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Share your writing and enter for a chance to win a cash prize. Student Writing Contest 2026 Winners: Middle School Poetry 1st - Twanae Simpson - "Childhood" 2nd - Casey Campbell - "Ocean Eyes" 3rd - Ailee Lewis - "The Memory Tree" Non-Fiction 1st - Caitlyn Schoolfield - "Glittering Gemstones" 2nd - Abigail Smart - "A Queen who Changed the World" Fiction 1st - Emilia Yu - "Eden" 2nd - William Lelegren - "There Goes Mathew!" 3rd - Natalee Duplain - "My Snow Filled Heart" High School Poetry 1st - Levi Roggero - "Elegy of the Deep" 2nd - Rhema Erebholo - "Of Passion and Color" 3rd - Ashlie Chamberliss - "In the Mirror" Non-Fiction 1st - Louise Wang - "New Horizons" 2nd - Cailyn Jiao - "Without Silence" 3rd - Ainsley Asbury - "Setbacks to Setups" Fiction 1st - Levi Roggero - "Nightfall" 2nd - Charlotte Gariepy - "Farewell" 3rd - Anna Cook - "Secret Society for Human Salvation" College Poetry 1st - Rex Farr - "Myosotis Blues" 2nd.- Naomi Linde - "Sublime" 3rd - "Sadie Wallander - "Idlewild" Non-Fiction 1st - Lucy Loudon - "Family Recipes" SEND SPONSORED BY

< Back Nan Carlton Nan Carlton is an award-winning writer and illustrator of children’s books. Originally from western North Carolina, today, she and her husband divide their time between Richmond, Va. and Cape Charles, Va. Nan holds degrees in music education from Lenoir-Rhyne University and Appalachian State University. In 2024, her first two picture books, Huck, Chuck, & Bruce: At the Shore and You Can’t Judge a Bee by Its Color, were published. Next

< Back Karen Marginot Karen Marginot is an author, a recovery coach, and an integrative coach with over four decades of literary experience. Her published memoir, The Bad Girls Club: Promises of a Spirituality-Based Recovery, explores transformation and recovery from trauma and addiction. With a background spanning publishing, content development leadership, and senior positions at Salesforce and Dell, Karen brings unique insight to writers at all stages. Her innovative workshops blend classical storytelling techniques with transformative approaches to narrative development, helping writers discover their authentic voice and craft impactful stories. Specializing in guiding those in the wisdom phase of life, Karen creates supportive environments where participants develop both technical skills and narrative gifts. A graduate of Co-Active Training Institute, Karen is currently working on her next two book projects while helping others discover the stories only they can tell. Her teaching philosophy centers on her conviction that a single story can change everything—transforming both author and audience. Next

Our sponsors help our festival happen! Sponsor us and help support the Williamsburg literary community. Let’s Foster Literacy Together Sponsorship is the heartbeat of the Festival. Your partnership helps us keep the festival free and accessible to the community while creating meaningful opportunities for authors to connect with readers. Together, we celebrate literature, encourage lifelong learning, and strengthen our community through the shared love of books. Signature Sponsorships Volunteer T-shirt Sponsor Your logo appears on the official WBF Volunteer t-shirt worn by the 35+ volunteers at the event. $1,000 Yard Sign Sponsor Your logo will be on our festival yard signs, displayed around Williamsburg the week before the event. $1,000 Adults Micro-Fiction Contest Sponsor Funds cash prizes and winner certificates. You'll be publicly recognized as a sponsor, and welcome to help present awards or emcee the reading. $350 Writing Workshop Sponsor Funds one workshop preparing low-income students for the Youth Writing Contest, removing cost as a barrier to a first-time entry. $100 Participant Bag Sponsor Place a flyer, coupon, or item in every participant's festival bag. ~600 people $350 Sponsor a Session of the Day $100 / session Put your name on a featured session. Sponsor one or several: PANEL DISCUSSION Start a Book Club That Lasts LIVE BOOTH Write Your Family's Next Story Right Now PERFORMANCE & JUDGING Live Judging: The Great Micro Fiction Challenge KEYNOTE TALK AI & The Future of Reading, Writing & Creativity MIXER Swap Books, Find a Book Club, Talk Books PANEL DISCUSSION Inside Publishing Today In-Kind Donations Welcome What we need most: Printing services (programs, signage, handouts) Door prizes for attendees Coffee & tea for exhibiting authors Courtesy water, or plastic cups/bottles Wagons for load-in/load-out Promotion & Visibility All sponsors are featured in our festival promotional materials, our website & ads placed in local publications.The festival poster and handout will promote sponsors to event attendees. Posters will be displayed at local businesses in addition to the festival location. Reserve your sponsorship today. Sponsorships are limited and assigned on a first-confirmed basis. Fill out the form below or email us at I nfo@williamsburgbookfestival.org Contact Us

