“Ya aaní káa has du shkalneegí yaa nas.áx̱”
(On this land their stories are sounding off)EOWYN IVEY,
2025 Keynote Speaker Bio
Eowyn Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. She worked for a decade as a bookseller at independent Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska, and prior to that as a reporter for the local newspaper, The Frontiersman. Her debut novel The Snow Child has sold a million copies worldwide in more than 25 languages. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer prize and a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel, To the Bright Edge of the World, was a Library Journal Top Ten Book of the Year, a BookPage Best Book of the year, and a Washington Post Notable Book. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the Wall Street Journal, London’s Observer Magazine, Alaska Magazine, and other publications and anthologies. Her newest novel, Black Woods, Blue Sky, will be published by Random House in February 2025. See more HERE.
We are going to gather on the ancestral land of the Lḵoot peoples. From so very long ago they have been on these lands. Now they are here, and they will always be here. On this land, their stories are sounding off. Through the voices of the earth, rivers, and the Tree People sing the songs of the Lḵoot peoples. How much we want that you give respect to all things. Thank you.
— X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Alaska Native Languages at University of Alaska Southeast and member of the North Words Organizing Faculty
UPDATES
June 1, 2024 – Another great North Words concludes! We engaged in meaningful discussions, wrote lots inside and outside, and had a load of fun times with keynote author Jamie Ford and fellow faculty members Lily Tuzroyluke, Daryl Farmer, Melinda Moustakis, John Messick, Christine Byl, and Don Rearden. See photos in our Facebook galleries and on Instagram. At the end of the conference it was announced that Alaska novelist Eowyn Ivey will be the keynote for our 15th annual event next year. Dates are May 28-31, 2025. We will post Eowyn’s updated bio soon with information about her forthcoming book. Registration opens in November.
April 11, 2024 – Scholarship Winner Announced! Our first Alaska university student scholarship has been awarded to Rachel Blume, a fiction writer pursuing her MA/MFA at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Congratulations Rachel! We look forward to having you in Skagway at the end of May!
March 17, 2024 – First Look SCHEDULE now posted (updated as we get closer to conference dates).
February 25, 2024 – North Words Panels & Workshops Unveiled. See our PANEL TOPICS page for the list of panels, many of which will have workshops attached. First-look Schedule coming in March.
January 15, 2024 – North Words announces a new Alaska Creative Writing Student Scholarship. One scholarship including free entry and a travel stipend will be awarded to an Alaska university student. Application period is Jan. 15-March 1, 2024. See more information on our SCHOLARSHIPS page. Also view our 2024 PRESS RELEASE.
Jamie Ford to lead North Words 2024 faculty
Ya aaní káa yaa nas.áx̱ kei nas.áx̱(On this land...