Wisconsin People & Ideas 2026 Fiction and Poetry Contest Winners
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Wisconsin People & Ideas, the Wisconsin Academy’s magazine of contemporary Wisconsin thought and culture, presents a Wisconsin Book Festival reading featuring the winners of the statewide 2026 Fiction & Poetry Contests, hosted in partnership with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters and featuring a special guest reading from Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Brenda Cárdenas.
This is a hybrid event. In-person registration is not required; advance registration is required to attend online. If you would like to attend virtually, please register here.
2026 Fiction Winners
First place: Noreen McAuliffe “The End of the Apostrophe” (Madison)
Second place: David John Paradise “Still Life” (Milwaukee)
Third place: Dan Lyksett “The River Waits” (Eau Claire)
Honorable mention: Scout September Holloway “Sleep Studies” (Madison)
Honorable Mention: Allison Slavick “Balsam of Gilead” (Cable)
2026 Poetry Winners
First place: juj e lepe “Masculinity Study” (Madison)
Second place: Sam Niven “Low Tide” (Milwaukee)
Third place: Samantha Schoville “Why We Prayed” (Madison)
Honorable Mention: Carly Davis “Reading Lorine Downriver” (Janesville)
https://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org/events/wisconsin-people-ideas-2026-fiction-and-poetry-contest-winners
This is a hybrid event. In-person registration is not required; advance registration is required to attend online. If you would like to attend virtually, please register here.
2026 Fiction Winners
First place: Noreen McAuliffe “The End of the Apostrophe” (Madison)
Second place: David John Paradise “Still Life” (Milwaukee)
Third place: Dan Lyksett “The River Waits” (Eau Claire)
Honorable mention: Scout September Holloway “Sleep Studies” (Madison)
Honorable Mention: Allison Slavick “Balsam of Gilead” (Cable)
2026 Poetry Winners
First place: juj e lepe “Masculinity Study” (Madison)
Second place: Sam Niven “Low Tide” (Milwaukee)
Third place: Samantha Schoville “Why We Prayed” (Madison)
Honorable Mention: Carly Davis “Reading Lorine Downriver” (Janesville)
https://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org/events/wisconsin-people-ideas-2026-fiction-and-poetry-contest-winners
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Where is it happening?
201 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53703
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherWisconsin Book Festival