< Back Jim Meisner Jr. Pastor Jim Meisner, Jr. is the author of the novel Faith, Hope, and Baseball and the nonfiction Soar to Success the Wright Way. Learn more about Jim at www.faithonthefringe.com , where he writes about faith on the fringe of the mainstream culture. Next

Thank you for applying You will be notified if you are accepted or waitlisted by December 1st 2026. Have Questions? Contact Us.

< Back Michael Eging Mike’s earliest memories are of carrying a battered notebook around full of drawings and stories. In college, textbooks and fantasy novels rode around in his backpack, while he continued to write short stories, novels, and poetry. Recently, Mike has pursued writing screenplays with his first option being a medieval epic, Song of Roland. The Paladin of Shadow Chronicles, including Annwyn’s Blood and Ash and Ruin, will soon conclude with Tree at the Edge of Forever. He lives in Northern Virginia and dreams of driving an old Defender to Alaska with his wife, Lori, and their dog, Rufus. Next

< Back Mark Piggott A native of Phillipsburg, N.J., Mark Piggott enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1983, serving for 23 years before retiring in 2006 as a Chief Petty Officer. His first book, Forever Avalon, was published in 2009. In 2021, he signed with Curious Corvid Publishing. He has published more than ten fantasy and steampunk books, winning multiple awards. Mark lives in Alexandria, VA, with his wife, Georgiene. They have three children. Next

< Back T.J. O'Connor Tj O'Connor is an award-winning thriller and mystery author of The Whisper Legacy, The Dead Detective Casefiles, and other thrillers and paranormal mysteries. He’s an anti-terrorism consultant—life experiences that drive his novels. He has lived and worked around the world and now lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia. www.tjoconnor.com Next

< Back Patti Gaustad Procopi Patti Gaustad Procopi is a former army brat who lived all over the world before settling in Gloucester, Virginia. After retiring from two area history museums, Patti finally had time to do what she always wanted - write. Patti’s first novel “Please…Tell Me More” was published in 2020. She’s had two more contemporary fiction novels published and in 2025 Patti’s first mystery, “The Murderer You Know” was released. She’s won awards for short stories. Patti enjoys interacting with her fellow writers and has presented l talks on “Writing Your Story” for the Virginia Writers Club, Chesapeake Bay Writers and area libraries. Next

< Back Jess Renae Sherer Jess Renae Sherer resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Ga, but is plotting her escape to the Appalachian Mountains. She holds a degree in sociology and a master’s in creative writing, and loves telling stories that move readers. In her debut novel, when a cyberattack plunges the nation into darkness, devout Jenna Covington shelters a desperate stranger. Told through shifting perspectives, The Height of Darkness is a fast-paced psychological thriller where faith, family, and hidden truths collide as the world outside—and Jenna’s inner one—begins to unravel. Find her on social media @jessrenaesherer or at jessrenaesherer.com. Next

< Back Hugh Lessig Hugh Lessig worked as a reporter for the Daily Press in Newport News for 23 years, covering the General Assembly and the military. That was followed by five years in public communications for Newport News Shipbuilding. His debut crime novel, Fadeaway Joe, was released in 2023 from Crooked Lane Books. His short stories have appeared in numerous crime-themed anthologies over the years. A native of the Slate Belt in eastern Pennsylvania, he is now retired and lives in Hampton with his loving partner, Shana, and their three dogs. Next