2026-27 Event Calendar
Not a member yet? Go HERE to join, and take advantage of discounted event pricing!
OCTOBER, 2026
- DATE: Saturday, October 24 (10:00 AM-12:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Local Author Talk, workshop to follow
- LOCATION: Shadow Brook Village Clubhouse, 129 Shady Brook Circle, SSI
- COST: FREE (seating is limited; you must RSVP below)
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER FOR THIS EVENT:
Cheryl M. Hargrove, a tourism industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience, is best known as the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s first director of heritage tourism. She has served as the Associate Director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, consulting with communities in all 50 states and around the world to focus on authentic place-based experiences. She is passionate about preserving places that matter and encouraging people to experience other cultures as part of lifelong learning. A graduate of the University of Georgia Grady School of Journalism, Cheryl also has a Master’s in Tourism Administration from The George Washington University. She currently lives on St. Simons Island in Georgia with her husband, John, and her eight-year-old beagle, Tanner. When she is not traveling or writing, she loves reading, baking, canning and playing pickleball. She will be here to talk about her latest book: Authentic America, 250 Distinctly American Places to Explore.
Chris Myers — Award-winning designer, inspirational writer, and the creator of the ARISE journaling exercises. With decades of experience in creative direction and a deep passion for theology, he guides readers into meaningful encounters with God through the written word. Chris holds an honorary Doctor of Theology from New Covenant University and brings both heart and artistry to his work, encouraging others to open their lives to spiritual transformation through journaling.
NOVEMBER, 2026
- DATE: Saturday, November 7 (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Drop-in)
- TOPIC: Holiday Book Sale – Get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping, and peruse local authors’ tables for autographed purchases!
- LOCATION: American Legion Post 166, 1013 Arthur J. Moore Dr., SSI
- COST FOR SHOPPERS: Free (No RSVP required; bring payment for any books you may want to purchase.)
- COST FOR AUTHOR TABLE: Free to members; $20/non-members (join NOW and participate for free! CLICK HERE to purchase table space.
- DATE: Thursday-Saturday, November 12-14
- TOPIC: Atlanta Writers Retreat
- LOCATION: Coastal Georgia Historical Society, AW Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Dr., SSI
- COST: Click on button below to get details. SSIWS MEMBERS GET A DISCOUNT! Check your emails from the Society to get the discount code.
JANUARY, 2027
- DATE: Saturday, January 23 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Workshop Series #2: Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid
- LOCATION: American Legion Post 166, 1013 Arthur J. Moore Dr., SSI
- COST: Members – $20; Non-members – $30 (See note and link at the top of this page to purchase ALL THREE WORKSHOPS through September 30th; Otherwise click the link below to purchase this workshop by itself.)
- Registration fee will be accepted on the day of the event if there is space available. Registering early online guarantees your spot!
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER FOR THIS EVENT:
Diane Dierks — Author, speaker, podcaster, and licensed therapist. Diane has published three non-fiction books and two novels. Her first book, Solo Parenting: Raising Strong & Happy Families, was published by a traditional publishing house almost 30 years ago. Since then, she has self-published the Co-Parent Tool Box, as well as authored a book (I Am Non-Impossible: A 12-Week Journey to Co-Parenting Peace) with the co-host of her podcast, Co-Parent Dilemmas. She also has self-published two novels — Already There and Back to Life. Her latest work is a one-year devotional for divorced parents that she released to subscribers on Substack in 2025. She is a resident of St. Simons Island and enjoys the coast with her husband, their one-eyed Yorkie, and their three-legged Lab.
FEBRUARY, 2027
- DATE: Tuesday, February 9 (7:00-9:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Local Author Talk, workshop to follow
- LOCATION: Shadow Brook Village Clubhouse, 129 Shady Brook Circle, SSI
- COST: FREE (seating is limited; you must RSVP below)
MORE ABUT THE SPEAKER FOR THIS EVENT:
John Stamp — Multi-genre author writing horror, crime, and fantasy. John is a former NCIS Special Agent, FBI agent, and was a police officer in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a native of the Finger Lakes Region of upstate NY, and holds a master’s degree in forensic science from the University of Florida. He lives on St. Simons Island with his wife, two boys, two cats, and a three-legged dog.
MARCH, 2027
- DATE: Tuesday, March 9 (7:00-9:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Workshop Series #3: What Makes Good Writing?
- LOCATION: American Legion Post 166, 1013 Arthur J. Moore Dr., SSI
- COST: Members – $20; Non-members – $30 (See note and link at the top of this page to purchase ALL THREE WORKSHOPS through September 30th; Otherwise click the link below to purchase this workshop by itself.)
- Registration fee will be accepted on the day of the event if there is space available. Registering early online guarantees your spot!
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER FOR THIS EVENT:
Dr. Scott Slechta — Career educator and National Board Certified Teacher. Scott is an English Language Arts teacher with his career ranging from teaching in a parochial school to a laboratory school, and from being a public school teacher to a college professor. As a professor he worked closely with students in education classes and student teaching experiences. As a high school teacher, he was a drama coach and speech director. In 2016 he was named as Iowa’s Teacher of the Year. He currently is the Curriculum Design Specialist for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, and he is a substitute teacher at the Frederica Academy. Now that he has moved to SSI, he hopes to further develop his writing interests. As well as writing in a variety of genres, he enjoys beach walks and 5K runs. He and his wife moved to St. Simons after vacationing here for over 35 years. Their four children grew up on the island from baby photos to senior pictures, as well as two weddings. Now they return with their own children to share in the island’s joy.
APRIL, 2027
- DATE: Saturday, April 10 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Local Author Talk, followed by a 30-minute interactive workshop on writing poetry
- LOCATION: Shadow Brook Village Clubhouse, 129 Shady Brook Circle, SSI
- COST: FREE (seating is limited; you must RSVP below)
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENT:
David Blumfeld — Professor emeritus of philosophy, living with his wife, Paula Eubanks, on St. Simons Island. They spend part of their time on a nearby semi-wilderness island where they have a cabin. This affords David the opportunity to write and think, and it provides Paula, a photographer/artist, an ideal setting in which to practice her craft. To break up the intensity of thinking and writing, and to stay in shape, David jogs (slowly) 4 miles every other day and participates casually in competitive races locally and in far-flung cities. In his most recent competition, the Chicago 10K Lung Cancer Run, he had the dubious honor of finishing first in his age group and last in the field. His only consolation was that the next oldest man in the race was 14 years his junior. In this and in all other endeavors, his motto is: “Hang in there.”
Shutta Crum — Author of children’s books and adult poetry. She is also a storyteller, an energetic and humorous public speaker, and a librarian. She has written twenty-one traditionally published articles, many of them about teaching and writing, which have appeared in professional journals. She was honored in 2005 by being one of eight authors invited to the White House for the Easter Egg Roll. In 2010 she was invited to present to the Department of Defense American military base schools across Japan. Children’s literature and poetry.
MAY, 2027
- DATE: Tuesday, May 11 (7:00-9:00 PM)
- TOPIC: Wine & Cheese Social
- LOCATION: American Legion Post 166, 1013 Arthur J. Moore Dr., SSI
- COST: $10/person (purchase a ticket for each person attending)
