On April 5 and 6, Adelphi University will welcome fellow book lovers for a free celebration of storytelling, literature and the power of the written word—featuring Adelphi alumna and bestselling author Alice Hoffman ‘73, ‘02 (Hon.), who founded and inspired the two-day festival.
The inaugural Writers & Readers Festival will include panels and keynotes with bestselling authors as well as professional development workshops and interactive conversations with literary agents, book editors and writing coaches. In addition to Hoffman, festival attendees will have the chance to meet and hear from well-known authors, including Mona Awad, Kevin Baker, Lisa Belkin, Ada Calhoun, Rebecca Chace, Liana Finck, Kim Coleman Foote, Robin Gow, Julie Klam, Jacqueline Jones LaMon, Ann Leary, Charles Leerhsen, Matt Pasca, Adam Powell and Laura Zigman.
On Friday, April 5, the festival will open with a welcome lunch hosted by former New York Newsday publisher Steven Isenberg, JD, remarks by Hoffman and presentation of the Axinn Writing Awards to authors and poets who are changing the literary landscape.
The lunch will be followed by concurrent sessions throughout the afternoon on topics ranging from breaking into publishing to fiction writing to finding mentors and an evening keynote discussion with author Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling (Spiegel & Grau, 2017), which was recently adapted as a limited series for Apple TV. The day’s events will conclude with the presentation of the first Elaine Markson ’51 Award for Excellence in Publishing to Pantheon/Schocken Books publisher Lisa Lucas.
On Saturday, April 6, the program includes a morning keynote conversation with Hoffman and her good friend, bestselling author and book podcaster Adriana Trigiani; a discussion on “the art of the memoir”; a networking break and lunch; panel discussions on writing and teaching, young adult literature and transitioning from journalism to book-length narrative nonfiction; and a closing keynote conversation with Lauren Grodstein, author of We Must Not Think of Ourselves (Algonquin, 2023), presented by Long Island LitFest.
Adelphi faculty members—including Professor Rene Steinke, director of Adelphi’s new low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program; Professor Rob Linné, PhD, director of the Young Writers Workshop; as well as Assistant Professor Maya Marshall; Professor Igor Webb, PhD; and Assistant Professor Jan-Henry Gray—will also lead discussions and share readings.
Attendees will have a chance to learn from authors and industry insiders about the art of writing and the business of publishing.
“Attending Adelphi University was a life-changing experience for me and I’ve been a big supporter of the school ever since,” said Hoffman. “I’m so excited to bring the Writers & Readers Festival to Adelphi this spring. I think we’re going to make literary magic.”
Adelphi’s Writers & Readers Festival will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 5, and from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on April 6, at the University’s Garden City campus. The first 200 people to register will receive the latest book by one of the festival’s featured authors (limit one book per registrant) and a festival branded tote bag.
Registration for the event is limited and is now open.