Maine novelist Paul Doiron and poet Kristen Lindquist will share the stage at 7 p.m. April 29 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick for a fundraiser to support literacy education. The evening will feature Doiron and Lindquist reading from their work and in conversation about their inspiration and influences. A reception and meet-and-greet with the authors will follow.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to participate in this event together as writers, especially because it will support literacy in Maine,” Lindquist said in a prepared release. “While our genres seem very different, we both celebrate the people and places of Maine in our own way. My hope is that those who come to hear Paul’s crime fiction set in the Maine woods, will also find themselves, perhaps unexpectedly, enjoying my poems set in the Maine woods.”

Authors Kristen Lindquist (left) and Paul Doiron will take the stage at Midcoast Literacy’s April 29 Author-to-Author fundraiser. Courtesy of Midcoast Literacy

Midcoast Literacy’s new Author-to-Author series brings Maine writers together for conversations about craft and the power of words. Doiron and Lindquist, who are also a married couple, have lived and written side-by-side for many years, both drawing inspiration from their shared experiences in the Maine landscape. Their conversation will include insights on how their writing and lives together influence each other. Copies of the two authors’ books will be available for purchase at a reception following the event.

Doiron is a Maine novelist and registered Maine Guide best known for the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels, including “The Poacher’s Son,” which won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel. The series now includes 13 books and has received two Maine Literary Awards, the New England Society Book Award for Fiction and made numerous best-seller lists. Doiron is also editor emeritus of Down East magazine.

Kristen Lindquist is a Maine poet and naturalist whose poetry has appeared in such venues as Down East, Maine Times, Bangor Metro and The Bangor Daily News as well as various literary/haiku journals and anthologies. Her poetry collections include “Transportation,” “Tourists in the Known World” and 2021’s “It Always Comes Back.” Her work has received various awards, including a Pushcart Prize nomination and two Maine Press Association awards.

All proceeds from this event will benefit Midcoast Literacy, a nonprofit organization that provides free literacy programs for people of all ages, including the growing number of multilingual families who have recently moved to the Brunswick area. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased now from Midcoast Literacy at midcoastliteracy.org or by calling 443-6384.