Celebrating our 21st Emerging Writers Festival

March 29-31, 2023

 

Each spring, the English Department at Franklin & Marshall College hosts its annual Emerging Writers Festival, dedicated to championing the work of writers early in their careers. Since its inception in 2002, the Festival has been a collaborative effort between students and faculty, bringing people together across the campus community and beyond for readings, workshops, and the opportunity to mix, formally and informally, with some of the country’s most exciting new literary talents. Generously supported by Edna Hausman P'85 and Richard D. Hausman '50, P'85 and the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, the Emerging Writers Festival is a marquee event in F&M’s literary year.

  • EWF LOGO

2023 Schedule of Events

In-person and virtual options will be offered.  Check back for more information about how to watch the craft talks and readings via Zoom.

READINGS will begin at 7:30 pm in the Green Room Theatre.

Wednesday, March 29 

  • Tyler Barton

  • Angelique Stevens 

  • Edgar Kunz  

Thursday, March 30

  •  Paige Towers

  • Su Cho 

 

CRAFT TALKS will begin at the times listed below and will be held in the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House


Thursday, March 30

10:00 am:  Tyler Barton

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/98781372387

1:00 pm:  Edgar Kunz

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/93731909384

2:30 pm:  Angelique Stevens 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/95378887545

Friday, March 31

9:30 am:  Paige Towers

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/91404959861

11:00 am:   Su Cho

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/99149945969

Closing events will be held in the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House


Friday, March 31

12:30 pm  PANEL DISCUSSION with all five emerging writers.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fandm.zoom.us/j/91268599269

​A BYE BYE BBQ celebrating the end of the festival will begin immediately after the conclusion of the panel.  All are welcome!

2023 Emerging Writers

  • Featured Writer

Tyler Barton

Fiction

Tyler Barton is an artist and author of Eternal Night at the Nature Museum (Sarabande, 2021) and The Quiet Part Loud (Split/Lip, 20219). His stories have appeared in Kenyon Review, Iowa Review, Subtropics, and have been twice selected as "Distinguished" by Best American Short Stories. Tyler lives in the high peaks of upstate New York where he works for the Adirondack Center for Writing and teaches workshops to the incarcerated elderly at Adirondack Correctional Facility. With Erin Dorney, he co-curates the ongoing literary arts installation, "The Hidden Museum," now on view at Susquehanna Museum of Art.

Learn more at tsbarton.com

Photo credit: Lina Seijo

  • Su Cho

Su Cho

Poetry

Su Cho is a poet, essayist, and the author of The Symmetry of Fish (Penguin Books 2022) which won the 2021 National Poetry Series. She has served as the editor-in-chief of Indiana Review, Cream City Review, and served as guest editor for Poetry magazine. Her work has been featured in Poetry, Gulf Coast, and New England Review; the 2021 Best American and Best New Poets anthologies; and elsewhere. A finalist for the 2020 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Poetry Fellowship, a recipient of a National Society of Arts and Letters Award, and a two-time Pushcart nominee, she is an assistant professor of creative writing at Clemson University.

Learn more at suchowrites.com

Photo credit: CJ Scruton

  • Featured emerging writer

Edgar Kunz

Poetry

Edgar Kunz is the author of Tap Out (Mariner, 2019), a New York Times New & Noteworthy pick, and Fixer, forthcoming from Ecco in 2023. He has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow. His poems have appeared widely, including in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Poetry, Ploughshares, and American Poetry Review. He lives in Baltimore and teaches at Goucher College.

Learn more at edgarkunz.com

Photo credit: Ariana Mygatt

  • Featured emerging writer

Paige Towers

Nonfiction

Paige Towers is a creative and freelance writer based in Bellingham, WA. She has a BA in political science from the University of Iowa and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Emerson College. Her first book, The Sound of Undoing: A Memoir in Essays, is forthcoming from the University of Nebraska Press in March 2023. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, McSweeney’s, The Harvard Review, North American Review, Indiana Review, Cream City Review, Seneca Review, The Baltimore Review, Midwestern Gothic, Hyperallergic, The Billfold, Bustle and many other publications. She is originally from Iowa City.

