Southwest Washington Writers Conference

Jane Porter is a bestselling author with more than seventy-five published books, sixteen women’s fiction, two historical romances, and the rest contemporary romance. In total she has sold more than fifteen million books worldwide. She will be our keynote Saturday speaker and teach two workshops in addition to answering questions at the Evening with Authors on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Jane is known for her passionate, powerful stories and relatable heroines.
Find out more at: janeporter.com

Patrick Hutchison, local author of the new best-selling memoir,Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman, will give a presentation entitled, “Cabin’s Journey to Publication” on Saturday prior to the keynote speaker. He will also be one of two featured authors at the Evening with Authors optional event on Friday.
Find out more at: patrick-hutchison.com

William “Bill” Kenower is the author of Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence, Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion, and Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt. He is the editor-in-chief of Author magazine, as well as speaker and teacher. In addition to his books he’s been published in The New York Times, Edible Seattle, Writer’s Digest, Parent Map, and Tiferet Journal. He also has been a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.
Find out more at: www.williamkenower.com/

Miriam Gershow is the author of Survival Tips: Stories, The Local News, and Closer. Miriam’s stories have appeared in The Georgia Review, Gulf Coast and Black Warrior Review. Her flash fiction has been published in anthologies from Alan Squire Books, Alternating Currents, and Fractured Lit, as well as many journals, including Pithead Chapel, Had, and Variant Lit. Her creative nonfiction is featured in Salon and Craft Literary. Her stories have been listed in the 100 Distinguished Stories of The Best American Short Stories and appeared in the Robert Olen Butler Prize Stories. Her writing has been nominated for multiple Pushcart Prizes, an Independent Publisher Book Awards silver medalist, and a Pencraft Awards Best Book. She is also a two-time finalist for the Oregon Book Awards’ Ken Kesey Award for Fiction.
Find out more at: miriamgershow.com

Avalon Radys is a senior editor at Sasquatch Books, where she acquires and develops nonfiction
titles across health and wellness, parenting, creative how-to, and narrative nonfiction. With more
than a decade in publishing, she has developed dozens of bestselling books in both fiction and
nonfiction, including the book-to-screen success Mr. & Mrs. American Pie (now Apple TV+’s
Palm Royale). Her reader-centric approach and commitment to nurturing unique voices have
helped countless authors craft standout books and build successful careers in publishing.

Jill Saginario is a senior editor at Sasquatch Books, where she acquires cookbooks and other
lifestyle nonfiction, including theUSA Today bestselling book Raising Securely Attached Kids. She has nearly fifteen years of experience in book publishing as an in-house editor, and loves food possibly even more than she even loves books. She has been with Sasquatch Books for seven years,
publishing visual nonfiction by the gifted creatives whose work reflects the adventurous, DIY
spirit of the West Coast.