About the Festival

The dream for The Milford Readers and Writers Festival was initiated with the mission of giving those who read books the opportunity to interact with those who write them in a relaxed setting.

In 2016, a group of four community members, Sean Strub, Bob Levine, Suzanne Braun Levine and Amy Ferris met and hatched the idea of creating some type of literary festival in Milford, honoring the tradition of the Science Fiction Writers Conference of the ’50s.  Based on this idea, they convened a larger group of interested book lovers from the community who brainstormed and crafted the parameters and mission of the festival. This group continued meeting regularly and the first Festival was put together in seven months.

Our vision became a reality when the inaugural Milford Readers and Writers Festival debuted the first weekend of October 2016, with a star line-up of authors, poets, performers, chefs, gardeners, conservationists, and more.  The tradition of featuring influential writers was established from the start, with John Berendt, Gloria Steinem, and MK Asante as well as a performance by Human Collective appearing on stage at the Milford Theatre. They were attracted by the opportunity to meet people who actually read their work and to enjoy historic Milford. 

A variety of venues around Milford where the events take place have included Grey Towers National Historic Site, Hotel Fauchere, Dimmick Inn, Pike County Public Library, Waterwheel Cafe, Triversity Center, Pike County Historical Society, St. Patrick’s Church, and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.

After that successful first event, the festival organizers incorporated as Pike Artworks, a 501c-3 not-for-profit organization. The first board meeting was held April 2, 2017 with a founding board comprising Edson Whitney (President), Amy Ferris (Vice President), Barbara Zappile (Secretary), Michael Trenner (Treasurer), Barbara de Vries (Creative Director), Roland Edwards, Bob Levine, Lillian Longendorfer, Sean Strub and Diana Wiener. Suzanne Braun Levine joined the board shortly thereafter.

The current board includes Carol McManus (President), Brian Carso (Vice President), Rocco Zappile (Treasurer), Barbara Zappile (Secretary), Rose Chiocchi, Linda Fields, Verne Kreger, Rebecca Lindsay, Richard C. Morais, and Jennifer Ziegler. Our dedicated committee members still active today include Dana Bree, Michelle Oram, Lynn Nordstrom, J. C. Plaza, Christine Cohen, Beth Bouquot, and Dennis Bouquot.

In subsequent years, we have brought many luminaries to our festival, including Alan Alda, Lee Child, Anne Perry, Harvey Fierstein, Richard Wiese, Nelson & Alex DeMille, Helen Zia, Patricia Bosworth, Robin Morgan, Martha Frankel, Farai Chideya, Len Cariou, Heather Summerhayes Cariou, Mary Badham, Jack Devine, Martin Jude Farawell, Frances FitzGerald, Lucian Truscott IV, Bob Eckstein, Bill Goldstein, Anne-Christine d’Adesky, Susan Faludi, Paul Freedman, Brad Gooch, Jack Kelly, Phil Klay, Scott Snyder, David Borchart, Amanda McBroom, Charles Busch, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Dan Parent, Jeffrey Rosen, Admiral Joseph Sestak, Carol Jenkins, Barbara deVries, John Leland, Tim Teeman, James Kirchick, Charles Gannon, Duncan Hannah, David Lender, Tim Weiner, Lisa Lampanelli, Robert Levy, Mary Frances Berry, John DiLeo, Phil Murphy, Richard C. Morais, Melinda Chateauvert, Samuel R. Delany, George M. Johnson, Mark S. King, Gordon Van Gelder, Bob Guccione, Jr., Sheila Weller, Paula Giddings, Tim Murphy, Steven Thrasher and more.

Our goal remains to serve northeast PA and the greater tri-state area by hosting an annual festival to bring readers and writers together in an intimate setting.

The Milford Theater first opened a century ago as a silent movie house. When talkies replaced silent films, the theater was updated with a sound system and remained a popular destination until TV took over in the sixties after which attendance diminished and the theater fell into disrepair. Fifty years and several owners later, the theater has been transformed and renovated while its historic and architectural integrity and character remain. The theater is also the home of the annual Black Bear Film Festival and other special events, performances, and screenings.