The 23rd annual Villanova Literary Festival begins Thursday, Feb. 11! Please REGISTER for these exciting virtual readings and talks. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. All readings are ACS approved!

Brenda Shaughnessy

Thursday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m.

Register here: https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckcOygpj8sHNT6qZlLZfHmmo4Gyqqasv1l

Shaughnessy is the author of five poetry collections, including The Octopus Museum, So Much Synth (2016, Copper Canyon Press) and Our Andromeda (2012), which was a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award, The International Griffin Prize, and the PEN Open Book Award. A 2013 Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, Shaughnessy is Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rutgers University-Newark.

• Our Andromeda: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2027580
• So Much Synth: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2027578
• The Octopus Museum: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2027579
• Human Dark With Sugar: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/1090094

Bryan Washington

Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.

Register here: https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpc-ytpjouEt34Ydb1FaJEQOJRj6X27XBU

Washington’s debut collection of short stories, Lot was published by Riverhead in 2019. His fiction and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, BBC, The Paris Review, Tin House, and numerous other publications. Washington is also a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 winner, and the recipient of an O. Henry Award.

His first novel, Memorial was released on Oct. 27, 2020. The New York Times called it a Notable Book of 2020 and TIME called it one of their books of the year. So did the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and Vanity Fair.

• Lot: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2027589
• Memorial: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/WorldcatRecord/1158207919
• Link to writing available online via his website: https://brywashing.com/work/

Robin Coste Lewis

Thursday, April 8, at 7 p.m.

Register here: https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMqdOugqD4oEtVf2K5H8upjyxgNcgpqoiyk

Coste Lewis is the poet laureate of Los Angeles. In 2015, her debut poetry collection, Voyage of the Sable Venus (Knopf), won the National Book Award in poetry–the first time a poetry debut by an African-American had ever won the prize in the National Book Foundation’s history. Lewis’ writing has appeared in various journals and anthologies such as Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Transition, and Best American Poetry.

• Voyage of the Sable Venus: and Other Poems: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/1601510

Hanna Khalil

Thursday, April 15, at 5 p.m.

Register here: https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUlduyrrTkoGNAw5I3RwpJAxEU9dI3CzNyM

Palestinian-Irish writer and playwright, Hannah Kahlil holds the Charles Heimbold Chair of Irish Studies for Spring 2021 at Villanova University. Her work for stage includes A Museum in Baghdad, which opened at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in 2019, Interference for The National Theatre of Scotland, The Scar Test for Soho Theatre and Scenes from 68* Years for the Arcola. She is currently under commission to write new work for Shakespeare’s Globe, Chichester Festival Theatre, The Kiln and Golden Thread San Francisco. Alongside her theatre work, Khalil has written numerous radio plays, including The Unwelcome, Last of the Pearl Fishers and The Deportation Room all for BBC Radio 4. Television work includes multiple episodes of the Channel 4 drama Hollyoaks. Khalil’s first short film, The Record, won the Tommy Vine screenplay award at the Underwire film festival, and went on to be made. It was selected at London Palestine Film Festival and Almagro Festival as well as Filmets Badalona. It was a finalist in the Tolpuddle Radial Film Festival.

• Scenes from 68* Years: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/1944728
• Hannah Khalil’s website: https://hannahkhalil.com/

Regina Duffy is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.