For 27 impressive years, the Chippewa Valley Book Festival has served as a tribute to the written world and its capacity to shift our perspectives. The festival's mission since the very beginning has been to cultivate an enduring passion for books, creative writing and, of course, connection within the community.

First launched in 1999 under the guidance of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council’s Literary Arts Committee, the annual book fest has since blossomed to feature a diverse array of literary programming – now in partnership with the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library – from hands-on youth activities to intimate dinners at local eateries.

Yet, as hundreds of presenters, curated titles and passionate bibliophiles gather autumn after autumn, you might wonder who works behind the scenes to champion new ideas and tackle the hard questions.

Today, a dedicated group of area women across various generations – Sara Meeks, Isa Small, Margaret Leonard, Judy Dekan and Susan Carroll – have joined forces to make the local literary magic happen.

We sat down with current organizers of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival to uncover just what fuels their involvement and which events on this year’s itinerary you won’t want to miss.

The 2026 Chippewa Valley Book Festival will begin on Oct. 19 and continue through Oct. 24. A complete itinerary of featured events, books, guest speakers and registration links is available to view at cvbookfest.org or in person at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire).

THESE LADIES ARE LIT! Sara Meeks, Isa Small, Margaret Leonard, Judy Dekan and Susan Carroll are four longtime volunteers who help coordinate the Chippewa Valley Book Festival for locals. Slated for Oct. 19-24 this year, we sat down with the "page turners" of this recurring festival, to learn more about what sessions they're most looking forward to.

Sara Meeks

Role: Marketing chair of the book festival

V1: What first drew you to participating in the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, has that answer changed over time?

SM: "I have been the marketing with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival since 2018 after initially agreeing to just help with a logo and website redesign. Nine years later, I'm still here working all year long to bring visibility and awareness to this inspiring organization."

"I love to read but that interest and hobby had gone by the wayside as other parts of life filled all my time. Getting involved in the book festival forced me to pick up books I wouldn't otherwise consider and reminded me just how important the art of storytelling and learning through literature really is. A friendly neighbor invited me into the organization all those years ago, and the community impact keeps me coming back every year. I love that we offer programming for all ages and interests and that our author events are free so that everyone can attend."

V1: Do you have one genre of books you could read over and over again and why?

SM: "I really don't have one favorite genre. I vary my book selections wildly based on what speaks to me at any moment. I can go from a dense historical nonfiction to a young adult romance to a dark mystery to a funny memoir. I love them all!"

V1: Which of this year's Chippewa Valley Book Festival events are you most looking forward to?

SM: "I have a hard time picking just one book or event! The Authors & Events Committee works very hard vetting books and authors in order to select a wide variety of genres and high-quality presenters. I always look forward to the nonfiction events at our festival because I enjoy walking away with a bit of knowledge related to something completely new to me."

"(Jerry) Poling's event related to the Birkebeiner cross-country ski race is one that I'm especially interested in, though, as I grew up visiting the Telemark Resort and am excited to learn more about that history and the Birkie organization."

Isa Small

Role: Committee co-chair (authors and events) with the book festival

V1: What is your background in working with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival and what do you enjoy about reading at-large?

IS: "I’m a lifelong resident of Eau Claire (go, Huskies!), and have worked at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library for almost 20 years. I’ve been involved with the book festival since I started my current position about 12 years ago. As a librarian and a English literature major in college, I love reading all sorts of books for all sorts of reasons. The common theme of what I enjoy about reading is getting to experience the world through different lenses; adding depth and nuance to what can otherwise feel like competing shades of gray."

V1: What is something people might be surprised to learn about you, outside of the literary world?

IS: "I swear like a sailor, will cheat at board/card games whenever possible, and will (okay, have) eagerly and passionately defend the virtues of the Oxford comma whenever possible."

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (pictured) has been a longtime venue for free events, including the Chippewa Valley Book Festival offerings each October.

V1: Which of this year's Chippewa Valley Book Festival events are you most looking forward to?

IS: "There are a lot of great events and I’m sure I’ll enjoy them all, but my very favorite part of the Festival is always the time between events. Folks from all over the region come for different reasons, whether they have a specific author they’ve followed for a long time and are excited to see, a book that really resonated with them at just the right time in their life, or maybe they are just a bibliophile and enjoy the literature-loving vibe."

"What really fills my cup is seeing all those people coming together, old friends and random strangers, and sharing in that experience and continuing the conversations long after the author has finished speaking."

Margaret Leonard

Role: Committee co-chair (fiction, nonfiction) with the book festival

V1: What is your background in working with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival and what do you enjoy about reading at-large?

ML: "I have a Master's degree in English literature and own Dotters Books (307 S Barstow St., Eau Claire). I've been volunteering with the book festival since 2020 and I love everything about reading: its transportive qualities, its ability to shift my perspective, and deepen my capacity for empathy – plus it's lots and lots of fun!

"Dotters Books started by helping with books sales – and that is still one of the main roles that I play in the festival. ... Investing in community around books is a passion of mine and the book festival is a celebration of both books and community."

V1: On a Saturday in the Chippewa Valley, where might we find you in the community?

ML: "Typically on Saturdays I'm downtown with my family. We love to bike over the (Downtown Eau Claire) Farmers Market and stop and see friends in their shops."

V1: Which of this year's Chippewa Valley Book Festival events are you most looking forward to?

ML: "I'm very excited to have (author) Rebecca Kauffman at the festival this year. I've been enjoying her books for years so I'm looking forward to meeting her and hearing her speak about her relationship to writing and to her books. Kauffman is so good at quiet moments in her fiction, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary with her words and characters. The Reservation is the most playful of her books that I've read and I'm excited for more readers to discover this book and her previous books."

Judy Dekan

Role: Co-Chair of the book festival

V1: What first drew you to participating in the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, has that answer changed over time?

JD: "My love of books and the place one can experience through the pages of a novel without leaving my comfy chair. As a middle school teacher I remember taking students to hear (author) Gary Paulsen at a festival. ... My career in education was focused around reading and fostering that love in the many students I worked with."

V1: What is something people might be surprised to learn about you, outside of the literary world?

JD: "That I am a dabbler in a variety of artistic mediums. As an educator I promoted and got students involved in community service. In retirement I gift many hours to non profit groups and provide service to multiple entities."

V1: What should our readers know about the legacy of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival and its impact on the community?

JD: "The festival has offered exposure to a variety of authors. Every year I hear remarks from individuals, who after hearing an author decide to read their book. Better yet, they purchase books at the festival and have them personally autographed. Interestingly, readers come from out of town (and spend) the night because a presenting author they are a fan of is within five hours from their home."

Susan Carroll

Role: Sponsor of the book festival, committee member and volunteer

V1: What first drew you to participating in the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, has that answer changed over time?

SC: "I like the idea that the primary goal has been to engage the public in reading. All of our events except the meal events are free and open to the public. This remains and important feature of the festival."

V1: Which of this year's Chippewa Valley Book Festival events are you most looking forward to?

SC: "This year I am really looking forward to the Patti See, John Hildebrand, Nickolas Butler and B.J. Hollars event at 6pm Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the Pablo Center Riverview Room (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire).  It will be fun to hear what 'Writing in Your Own Backyard' means to each of them."

V1: What should our readers know about the legacy of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival and its impact on the community?

SC: "The festival has consistently showcased local, regional and national writers for over 25 years.  Additionally, the festival has supported the 'Authors in the Schools' program to bring author into the classrooms so that every student in the Chippewa Valley has an opportunity to interact with the authors who write the books they love."

These interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity for Volume One.