Literature lovers can feel right at home at UntitledTown book fest

By Matt Metzler 

Readers and writers alike are anticipating Sept. 25-27 when UntitledTown, a free book and author festival, comes back to Green Bay. Between the resurgence of brick-and-mortar bookstores, the success of silent book clubs, and the desire of younger generations to own physical media, printed books are once again in fashion. UntitledTown will appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds who love reading.

The idea for the festival came in 2016 when award-winning author Wendy Wimmer Schuchart and Alex Galt, former co-owner of Kavarna Coffeehouse, chatted at his cafe.  

“We started to talk about how writers recognize each other since writing is so solitary,” Schuchart said. “People pick up your book on a bookshelf. They don't usually get to talk to you. Normally, you meet each other at events and that's how you get to know each other.”

By the end of that conversation, Galt and Schuchart had created and named the event. Less than a year later, the first UntitledTown took place. 

“We had about 2,500 people show up, and we did some surveys asking for frank feedback and the ratings were glowing,” Schuchart said. “There were some really good suggestions on how to make it better and that helped us shape each subsequent year.”

Thousands attended the first three installments of UntitledTown but the COVID-19 pandemic, along with Schuchart’s move out of state, created major roadblocks for the festival. UntitledTown’s future brightened when Schuchart moved back to Green Bay from Nevada in 2022 and became president of the Art Garage.

“When I came in, there was a lot happening with visual arts, not so much with performing and literary arts,” she said.  “Being able to take on UntitledTown allows us to serve the performing and the literary arts, as well.”

Bibliophiles can expect to meet Wisconsin writers, including Maggie Ginsberg, who won the 2023 WLA Literary Award for Fiction with her novel, “Still True”, and Green Bay’s own up-and-coming Melissa Gorzelanczyk, author of “Arrows”, a young adult romance novel. People can also meet critically acclaimed national authors like Tonya Todd, who discusses topics such as comic book literature, the importance of diversity in stories and banned books. In addition, Pulitzer Prize finalist Danez Smith returns to read their poetry and lead a workshop.

For those interested in becoming an author, UntitledTown features a dozen different workshops geared towards veterans, people curious about spoken word poetry and children and senior citizens with tales to tell. There’s even a workshop for Midwest storytellers who want to write more honestly and confidently called “Let It Rip: Writing Past the Polite Filter”.

There will be prose and poetry readings and attendees may even have the opportunity to read a short piece that’s inspired them. Badger State Brewing and the adjacent Legacy Hotel top off the weekend by hosting a book fair with more than 50 authors and food trucks. 

With more than 60 different free events, UntitledTown depends on 170 volunteers to keep things moving. 

All UntitledTown events are free to attend, and organizers encourage exploration of literary genres you’re not familiar with, like poetry, comics, and Shakespearean performance. 

“Whether you think of yourself as a writer or a reader, we hope that you will consider understanding who you are as a creator and citizen of UntitledTown,” Schuchart said. 

For more information on the schedule and volunteer opportunities, visit untitledtown.org.