role in our literary community. Unlike the “big five,” their editors are less chained to commercial viability, which frees them to focus on disseminating stories and creative writing of real literary merit.
Generous Press
Brand-new to Bellingham, Generous Press published their first title this year: Someplace Generous, an inclusive anthology of romance stories centering and written by LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and disabled authors. They have three more books lined up for publication in 2025, and more projects in the works for 2026.
“Publishing romance is not about selling escapism,” says Publisher and Cofounder Elaina Ellis. “It’s about proliferating beauty, joy, and pleasure for our diverse communities—centering the people who’ve historically been excluded from mainstream romance narratives.”
As for the common misconception that romance as a genre is somehow less-than, Ellis has this to say:
“One of our founding questions was, “what if your favorite poet wrote a romance novel?” As co-founders, we both come from a background in poetry, so we’re bringing our nerdy love for language to a genre that is sometimes dismissed as something other than literary.”
“Radical inclusivity” is the core of Generous Press’s mission. The stories they gravitate toward embody a world where all bodies, no matter their size, ability, or gender, are worthy of worship and joy.
“Imagine your favorite romantic comedy, sweeping historical drama, or epic romantasy series, now starring queer and trans protagonists, Black and brown main characters, sick and disabled lovers,” Ellis says. “Our authors are writing toward the futures we want to see.” Generous Press can be found on Instagram @generouspress or online at generous.press. You can find their books locally at your favorite bookseller. Bellingham, generous.press
Igneus Press
Started in 1990 in Cambridge, Massachusetts by poets Peter Kidd and Walter Butts, Igneus Press has always sought “the greatest diversity of work that had compassion and concern for the human condition.” While Butts died in 2013 and Kidd took a five-year hiatus in the early 2000s, Igneus was revived in 2010 with the help of Kidd’s daughter, Sophia; she took over the business when Peter passed in 2020.
Sophia has continued and expanded on the legacy of Igneus Press, adding scholarly work to the roster in the form of a new academic journal for Sichuan University, where she’s an Associate Research Fellow. The journal, “Literature and Modern China,” focuses on creating a “bridge between the Chinese-speaking and English-speaking worlds of Chinese literature and literary study.” Bellingham, igneuspress.com
Raspberry Bow Press
Based in the charming town of Bow, Raspberry Bow Press is run by married couple Michelle Gale and Tim Hubner—Gale is an editor with more than a decade of experience in book publishing, primarily on cookbooks, and Hubner is a graphic designer who does the layout, design, and production of their titles and handles the press’s branding.
The core focus of Raspberry Bow Press is twofold: cookbooks and women’s experiences. Their titles are all nonfiction, both books and zines, and all written by authors in northwest Washington.
“Our mission includes prioritizing a diverse selection of authors and topics on our shelves,” says Gale. “We value building community through the cultural importance of books.”
Raspberry Bow Press’s latest title is “The Revolution Will Be Well Fed: Recipes for Creating Community,” by Corrie Locke-Hardy. Out September 17th, the book combines recipes with essays, focusing on people, organizations, and historical events that center community. The core message: “valuing community over capitalism through acts, both big and small, that prioritize inclusivity for every member of society.” Bow, raspberrybowpress.com
Literary Magazines
If shorter works of poetry and prose are more your style, check out the Bellingham Review, Western Washington University’s renowned literary magazine. Into local history and folklore? Check out the Skagit River Journal!
Q&A with Editor Jane Wong of the Bellingham Review
Could you please tell us about the mission of the Bellingham Review?
Bellingham Review publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translations, and hybrid work on a now fully digital platform. Established in 1977, Bellingham Review has earned a reputation for publishing both established and emerging writers who experiment with innovative form and content. We are passionate about supporting our contributors’ careers and creating a flourishing literary community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
What types of work do you publish, and why do you gravitate toward those pieces?
We tend to publish work that is experimental, curious, and deeply felt. We are proud of publishing inclusive voices and highly encourage submissions by BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled writers. During the month of November, we offer fee waivers for writers who identify as under represented in the literary field. Some of the writers we have published recently include Paige Lewis, Rena Priest, Jamila Osman, and Ching-In Chen. Bellingham Review is run by an editorial staff of MFA students at Western Washington University who often have hybrid creative practices themselves.
What would you like our readers to know about TBR?
We are excited to read your work and we are also excited to keep collaborating with local Bellingham venues and organizations. This past year, we were part of the “Fire and Story” festival through Paper Whale and also hosted a free virtual poetry workshop with Washington-raised poet Taneum Bambrick. Please visit our website to read our issues and explore more: https://bhreview.org/
Independent Bookshops
Our local bookstores are a core part of the literary community—they introduce us to new writers,host readings, and provide a perfect place to be surrounded by words without any sound.
