ESCANABA — Three authors are being inducted into the Upper Peninsula Literary Hall of Fame Thursday. This year will be the second installment of the ceremony.

Last year, Jim Harrison, Sally Brunk, Robert Trevor and Sue Harrison were inducted into the Upper Peninsula Literary Hall of Fame at the Bayliss Public Library in Sault Ste. Marie.

This year, the induction ceremony is being held in Escanaba.

On Thursday, July 18 at 5 p.m., the Escanaba Public Library is honoring writers Tom Bissell, Elinor Benedict and Gloria Whelan.

There will be guest presentations by Ron Riekki, bestselling author Sue Harrison, National Book Award finalist Bonnie Jo Campbell, Upper Peninsula Youth Poet Laureate of Iron County Christopher Johnson, and Sam Benedict (son of inductee Elinor Benedict), with a featured reading by Bissell.

The authors are local, as Bissel grew up in Escanaba and Benedict grew up in Rapid River. Whelan resides in Detroit, but consistently writes about the Upper Peninsula.

“They’re three of our greatest living Upper Peninsula writers, so it’s an honor to get to honor them,” organizer of the event, Ron Riekki.

Bissell has written several books in his career, including Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter and Magic Hours to name a few. He has even written for video games, including The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Battlefield Hardline and Gears Of War 5.

Benedict’s work includes poems such as Late News from the Wilderness and books like All That Divides Us.

“Elinor Benedict is well loved in the Escanaba Community and was a member of the Escanaba Library monthly poetry group for many years,” said Monique Ciofu, librarian at the Escanaba Public Library.

Whelan’s work includes Listening for Lions, Homeless Bird, The Disappeared and Goodbye, Vietnam to name a few. Her career includes awards such as the National Book Award as well as the Great Lakes Book Award.

The event is free to the pubic and registration is not required. The library will provide refreshments for the event. The Escanaba Public Library is located at 400 Ludington Street in Escanaba.