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We’re thrilled to announce the first set of amazing keynote speakers who will be joining us in Minneapolis for Winter Institute 2027 (Wi2027)!
Thursday, February 11
Tim Walz has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota and former candidate for Vice President of the United States. Born and raised in rural Nebraska, Walz has taught high school, spent twenty-four years in the Army National Guard, and served six terms in the US House of Representatives.
Friday, February 12
Lissa Muscatine served in the Clinton Administration as a Presidential Speechwriter, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Director of Communications to the First Lady, and served as chief speechwriter and senior advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She is a co-owner of Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC.
Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, is the award-winning author of many novels, volumes of poetry, and children’s books. Her novel The Round House won the National Book Award for Fiction and The Night Watchman won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
Ann Patchett is the internationally bestselling author of numerous acclaimed novels including Whistler, The Dutch House, Commonwealth, Bel Canto, and Tom Lake. She is the owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee.
Emma Straub is the New York Times-bestselling author of adult novels including American Fantasy, This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, and three picture books: Gaga Mistake Day, Mama Hug, and Very Good Hats. Emma and her husband own Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, New York.
Paul Yamazaki has been the principal buyer at City Lights Booksellers, the legendary San Francisco bookstore and publisher, for more than fifty years. He has mentored generations of booksellers across America.
Sunday, February 14
Ada Calhoun is the New York Times-bestselling author of generational manifesto Why We Can’t Sleep, Andrew Carnegie Medal-longlisted memoir Also a Poet, Time 100 Must-Read novel Crush, and cult classic St. Marks Is Dead.
Brit Bennett is the author of two bestselling and acclaimed novels, The Mothers and The Vanishing Half. She lives in New York and her newest novel The Last Diva is forthcoming in June 2027.
Emilia Hart is the New York Times-bestselling author of Weyward and The Sirens. She grew up in Australia and studied English Literature at university before training as a lawyer. She now lives in London.
Katy Hays is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Cloisters and Saltwater. She is an art history adjunct professor and holds an MA in art history from Williams College and pursued her PhD at UC Berkeley.
Kevin Kwan is the author of the international bestsellers Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People ProbÂlems. Kevin was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
More keynote and featured speakers will be announced in the future!
Excited for Winter Institute 2027?
Visit the Winter Institute website, where you can find the event program, travel information, FAQs, our First-Timers Checklist, and more!
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