LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Arts Council and former Lake County Poet Laureate Mary McMillan have again been awarded a grant to fund the Writers Circle, a free public workshop held at the Main Street Art Gallery at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

The grant supporting the Writers Circle comes from Poets and Writers Inc., through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation.

Many emerging writers, as well as more seasoned authors, come to the Writers Circle to build their skills and connect with other writers.

People from all over the county, aged 19 to 90, have benefited from the opportunity to listen to other writers and share their own work.

Some people come only one or two times, and others show up every month.

Many participants have been writing books and other long works.

Others share short stories, memoirs, essays or poems.