The 49th Annual Old Dominion University Literary Festival, themed "Make Room for Wonder," will take place from Sunday, October 8, through Thursday on campus and at various locations across Norfolk. The festival includes readings, workshops, a film screening, and the launch of an anthology.
Read More
Notable guests include MacArthur Fellow Hanif Abdurraqib, who received the National Book Critics Circle Award for his work "There’s Always This Year" and the 2026 Weston International Award for achievements in literary nonfiction. Abdurraqib is also the Edith and Forrest P. White Writer in Residence for ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program.
Festival directors John McManus and Michael Weber announced that this year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Renee Good, an ODU graduate who was tragically killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in January. The festival’s title is inspired by her poem, "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," which won the 2020 Academy of American Poets Prize at ODU.
Siobhan Fallon, author of the PEN Center USA Literary Award-winning story collection "You Know When the Men Are Gone," will read at The Slover Library. Chris Adrian, who graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School, will conduct a reading and workshop on narrative medicine, showcasing his works "The Children’s Hospital" and "The Great Night."
Scott McClanahan, known for his books "Crapalachia" and "The Sarah Book," will also participate. Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, whose novel "Big Girl" was recognized as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, will lead a discussion on craft and provide the festival’s closing reading.
Three poets featured in the Virginia Poets Database will read at ODU’s Perry Library, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The poets include Lesley Wheeler, Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, and Luz Schweig, with Professor Luisa A. Igloria leading a workshop in Coptic bookbinding.
In addition, the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries will present a curator’s tour of the exhibition “Bread + Puppet Theater: Sculpture in Action,” and Naro Video @ ODU Libraries will screen the film “Once” at The Slover Library. Another highlight is “Room to Wonder,” a literary-themed game jam hosted by the Monarch Institute for Game Design and Development, allowing participants two weeks to create story-based games. The Perry Library will host a launch party for two anthologies, "Brackish Waters" and "Constellate."
All events are free and open to the public. More information and a full schedule can be found at odu.edu.