The Year In Literature 2023
- Share
- Tweet
- Pin
- Share
2023 marked the 26th year of the Hal Prize. This year’s writing and photography submissions were judged by Toya Wolfe for fiction, Edward McPherson for nonfiction, Sean Hill for poetry and Allen Morris for photography.
Sean Hill. File photo by Geoff Wyatt. 
Allen Morris. Photo by Skott Chandler.
Edward McPherson. File photo by Erin Lewis. 
Toya Wolfe. File photo by Leicester Mitchell.
2022 Hal Prize First-place Winners
Fiction: “Newlyweds in Front of a Lilac Bush” by Victoria Lynn Smith
Nonfiction: “Angelsong” by Dr. Shaun Melarvie
Poetry: “The Daughter Laments” by Lisa Vihos
Photography: “$n@¢K/t!m£ (i said hi)” by Samantha Olschan
OtherWorlds co-owner Margaret Magle (front left) stands in front of her bookstore. File photo by Grace Johnson.
OtherWorlds Books and More celebrated its five-year anniversary during Sturgeon Bay’s Fire and Ice Festival this February.
The Sheets in their early years. File photo. 
The Sheets present at Write On. File photo by Grace Johnson.
Collectively, members of poetry group The Sheets have published more than a dozen books and earned numerous accolades for their writing, with two members serving as Wisconsin’s poet laureate. Having initially formed in the late ‘90s, the group reunited at Write On, Door County in February to read and discuss poetry.
Davises Named Door County Poets Laureate
The Door County Board of Supervisors appointed Ethel Mortenson Davis and Tom Davis to the position of Door County poets laureate for a two-year term, beginning this April. The Door County couple succeeded the 2021-23 poet laureate, Mike Orlock.
Indigenous Poets Gather for In-Na-Po Retreat
Sixteen Indigenous poetry fellows from 12 tribal nations gathered in Door County this April for the second annual In-Na-Po: the Indigenous Nations Poets mentoring retreat. Founded by former Wisconsin poet laureate Kimberly Blaeser (Anishinaabe,) In-Na-Po is a new organization dedicated to mentoring emerging Native writers.
School Arts Publications Celebrate Student Creativity
Across the peninsula, high schoolers compiled their best art in school arts publications, including Sturgeon Bay’s The Clipper Collection, Sevastopol’s Pioneer Pennings and Southern Door’s Borderlands.
John Maggitti Shares Stories
John Maggitti, cofounder of Novel Bay Booksellers in Sturgeon Bay, passed away in April after a short struggle with brain cancer. A month before his passing, he spoke with art freelancer Tom Groenfeldt about what he did before Novel Bay, including his time disarming nuclear weapons in the Navy.
Island Literary Fest Spotlights Five Female Authors
A participant (left) with poet and workshop leader Brenda Cárdenas. File photo. 
Books by the five authors featured during the 2023 Washington Island Literary Festival. Facebook photo.
Five women authors headlined the Washington Island Literary Festival this September. The lineup included fiction writers Amy Quan Barry, Lan Samantha Chang and Shelby Van Pelt; poet Brenda Cárdenas; and nonfiction writer Meghan O’Gieblyn.
Write On, Door County Turns 10
Write On, Door County celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a gala this October, featuring keynote speaker and award-winning author Baptiste Paul.
Door County Library Wins Major Grant Award
This winter, Door County Library’s Door County Reads 2024 events received a major grant award from Wisconsin Humanities to provide additional support for 2024’s event series based on the book Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