Learn more at paigetowers.com

Photo credit: Samit Kumar Datta

  • EWF Logo Standalonemark
  • Featured emerging writer

Angelique Stevens

Nonfiction

Angelique Stevens lives in Upstate New York where she teaches creative writing, literature of genocide, and race literatures. Her nonfiction has been published or is forthcoming in Granta, LitHub, The New England Review, and a number of anthologies. Her essay “Ghost Bread,” which won the Prism International Creative Nonfiction Contest, was chosen for Best American Essays 2022. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Bennington College and an MA from SUNY Brockport in Literature. Her other honors include an alumni fellowship from Bennington College’s MFA Program; fellowships from Bread Loaf, Tin House, Kenyon Review, and Sewanee Writers Workshops; a fellowship to the inaugural cohort of the Periplus Mentorship Collective; a teaching fellowship to the Lighthouse Book Project, and a fellowship to the Hedgebrook Writers in Residence. She is currently writing a memoir about her experiences growing up in New York State. She finds her inspiration in wandering—being in places that push the boundaries of comfort, experience, knowledge, and hunger.

Learn more at angeliquecstevens.com

Photo credit: Jasna Bogdanovska

2023 Student Planning Committee Members

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Shannon Boodhoo '23
English-Creative Writing and German Language & Culture Double Major 
Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Minor


As a senior anticipating my graduation, being on the EWF planning committee offers me a personalized experience as to what events and activities I can expect in my near future. It makes me really excited for the relationships we will form with all the cool writers we have this year, and I can't wait for the EWF to arrive.

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Kiersten Busch '23
English Literature Major
Spanish Minor 


I am really excited to be on the EWF planning committee because of the opportunity to work closely with my fellow committee members to bring one of F&M’s most well-known events to life. EWF was something that attracted me to the college when I was looking to apply, and to now be part of the process of planning the entire festival is an honor! I am also looking forward to working closely with all of the lovely and inspiring writers that have been chosen to be featured this year.

  • 2023 EWF Student Committee

Mariel Paces Carter '23
English Literature Major
Music Performance Minor


I feel so proud and excited serving on the committee this year! Having worked at Writers House since my first semester, I have witnessed many EWF happenings and always dreamed about helping. It is so special to watch how the Festival brings the campus community together every spring.  I love the English Department here at F&M and am honored to support its biggest event of the year!

 

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Norah Clifford '23
English - Creative Writing Major
Music Performance Minor


I am very excited to be a part of the Emerging Writer's Festival Planning Committee for 2023! I look forward to meeting our emerging writers and the unique opportunity to shadow one of them during the festival. Surrounded by a community of fellow students and faculty who celebrate literature and creativity, I cannot wait to learn more about what it is to be a working writer and gather inspiration and knowledge from our visiting writers, my fellow committee members, and the F&M community that comes to enjoy the festival. 

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Megan Cunningham '23
Special Studies Major

The Emerging Writers Festival has always played an integral role in my F&M career.  I remember attending EWF events my freshman year, wondering “where am I” and “what’s the EWF?”  Little did I know, three years and full circle later I would be serving on the EWF Planning Committee!  It’s truly an honor and I hope to give the students of F&M those same EWF memories I cherish so fondly.

  • 2023 Emerging Writers Festival Planning Committee

Zyaira James '23
English - Creative Writing Major
Environmental Studies Minor


I am very honored to be apart of Emerging Writer’s Festival. For as all long as I can remember, writing have always been my passion. I have always been a writer.  To be nominated for the planning committee means everything to me. I am ready for this opportunity. I’m truly excited to meet the authors and learn from them. I am excited to work along with fellow seniors and English professors. 

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Emily Nic Kozell '23
English - Creative Writing Major 
German Language & Culture Minor


Being on the EWF committee to me means that I will be able to work closely with talented writers of all genres, and in turn help organize an event that allows them to share their knowledge with the students of Franklin & Marshall. As a writer myself, I look forward to all I can learn from these writers. 

 

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Nick Sebastian '23
English - Creative Writing  and
BFB: Animal Behavior Double Major


The Emerging Writers Festival is such a unique experience that I am so grateful to be a part of. I have attended the event every year, and the fact that this time, I get to actually make it come to fruition is amazing. I can’t wait to meet some talented new writers and soak up every ounce of knowledge I can get, especially as an aspiring writer myself. 

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Olivia Lockey '23
English - Literature and  Government Double Major


I am excited to be a part of the Emerging Writers Festival planning committee! Writing is a way to bridge gaps and connect worlds. I cannot wait to help bring together the F&M community to appreciate the magic of words and the wonderful writers who we have the honor of hosting!