Book Shucker
Brand new to the North Sound and already making a splash, Book Shucker packs a lot of great books into a small space. Opened in 2023 by Michelle Gale and Tim Hubner of Raspberry Bow Press, the downtown Bow store carries on the press’s mission with a small but carefully curated selection of titles.
“While our space is small,” says Gale, “we have a lot to offer. My goal is for our customers to find books that both mirror themselves and offer something new to explore.”
Book Shucker sells a range of titles, from fiction and nonfiction to cookbooks, comics, and children’s books.5712 Gilkey Ave., Bow, @bookshucker on Instagram
“Community is very much at the core of both Raspberry Bow Press and Book Shucker, and I wholeheartedly believe that books have the power to bring us together.”-Michelle Gale
Village Books
If you’re a Whatcom resident or you like to spend a day in Fairhaven now and then, you almost certainly know about Bellingham (and Lynden!)’s favorite bookstore. With two locations, one of which is linked to gorgeous stationery and gift store Paper Dreams, Village Books has Whatcom County in the best kind of chokehold.
And the support goes two ways: customers come to buy books and catch up with friends at Evolve Chocolate on the third floor, but they also flock to the many events Village Books puts on, from author readings to open mics and writing classes. 1200 11th St., Bellingham, 360.671.2626 and 430 Front St., Lynden, 360.526.2133
Darvill’s Bookstore
This charming little yellow storefront on Eastsound’s Main Street started its journey as Darvill’s Rare Prints; in 1971, Catherine and Dale Pederson purchased the business and continued to operate it as a rare print and gift shop. A few years into their ownership, though, the Pedersons purchased a large lot of paperback books and found that they sold well, and that Catherine had a penchant for bookselling. So, in 1976, they sold the gift shop side of the business and reopened as Darvill’s Bookstore—they’ve been selling all manner of books and serving the literary community ever since!
The Pedersons’ daughter Jenny purchased the business from her parents in 1984, and has since added a coffee shop to the space, which means bookworms can meet two of our topneeds on Maslow’s Hierarchy at the same time. 296 Main St., Eastsound, 360.376.2135
Easton’s Books
On the south end of First Street in Mount Vernon, there’s a portal to another world; the front door of Easton’s Books opens onto a cavernous space filled with shelves upon shelves of stories in the form of gently-used books.
Easton’s has been open since 1976 and has remained family-owned and-operated ever since. While the organization of the store is a bit less intuitive than an all-new bookstore (simply because the nature of a used inventory is a bit more chaotic), an open mind and plenty of curiosity can lead an intrepid browser to discover all manner of new favorites. Plus, if you’re looking for something specific, the shop assistants are super helpful—their online inventory system is extensive, and their collection is huge, so chances are they’ll have or be able to get what you need. 701 S 1st St, Mount Vernon, 360.336.2066
SIDEBAR: David Sedaris’s Particular Brand of Performance Literature
When you hear about a literary reading, you likely picture a small bookstore stage, maybe 10-20 rows of folding chairs, and a quiet, rapt audience listening to an author read from their latest published work. But memoirist and humorist David Sedaris’s readings defy all the stereotypes.
Not only does Sedaris sell out large auditoriums and read unpublished work, but he regularly causes uproarious laughter and gasps of (usually delighted) shock to emanate from his large audiences. Readers of Sedaris’s careful prose—never a word out of place, each paragraph tightly wrought—may be surprised to learn that he’s quite spontaneous in person. He makes off-color jokes and tells anecdotal stories, all the while marking particularly positive or negative audience responses on the papers before him.
Sedaris actually got his start performing his work: he’d read sections of his diary aloud at open mics in Chicago, which is where radio host Ira Glass discovered him in the early 90s. His appearances on Glass’s local show led to Sedaris’s debut on NPR in 1992, reading an essay called “Santaland Diaries,” about his time working as an elf at a department store Santa display. The essay took off and so did Sedaris’s career.
He’s since published multiple bestselling memoirs, essay collections, and diary compilations, and is a regular contributor to The New Yorker. But despite his fame, Sedaris loves to connect with the average reader—he spends a surprising amount of time talking to fans at his shows, and strangers he meets on his travels regularly appear in his work. Thus, perhaps it’s not as surprising as it might have first seemed that Sedaris makes a point to stop in smaller cities on his tours including Bellingham. As easy as it would be for him to stick to Seattle and Vancouver, Sedaris (or his team) seems to understand that good stories and loyal audiences aren’t exclusive to big cities.
