Writers Kevin McFadden and Emily Ruskovich dropped by to share their work and advice at the Great Lakes Writers Festival.

On Thursday, Nov. 2nd, the 2017 Great Lakes Writers Festival began in the Bradley Building at Lakeland University. The majority of the seats in the theatre were filled with Lakeland students and guests as they heard the writers present samples of their work.

The main convocation started off with creative writing professor Karl Elder, who runs the festival every year, talking to the audience about the two featured writers and the festival itself. Junior writing majors Luke Ulatowski and Gabrielle Boss introduced McFadden and Ruskovich, respectively.

McFadden and Ruskovich talked to the crowd about how they came up with their writings and what inspired them to write. Afterward, they read excerpts from their recent works.

After the convocation, students and visitors headed over to the Laun Center for workshops that were lead by the visiting writers. At night, a small reception was held for the writers followed by additional readings and book signings.

On Nov. 3, the festival continued with readings and workshops for visitors including local high school students.

McFadden is a poet who wrote the award-winning 2008 chapbook “Hardscrabble.” Ruskovich is a fiction author who wrote the successful 2017 book “Idaho” about her state of origin.