A week-long celebration of writers and writing at Wilkes University will include a night in recognition of Juneteenth and the impact of Black writers. The second annual Lit Fest, sponsored by the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing, is being held from June 18 to 23 as part of the program’s annual June residency.
Readings on Sunday, June 19 are a celebration of contemporary Black writers affiliated with the Wilkes program. Readers include alumnus Andre Carter, author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, published in 2022, and Wilkes faculty member Laurie Jean. Jean’s memoir, Crave: Sojourn of a Hungry Soul was named one of the best nonfiction books by black authors by The Root online magazine and was a finalist for the Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award for Nonfiction.
Additional highlights from Lit Fest include:
- “Journey of the Book” with young adult romance writer Nisha Sharma and sci-fi novelist Ken Liu on Saturday, June 18.
- A staged reading of an original play by playwright/performer and Wilkes faculty member Christine Renee Miller on Wednesday, June 22.
- An evening with National Book Award finalist Tim Seibles, novelist Morowa Yejide, fictionist/essayist Ru Freeman and New Yorker staff writer Margaret Talbot on Thursday, June 23.
All events will be held under a tent on the University’s Fenner Quadrangle, with a rain location in the Henry Student Center ballroom at 84 W. South St. Food trucks will be on site and attendees are welcome to bring chairs or blankets for a casual evening in celebration of the written word.
All LitFest events are free and open to the public. More information at wilkes.edu/cw.
SATURDAY, JUNE 18
7 p.m. Journey of a Book: An interview with young adult romance writer Nisha Sharma and sci-fi novelist Ken Liu on the publication of their new books, followed by short readings and book signings.
SUNDAY, JUNE 19
6 p.m. Juneteenth: Readings and Book Signings by Contemporary Black Writers
6 p.m. Music and food
6:30 p.m. Laurie Jean, memoir
Shanta Lee Gander, poetry
Felice Belle, poetry
Andre Carter, novelist
Christopher John Farley, YA
MONDAY, JUNE 20
4:30 p.m. Readings with Wilkes Alumni
Jen Bokal, Jackie Fowler, Suzanne Ohlmann, Barb Taylor
7 p.m. Readings from Wilkes Faculty
David Hicks, J. Michael Lennon, Taylor Polites, Nancy McKinley
TUESDAY, JUNE 21
7 p.m. Readings from Wilkes Faculty
Taylor Polites, Robert Mooney, Kaylie Jones, Phil Brady
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22
7 p.m. Staged readings of original plays of Wilkes Faculty
Christine Renee Miller and Gregory Fletcher
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
7 p.m. Featured Readings
Morowa Yejide, novelist
Ru Freeman, stories/essays
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker journalist
Tim Seibles, poet
About the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing
The mission of the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing is to educate students in the craft, community and career of seven areas of study — fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, publishing and spoken word — through a commitment to excellent mentorships, publishing opportunities and industry-specific internships. The program offers a nationally ranked graduate creative writing experience where students and faculty find the writing support, community and market opportunities to become lifelong, productive, professional writers.
The Graduate Creative Writing program is offered in two formats. In the low-residency format, students learn online during the project semester and usually attend eight-day in-person residencies each January and June. For the weekender program, students learn online and attend four online weekend class sessions each term as well as one in-person residency during the program. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu/cw.
