About the Memorial

Sandra Carpenter was a supreme connector of people.

For Sandra personally, there were never too many friends at a party or too many relatives at a holiday table. She was devoted to her family, and she surrounded herself with a wide circle of friends in her native Cincinnati and her adopted home of Stockholm, Sweden (not to mention the people she met on her travels). Sandra was beloved by so many people around the globe. Get to know Sandra at her blog, 59North.

Professionally, Sandra loved to mentor budding writers and editors. Her interest in guiding and lifting up other writers, especially in an international context, was why she was thrilled to participate in the development of the Stockholm Writers Festival in 2017 and the First Pages Prize in 2018.  

The Sandra Carpenter Memorial was conceived out of Sandra’s family and friends’ hope to carry on her vibrant and generous spirit. To support her passion projects in an international Sandy—Ohio–Sweden—way. To continue her legacy as a connector of people and a champion of writers. To inspire other women writers, like Sandra, to travel and explore the world.

For five years, SCMF honored Sandy’s memory by enabling talented women with a passion for writing to hone their craft and share their gifts with the wider world. Through two awards, the SCMF-SWF Ohio Writers Scholarship and the Creative Nonfiction Prize, SCMF connected Sandy’s lives in Ohio and Sweden along with two writing events that she passionately supported: the Stockholm Writers Festival and the First Pages Prize. We invite you to meet our recipients.

Today, the Sandra Carpenter Memorial has plans for gatherings that embrace her community and hopefully grow it a bit. Stay tuned for news about an online book discussion group to convene in Fall 2025, and for a virtual “write-in” in spring of 2026 that will bring writers together for a communal writing session. Follow the Memorial on Instagram for updates.

The Sandra Carpenter Memorial is a small volunteer-run operation led by a team of Sandra’s family and friends located across the globe. The website was developed by Lisa Hazen Design and Editorial.