In recognition of its 150th anniversary, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum will soon be home to a comprehensive collection of works by Northeast Kingdom authors.

The Kingdom has always attracted novelists, poets, and writers of everything from children's books to mysteries to cookbooks and local histories. The Athenaeum will assemble a collection for research, in-library enjoyment, and circulation. There will be public programs featuring Kingdom authors and a database to share information.

We will begin with the complete works of six Kingdom authors: Reeve Lindbergh, Howard Mosher, Galway Kinnell, Don Bredes, Rachel Hadas and Beth Kanell. All have had events at the Athenaeum.

Dozens of books by Kingdom authors will be added to the collection. We are developing a database for all the authors and their books.You can email information about anyone not on the list to nekauthors@gmail.com. We’ll focus on contemporary and recent Kingdom authors authors first, and then move back in time to earlier authors.

We do need donations to buy books for the permanent collection--some of which are scarce--and to add to our existing circulating copies. We believe in paying authors for their work, but we will gladly accept donations of books in excellent condition. We have currently raised about $1,000 of an estimated $5,000 budget.

You can donate by using the GIVING tab (select NEK Authors Collection where it says “Please direct my donation to”), or sending a check to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (please note that it's for the NEK Authors Collection).

Thank you!

• See list of NEK authors HERE.

• Donate to the NEK Authors Collection HERE.

• Contact us at nekauthors@gmail.com.