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Building community, one conversation at a time
Intro
Based in Spokane, Northwest Passages is a conversation series with a mission. We go beyond the headlines to get Washington’s second largest city talking — about ourselves, the issues that matter most to our community, and our collective future.
With five universities and colleges and a long history of support for the local arts scene, Spokane is a literary town that embraces authors and community discussions in a big way. Northwest Passages hosts such world-class authors and newsmakers as Jess Walter, Tara Westover, Anne McClain, Craig Johnson, Shelby Van Pelt, Timothy Egan, Stephanie Land, Eli Saslow, Jamie Ford, Nancy Pearl, Sharma Shields, Dean Koontz and Luis Alberto Urrea.
Each month we share Common Reads, then we bring people together for a community discussion with the author. Northwest Passages events are crafted to be engaging, interactive, one-of-a-kind experiences that entertain, inform and help readers make sense of the world.
On Stage
Northwest Passages welcomes world-class authors and newsmakers
History
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2017
The Spokesman-Review launches its live journalism series in its historic building downtown. Begins with author talks. Pints and Politics, election debates, movie and sports nights and food events soon follow.
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2018
Expanded event series moves to larger Spokane venues too, regularly hosting acclaimed regional writers along with nationally bestselling authors Tara Westover and Craig Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow and travel writer Rick Steves.
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2020
Pivots to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, producing dozens of livestreamed conversations to keep readers connected from home.
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2021
Growing community support allows us to underwrite key newsroom positions, including health care reporting and the Washington, D.C., bureau.
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2022
After the death of founder Sandy Williams, The Black Lens newspaper is revived in a partnership with The S-R, amplifying Black storytellers and leaders in print, online and at live community events.
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2025
Comma Community Journalism Lab is announced in April, as the Cowles family agrees to donate The Spokesman-Review to the community nonprofit. Comma builds on the success of the event series.
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2026
Newspapers in the Movies Night, a sold-out January event at the Bing Crosby Theater, celebrates newspapers, movies and The Spokesman-Review’s upcoming transition to one of the nation’s first community-owned newspapers.
The Northwest Passages Book Club began in the fall of 2017 as a series of author talks in a makeshift space at the newspaper’s downtown headquarters. The outpouring of community support was immediate, with standing-room-only crowds.
Authors Nancy Pearl (left) and Sharma Shields at an early Northwest Passages night in December 2017
Since then we’ve grown into one of the most-trusted literary and civic forums in the region and the nation. If you’ve ever attended a Northwest Passages evening, you’ve seen what this Pacific Northwest community values: thoughtful conversation, civil discourse, fresh ideas, curiosity and imagination, and, of course, great storytelling. Those same values guide our newsroom every day.
Building Community
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Northwest Passages’ reach and community engagements goes far beyond our signature book club. We host forums to explain what’s on the local election ballot, we produce lively movie and sports nights, showcase the work of student writers and conduct regular tours of the landmark Spokesman-Review building to show readers how a community newspaper works.
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Northwest Passages events are crafted to be engaging, interactive, one-of-a-kind experiences that entertain, inform and help readers make sense of the world. We include video, live music, readings, surprise guests and participation by a wide-range of community partners and nonprofits.
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Readers tell us they savor our unforgettable conversations on stage and also enjoy arriving early for meetups with authors and fellow readers over a glass of wine or local brew.
Reach
The mission of Northwest Passages is to convene and connect the Inland Northwest community through live storytelling and conversation.
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8+
Years of continuous Northwest Passages gatherings, bringing readers, authors, newsmakers, students and community leaders together
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198+
Live events since 2017, including author talks, movie and sports nights, food events and candidate forums
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60+
Virtual events produced during the pandemic, keeping readers connected when in-person gathering wasn't possible.
Why It Matters
Spokane’s support of Northwest Passages has brought the community together on a regular basis and built the foundation of the newspaper’s reader engagement and grants programs at a time when many U.S. newspapers have closed their doors.
Northwest Passages’ success has funded 30 percent of the newsroom’s payroll in recent years. That funding covers in-depth staff reporting on health care, and allows the Spokesman-Review to continue as the smallest newspaper in the country with a Washington D.C. bureau. Northwest Passages has built a sturdy foundation that has made the newspaper’s transition to the nonprofit Comma Community Journalism Lab possible in 2026.
By supporting Northwest Passages and Comma, you are strengthening the work that educates, enriches and connects our region.