SANDPOINT — In a way, the Five Minutes of Fame open mic sessions never really went away. True, the writers and spoken word artists who frequented the monthly gatherings rolled up their collective rug a few months back and marked the end of the long-running event, but the spirit of the thing has remained intact.

This month, that same energy will be resurrected at the hands of a new writing-related group, when the Sandpoint Literary Collective hosts its first Pop-Up Open Mic on Aug. 23, at the Pend d’Oreille Winery.

Some aspects will seem familiar to fans of its predecessor event: Each participant will get five minutes at the microphone and the readings, in the main, will fall into the genres of fiction, poetry, storytelling and creative non-fiction. The open mic will act as the coming out party for the collective, which has been in the works since last fall. One difference is the emphasis on literature — at least in these early stages.

“Right now, we are asking writers and poets to share their work,” said Jackie Henrion, a founding member of the new collective. “If a writer and musician — or any other artist — collaborate on an original piece of writing and music or painting or dance, then we will consider allowing a different genre to be represented. But, whatever genre is introduced, it should always have a related piece of writing to usher it into our events.

“We are a writing group intent on educating and elevating writers for our particular events.”

There are about 25 members involved in the fledgling organization, coming from virtually all corners of the writing world. Along with professional writers, the collective also is made up of publishers, editors, book marketers, indexers, designers and proofreaders. Established as a non-profit, the Sandpoint Literary Collective falls under the umbrella of the Academy of Northwest Writers & Publishers and Lost Horse Press.

Several of the members hold master’s degrees in creative writing, with one having completed a memoir, another a work of fiction about a local historical character and still another currently involved in updating a published book on the history and culture of Lake Pend Oreille.

Asked if the use of the word “literary” is meant to define the group, Christine Holbert of Lost Horse Press pointed out that the designation covers a lot of ground.

“We are committed to literary writing in any genre,” she said. “Literary can be thought of as innovative, creative, timeless, transcendent, thought-provoking writing that reflects an awareness of forms in poetics, prose, journalism, essays, memoir, plays, fiction and non-fiction.

“Literary writing aspires to be more than commercially successful. Rather, it reaches for modes of expression which have deeper philosophical and theoretical roots,” she added.

Now that it has made itself public, the Sandpoint Literary Collective looks to increase its membership, though new recruits will need to meet expectations set by the organization.

“The main requirement is a desire to improve one’s literary writing, whatever the genre,” Henrion said. “Members are expected to be active writers or professionals working in the publishing industry. Potential members will be asked to submit a sample or description of work for board approval.”

The group was formed when Holbert, a seasoned publisher in her own right, noticed that there was no local source for information on the ins and outs of writing, publishing and marketing.

“Yet there were literary writers and publishers and editors and book marketing professionals living right here in Sandpoint, who just needed to be collected in one place,” she said. “Once we all got together, ideas and schemes bounced off the walls. We decided that an informal, but tightly knit, collective of writers and people working in the publishing industry can help one another to improve their writing skills and learn how to best publish their work and where.”

“We felt there was a need for an informational group to tackle issues of writing, publishing and editing, oriented towards professional goals,” Henrion added. “All of the founding members are eager to organize educational events supportive of writers, such as workshops and conferences, open mic nights, readings by regionally and nationally recognized writers, salons, lectures and any activity that supports the group’s goals.”

Working from the foundation of “recognizing writing as a profession,” the collective plans to host additional open mic sessions every few months as a way for members to share their work, “while inviting other writers to consider whether our goals mesh with theirs,” said Holbert.

“The goal of all writing is communication and that involves getting others to listen to or read your work,” she continued. “Sharing work in public forums is an essential aspect of creative writing.”

Holbert described a continuum where writers first test out their work in private, moving to a small group for critical feedback and then, at last, introduce the writing to a wider audience. The process, she explained, reveals rhythmic and language properties that otherwise might not be evident. Poets might discover new ways to address line breaks to more effectively carry their words, where prose writers can vary sentence length to achieve similar results.

“Essentially, a writer wants her ideas to resonate with a larger community,” she said. “Towards that end, the writer benefits by understanding that an audience plays a critical role in co-creating the meaning of a piece.”

Membership in the Sandpoint Literary Collective, pending board approval, is $25 per year, with members also expected to provide financial assistance for sponsored events and activities. The non-profit group is supportive of human rights, gender identification, racial and religious diversity, sustainability and global community.

“We believe that literature fills a vital role of self-expression and provides a voice for younger, fresher ideas with which to navigate our future,” said Henrion.

The inaugural Pop-Up Open Mic will be held on Aug. 23, at 6 p.m., in the tasting room at Pend d’Oreille Winery, located at 301 Cedar St., in Sandpoint. The event is free and open to the public.

For information on the open mic or to learn more about Sandpoint Literary Collective, call 208-255-4410 or e-mail: losthorsepress@mindspring.com