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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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…
John Baird Rogers
John Baird Rogers studied creative writing in college and at The Loft in Minneapolis. His business experience in technology and biotech inform his stories. He is the founding member of Minneapolis Writers Guild, a member of Crème de la Crime, Midwest Mystery Works, and Sisters in Crime. He is a senior judge for the Royal…
Sean Tulien
Sean Tulien writes and edits playful and compelling kidlit of all kinds. His specialty is fiction for kids with a strong visual component, especially comics. He loves bunnies, video games, lifting heavy things, hiking, and amusing others.
Ty Chapman
Ty Chapman is the author of Sarah Rising, Looking For Happy, and A Door Made for Me (written with Tyler Merritt). Chapman’s forthcoming publications include multiple children’s books and a poetry collection through Button Poetry. He was a 2022 Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellow – an award that supports a speculative work in…
Abdi Mahad
Abdi Mahad, co-founder of Diverse Voices Press, an independent publishing company located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, is dedicated to promoting inclusivity through literature. His primary goal is to publish books that amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. Mahad holds a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), a master’s degree in Computer…
Monica Liu
Monica Liu received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California – San Diego. She is currently Assistant Professor of Justice and Society Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Her work examines global internet dating and cross-border marriages between women from China and men from Western countries. Her research has been…
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.