Announcing the 2024 Villanova Literary Festival featured speakers: V. V. Ganeshananthan, Thursday, Feb. 15 in Falvey’s Speakers’ Corner; Tracy K. Smith, Tuesday, March 12 in the Connelly Cinema; Emilie Pine, 2024 Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Chair of Irish Studies, Thursday, March 14 in the President’s Lounge, Connelly Center; and Carolyn Forché, Wednesday, April 3 in the Driscoll Auditorium.

These ACS-approved events are co-sponsored by the English Department, the Creative Writing Program, Gender and Women’s Studies, the Center for Irish Studies, Center for Peace and Justice Education and Falvey Library, and are free and open to the public. All events begin at 7 p.m.

Faculty, staff, students, and friends are invited to join us for the 2023 Literary Festival! Through this annual series, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming major poets and fiction writers on campus to give readings and meet with students.

The Literary Festival officially kicks off tonight with a reading by the Charles A. Heimbold Jr. Chair for Irish Studies, Mary O’Donoghue, an award-winning poet, fiction writer, editor, and translator. A reception will start at 6 p.m. in the Presidents’ Lounge in Connelly Center prior to the 7 p.m. reading! In addition, we are delighted that the new Ambassador of Ireland Geraldine Byrne Nason will personally congratulate our 2023 Heimbold Chair, Mary O’Donoghue, at 6:45 p.m.

See the full line-up of Literary Festival speakers, below.

Feb. 23: Mary O’Donoghue
The President’s Lounge, Connelly Center

March 16: Tsering Lama
Speakers’ Corner, Falvey Library

March 30: Donika Kelly
Speakers’ Corner, Falvey Library

April 18: Steph Cha,
Speakers’ Corner, Falvey Library

All events take place at 7 p.m. and are ACS-approved!

You can learn more about the 2023 Lit Fest speakers and enjoy recordings of past events here.