By Sam McDonald
Celebrated writers from around the world — and here in Hampton Roads — will share insights and read from their works at the 47th Annual 51鱨վ Literary Festival, “Ancient Futures,” taking place Oct. 6-11.
Co-directed by Old Dominion MFA creative writing faculty members Marianne Chan and John McManus, the festival will showcase 22 writers and other artists, including the National Book Award winner Sigrid Nunez and New York Times bestselling novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
The festival lineup also includes American Book Award winner Beth Nguyen, debut novelist Devika Rege, and memoirist Rebekah Taussig, whose memoir-in-essays “Sitting Pretty,” has been chosen as a featured title for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read. NEA funding is helping to bring Rebekah Taussig to 51鱨վ to give the festival’s keynote lecture, “Healthcare: Transforming the Patient Experience.”
The MFA Creative Writing Program’s Fall 2024 Edith and Forrest P. White Writer in Residence, Anna Qu, will read from her memoir, “Made in China.” Three MFA creative writing faculty members who have published books in 2024 will celebrate their new work: Luisa A. Igloria, Kent Wascom and festival co-director Marianne Chan.
MFA alum Lucian Mattison will read from his new collection of poems. An inaugural Local Authors hour will feature Hampton Roads writers Bill Glose and Jeff Schnader.
Although most readings will take place at 51鱨վ’s University Theatre, several events will take place elsewhere.
The festival will present Rebekah Taussig’s Oct. 8 keynote lecture at Chartway Arena’s Big Blue Room at 6 p.m.
That same day at 12:30 p.m., the Barry Art Museum will host a launch party for “Constellate,” a brand-new university-wide anthology of student work put out by 51鱨վ’s MFA Creative Writing Program. On Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. in the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, 51鱨վ English professor and artist Manuela Mourão will give an artist talk at her exhibition “From the Heart,” which will be on view to the public Oct. 8-12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The festival will also present writers and artists including Micah Nemerever, SJ Sindu, Geoff Bouvier, Andréane Frenette-Vallières, Yalie Kamara, Remica Bingham-Risher, Christal Brown and the musical duo Wine Dark Sea featuring Old Dominion faculty members Drew Lopenzina and Liz Black.
“This year’s lineup is remarkable,” said 51鱨վ Executive Director for the Arts Cullen Strawn. “The annual festival is one of the mainstays of the university’s arts offerings for campus and community members, and we look forward to bringing everyone together for time with these impassioned authors.”
The festival has a history of hosting literary luminaries. William Styron, Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, Billy Collins, Rita Dove and George Plimpton are among the writers who have participated.
See the full 2024 festival schedule, including presenter bios and parking information on the Literary Festival website.
All events are free and open to the public.
Follow the Literary Festival on Facebook @51鱨վLitFest and on Instagram @olddominionmfa.
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