In recent weeks an apron-clad woman has been seen roaming the Saturday Market with free brownies and cookies. The free food comes with a string attached—literally. To each sweet is tied a brochure for the Orcas Island Writers Festival, due to be held for the first time September 4-7, 2008. The woman handing them out is Barbara Lewis, Festival Director. “Our life is already rich here,” Lewis says, “but we’re trying to make it even sweeter.”

The idea for the Writers Festival, Lewis says, came from Orcas itself.

“When I moved here, I was halfway through a Master’s degree in fiction writing from Vermont College. I was supposed to be working on a collection of short stories that I had begun in the program. But I kept wanting to write about Orcas instead,” Lewis says.

Lewis was fascinated by the island’s beauty. She also was charmed by its community.

“The island seems to attract people who need to express themselves artistically,” Lewis says. “Some begin writing after they arrive, surprising themselves with their sudden need to put a story or poem down on paper.”

With such a beautiful location and such a rich literary community on hand, a writer’s festival made sense to Lewis. She quickly found it made sense to other islanders, too. Almost everyone she asked about it responded, “Why don’t we already have a writers’ festival on Orcas Island?”

Starting a festival is not a one-woman job, and Lewis didn’t want it to be. The point of the festival, after all, was not writing but writing in community. Her first step was to gather a group of volunteers for a festival steering committee. It’s “a fabulous group,” says Lewis. “I feel like a farmer who went on a journey and all of a sudden, I had these race-horses pulling my cart.”

But in a more serious vein, Lewis says, “I was really lucky to find such talented and enthusiastic people to help me. From the beginning, the festival committee has worked as a collaborative team. That has made everything so much fun.”

The festival’s steering committee – also known as the Festival Gurus – started out on the same page from the beginning. The Orcas Island Writers Festival would bring together writers and inspire them. “No writer is an island!” they said.

“I spend a great deal of time alone in front of my computer,” says Michele Watson, another committee member. “It’s important to know other writers who are dealing with the same struggles and joys in their writing experience.” She hopes the festival will be a place for writers to connect and be inspired.

“We wanted to create an enriching environment for writers and readers in a retreat-like setting,” Lewis says. “That’s why we’re meeting at the Environmental Learning Center in Moran Park. Even islanders need to slow down sometime.

“Writing can be hard and lonely. We hope people leave with some new tools for understanding poetry and prose, and with a new vision for how to understand and communicate with those around them. Because that’s what reading and writing is al about – communicating.”

The island itself is such an inspiration, too.

“I love to see people react to Orcas for the first time, especially the urban types,” Watson says. “The writer’s festival will be a good way to introduce the island to some great writers!”

Many committee members look forward to the festival for their own inspiration. “At other writer’s festivals, I’ve gained great joy, inspiration, insight, skill and connection to a larger writing world,” committee member Sandy Thompson says. “The idea of such opportunity right here on Orcas is irresistible.”

Francie Greth Peto, the festival’s Registration Chair, says, “Before I moved here, I would tell my friends that I was going to be like Jessica in the television series, ‘Murder She Wrote.’ I would write, bicycle into town and work on solving the mysteries of life once I retired. Two out of three isn’t bad… I still don’t have a bicycle.”

“The Writers Festival will give all these people a place to work together, to learn from each other and to create. I’m sure the artistic energy will be palpable come September,” said Greth-Peto.

In addition to island writers working together on the Orcas Island Writers Festival, Orcas Island artist, Barbara Evans joined the steering committee for the festival and contributed the original and delightful artwork that has become the logo and cover for all festival brochures.

Judging from the support the Festival has received, the committee members aren’t the only ones looking forward to September. The Orcas Island Public Library is hosting the event. Moran State Park has donated use of their Environmental Learning Center. Authors from the east and west Coast will convene to lead workshops and read their work, including Sam Green, Washington’s Poet Laureate, and Karen Fisher, resident of Lopez Island and award-winning author of “A Sudden Country.”

There are several ways to participate in the festival, which will include morning workshops, afternoon talks, evening readings, and additional classes. Workshop attendees will have a chance to have their work read by an experienced writing teacher in an interactive and supportive environment. Those not interested in workshops can attend stimulating lectures and other writing classes. Evening readings will include music and other entertainment. Readers and writers will want to save the date: September 4-7, 2008. Registration is now open. For more information, visit www.orcasislandwritersfestival.com.