If you’ve never read Sedaris’s work, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re not squeamish about coarse language or off-color jokes, why not see him live at the Mount Baker Theatre in November? 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham, 360.734.6080
Get Involved
Attend a Writers Conference
Writers conferences vary in focus—some huge conferences, like the one the Association of Writers and Publishers (AWP) puts on in a different city each year, offer hundreds of panels and workshops and draw thousands of attendees, while others are more intimate and may focus on specific genres or craft elements.
We’re lucky to have two of the best small annual conferences here in the North Sound: the Chuckanut Writers Conference and the Chanticleer Authors Conference, both of which host a range of presenters offering advice on everything from writing more compelling memoirs to marketing a published book-and everything in between.
Find Your Community and Hone Your Craft
Writing can help you connect with readers, yes, but also with other writers (and yourself). Despite the act of writing itself often being a solitary endeavor, working on your writing in community with others is a wonderful way to hone your craft and stay motivated through the hard parts. The Chuckanut Writers group runs workshops and classes through Whatcom Community College and Village Books; classes provide a great opportunity to meet other writers in your area. Or start your own writing group by posting a call for members online (local Reddit and Facebook groups are a good place to start)!
Retreat into Your Work
If you’re already working on a manuscript and you have a family and/or a day job, you probably struggle to find time and focus for your craft. Writing retreats are a great way to carve that out: these are organizations and places that offer quiet space to work, sometimes including workshops with published authors and often hosting other writers or artists at the same time. The sense of artistic community combines with the freedom from chores like cooking to provide a fertile space for creativity.
Write Doe Bay is a regular writing retreat run through the beautiful Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island. The three-night retreat includes two full workshop days led by well-regarded artists, as well as yoga and hiking opportunities and meals catered by their onsite chef—to keep your body healthy while your mind whirs.
Share Your Writing
When you have something drafted that you feel ready to share, why not screw your courage to the sticking place and sign up for an open mic night? The other writers there will encourage you, and may give you feedback if you request it, and just the act of reading your work aloud can help you see what’s working and what needs work.
For poets, Honey Moon Mead & Cider hosts the Pacific Corner Poets Open Mic every third Thursday of the month. For everyone else, Village Books hosts the genre-agnostic Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater (CSWT) Open Mic on the second Tuesday of every month—they also have a Kids Open Mic on the last Monday of every month, if you know any young writers who are ready to share!
Agenda
Orcas Island Lit Fest Fall Lit Walk
September 13, Anacortes
September 14, Eastsound
more info to come at oilf.org
Whatcom Story Share
6:30 p.m., October 9 & 23
Deming Library
5044 Mt. Baker Hwy., Deming
WCLS Open Book Festival
November 3
more info to come at wcls.org/openbook
Skagit River Poetry Festival
October 3-5
Various locations in La Conner
An Evening with David Sedaris
7:30 p.m., November 9
Mount Baker Theatre
104 N.Commercial St., Bellingham
An Evening with Liane Moriarty
7 p.m., September 10
Village Books
1200 11th St., Bellingham
To the South: Seattle Area
Literary Festivals and Recurring Events
Clarion West Writers Workshop
Seattle Art Book Fair
Loud Mouth Lit
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Small Publishers
Sublunary Press
Gabalfa
Press
Wave Books
Floating Bridge Press
Independent Bookshops
Elliot Bay Book Company
Pegasus Book Exchange
Third Place Books
LOVING ROOM: diaspora books + salon
Get Involved
Hugo House
Jack Straw Cultural Center
Eastside Romance Writers
The Writers Workshop
Agenda
Connie Chung
7:30 p.m., September 4
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Town Hall Seattle—The Great Hall
1119 8th Ave., Seattle
A Conversation with Ta‑Nehisi Coates
7:30 p.m., October 20
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Benaroya Hall—S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
200 University St., Seattle
Write In, Write On: a Write-In Brunch Fundraiser for LOVING ROOM
12 p.m., November 20
LOVING ROOM: diaspora books + salon
1400 20th Ave., Seattle
To the North: Vancouver Area
Literary Festivals and Recurring Events
Vancouver Writers Fest
North Shore Writers’ Festival
BC Writer’s Summit
Victoria Festival of Authors
Surrey International Writers’ Conference
Twisted Poets Literary Salon
Real Vancouver Writers Series
Indigenous Brilliance
Small Publishers
University of British Columbia Press
Harbour Publishing
Anvil Press
Tradewind Books
Arsenal Pulp Press
Independent Bookshops
The Paper Hound Bookshop
Massy Books
MacLeod’s Books
Hager Books
Nooroongji Books
Odin Books
Get Involved
VFS Writing
9 Creative Lives Studio
WORD Vancouver
Agenda
Victoria Festival of Authors
October 16-20
Various locations in Victoria, Vancouver Island
Vancouver Writers Fest