Every other Saturday at 9 a.m. in the St. Charles Public Library, a group meets to share their love for literature. The group is composed of about 30 local authors. They celebrate their achievements, hear from guest speakers, discuss genres, participate in workshops and give each other’s manuscripts feedback. This is the St. Charles Writers group, which is celebrating 30 years in 2025.
The group is facilitated by Lisa Macaione. Macaione has been organizing the group since 2017, but the group has been around since the ‘90s. The founder of the group is St. Charles resident, Rick Hollinger. Hollinger was given a grant to produce a poetry workshop, which slowly grew into the writers group. He ran the group for around 20 years before stepping down.
The meetings start with celebrations, where any member shares good news revolving their writing. After, the group goes into a topic. The topics are posted on the St. Charles Public Library website, and the public is encouraged to drop in if the topic interests them. The group takes a break, and then reviews manuscripts submitted by members. They provide each author with feedback, giving them advice for continuing their work.
The group is incredibly diverse, ranging from young poets to seniors who have been attending since the start of the group. Each attendee brings their own unique viewpoints and knowledge to the meetings, which has created a sense of community.
“We have amazing discussions. Everybody is always so respectful and kind to one another. People have made lifelong friendships here,” said Macaione. “[Being a part of the group] invigorates you as a writer, but even more as a community member, because it feels like you belong to something.”
Liz Mullen, a member for two years, attends the group with her father. Mullen is a poet, and enjoys the different creativity each member brings to the group.
“People have very different ideas and really different writing styles, and also full time jobs and families, it’s just nice,” said Mullen.
Page to Stage is an event coordinated by the group that brings the writer’s work to life. Writers can submit pieces under 10 minutes long, and the group turns it into a production. In the past, they partnered with the Kane Repertory Theatre to make this happen. However, this year, the group formed a committee of volunteers to create the production in house. The show will take place on Jan. 31 in the Carnegie room of the library.
Community members above 18 that are interested in learning more about the group can attend the Annual Holiday Reading on Dec. 6, the Page to Stage event or look on the library website for information on meetings. No prior experience is required, just a passion for writing.
