Featured Writers
Andrew DeYoung
Andrew DeYoung is the author of The Exo Project, the winner of the 2018 Minnesota Book Award for Young Adult Literature. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife and two children.
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Jess Lourey
Jess Lourey writes about secrets. She’s the Amazon Charts bestselling Edgar, Agatha, ITW Thriller, and Lefty-nominated, Anthony-winning author of crime fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, YA adventure, and magical realism. She is a retired professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a Psychology…
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Virginia Wright-Peterson
Virginia Wright-Peterson specializes in revealing untold narratives, especially the hidden stories of women. Her most recent book, A Woman’s War, Too reveals the roles taken by women from Minnesota during WWII, when they served in all branches of the military, and in industry, the home, and the community. Their heroism…
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Ben Orlin
Ben Orlin has written four books, including Math with Bad Drawings and Math for English Majors. He describes himself as a “professional apologist for mathematics,” the word “apologist” holding both in the classical sense (an advocate for a worldview) and in the modern sense (someone doing PR for a widely despised client). His writing and…
Tashia Hart
Tashia Hart is an author, culinary ethnobotanist, artist, photographer, and cook. Her wild foods education started in the field and in the kitchen with a father who fishes, hunts, and harvests; a mom who cherishes plants, and a grandmother who was a career cook and baker. Hart has led foraging expeditions and developed recipes for…
Matthew Eicheldinger
Matt Eicheldinger wasn’t always a writer. He spent most of his childhood playing soccer, reading comics, and trying his best to stay out of trouble. Little did he know those moments would ultimately help craft his first middle grade novel. Eicheldinger lives in Minnesota with his wife and two children and tries to create new…
Jamieya B-Johnson
Jamieya B-Johnson is inspired by the joys of life. She has written books from many life experiences, and much of her work comes by the way of living life and growing which allows the opening of her heart to readers everywhere. For B-Johnson, sharing herself and experiences pertains to walking in the abundance of being…
Daniel J. Blackburn
Daniel Blackburn is an author, speaker, executive coach, and yoga therapist. He was an award-winning leader and executive in the natural foods industry for 28 years. Blackburn brings a wealth of experience to all aspects of his work. He grew up in the resort/restaurant industry, worked in the trades, served four years in the Marine…
Nigar Alam
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Nigar Alam spent her childhood in Turkey, Nigeria, Italy, Kenya, Indonesia, and the United States before returning to Karachi. With an MBA and CPA, she has worked in both brand management and auditing. Currently, Alam teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and lives with her family in Minnesota.
Judith F. Brenner
Judith F. Brenner is an author and editor. Her debut novel, The Moments Between Dreams, won four awards, including the 2022 National Indie Excellence Award and 2023 IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin Fiction Silver Award. She’s a short story contributor to Minnesota Stories anthology. Brenner is the managing editor and publisher of Sharpeners Report. She instructs writing…
Gary Heyn
Gary Heyn is a former corporate executive who has refocused his research and analytic skills to genealogy, history, and writing with an emphasis on the former residents of the Grand Duchy of Posen. After two trips to the region, he was excited to find a wealth of documentation available and frustrated that the history of…
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 currently live in Minnesota and have your work published in book form, you can apply to be listed. (Before applying, please 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, please outline your availability in your application. You will be accepted at the discretion of the Minnesota Center for the Book.
- You must be willing to 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.)
- You must be willing to have your location in Minnesota (county only) listed in the directory.