Through my work at Inprint, I have been very fortunate, as have many Houstonians, to meet some of the greatest writers of our times—John Updike, Carlos Fuentes, Jhumpa Lahiri, Salman Rushdie, Gary Shteyngart, Junot Diaz, the list goes on. My friends often joke about the seemingly glamorous nature of my job. In all honesty, as exciting as it is to meet a writer you have admired for many years, what inspires me the most about my work at Inprint is the opportunity to engage with all the talented local writers I get the chance to meet, writers from all walks of life who share their imaginative fiction and poetry with us while residing in our beloved city.

Earlier this fall, I had the privilege of meeting a fascinating local writer, Tonja Koeppel, who in her 90s, just published her third novel, The Bell File. Genuine, graceful, and very sharp, Tonja came to creative writing later in her life. She began her career by working as a science writer for newspapers and magazines in Switzerland where she was born and grew up. When she came to the United States, she taught chemistry at a university in New Jersey. After she retired, she signed up for a writing course at Rice University which then launched her writing life.  Her other novels include Astral Twin and Secret of Adamant House. The Bell File is her first self-published novel through Amazon.  Continue reading →