  • 2023 EWF Student Planning Committee

Idris/Izzy Mansaray '23
English - Creative Writing and Film
Double Major


For me, being on the committee for the Emerging Writer's Festival means opening up my artistic bubble and developing a community with those around me. As a writer, it's all too easy to stare at your computer screen in a dark, isolated bedroom at 1 am, hoping words will appear. Though, it's talking about craft with others that brings a bit more warmth to my writing experience. It's what makes the entire process that much more exhilarating, when you've been discussing writing characters with other writers and the energy in the room refuses to die down cause you're all just so excited about discussing the complex lives of the fake people you've created on the page. As a senior student, I want to make sure I help cultivate as many experiences as that with the community here before I graduate. It's delightful that I have the opportunity to do so by being on this committee!

 Emerging Writers Festival Alumni

EWF 1 / 2002 

Steven Raleigh Byler, Fiction
www.stephenbyler.net

Meghan Daum, Nonfiction
www.meghandaum.com

Julie Otsuka, Fiction
www.julieotsuka.com

Christine Perrin, Poetry

Joe Wenderoth, Poetry

EWF 2 / 2003

Brock Clarke, Fiction
brockclarke.com

Miranda Field, Poetry
www.mirandafield.com

Major Jackson, Poetry

Sebastian Matthews, Nonfiction

Susan Steinberg, Fiction

EWF 3 / 2004

Jeffery Renard Allen, Fiction
 www.jefferyrenardallen.com

Erin Belieu, Poetry

Ted Genoways, Poetry
tedgenoways.com

Peter Orner, Fiction
www.peterorner.net

Vendela Vida, Nonfiction

EWF 4 / 2005

Samina Ali, Fiction

Gabe Hudson, Fiction
gabehudson.com

Brad Land, Nonfiction

Sabrina Orah Mark, Poetry

Jon Pineda, Poetry
www.jonpineda.com

EWF 5 / 2006

Catherine Barnett, Poetry

Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Poetry

Alix Ohlin, Fiction
www.alixohlin.com

Lewis Robinson, Fiction
www.lewisrobinson.com

Sean Wilsey, Nonfiction

EWF 6 / 2007

Cynthia Cruz, Poetry
www.cynthiacruzblog.blogspot.com

Lauren Groff, Fiction
www.laurengroff.com

Amaud Johnson, Poetry     

 Jay Kirk, Nonfiction

Kevin Moffett, Fiction

EWF 7 / 2008

Remica Bingham, Poetry
remicalbingham.blogspot.com

Rachel DeWoskin, Nonfiction
www.racheldewoskin.com

Ilya Kaminsky, Poetry
www.ilyakaminsky.com

Emily Rapp, Nonfiction

Jess Row, Fiction
www.jessrow.com

EWF 8 / 2009

Jaed Coffin, Nonfiction

K.A. Hays, Poetry

Shane McCrae, Poetry

Dash Shaw, Graphic Fiction
www.dashshaw.com

Laura van den Berg, Fiction
www.lauravandenberg.com

EWF 9 / 2010

Jericho Brown, Poetry
www.jerichobrown.com

Beth Bachmann, Poetry
www.bethbachmann.com

Elna Baker, Nonfiction
elnabaker.com

Lydia Peelle, Fiction

Philipp Meyer, Fiction
philippmeyer.net

EWF 10 / 2011

Elyse Fenton, Poetry
elysefenton.com

Alex Taylor, Fiction

Grace Krilanovich, Fiction

Jason Fagone, Nonfiction
www.jasonfagone.com

Henry Wolfe, Songwriting
www.henrywolfe.com

 EWF 11/2012

Rebecca Makkai, Fiction
www.rebeccamakkai.com

Christine Hemp, Poetry
www.christinehemp.com

Jamaal May, Poetry
www.jamaalmay.com

Megan Mayhew Bergman, Fiction
www.mayhewbergman.com

Anna Moench, Playwriting
www.annamoench.com

EWF 12 / 2013

Jeffrey Pethybridge, Poetry
www.jeffreypethybridge.net

Louise Krug, Nonfiction
www.louise-krug.com

Paul Bogard, Nonfiction
www.paul-bogard.com

Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, Fiction
www.azareenvandervlietoloomi.com

 Caitlin Horrocks, Fiction 
www.caitlinhorrocks.com

 

 

  • Emerging Writers Festival

EWF 13 / 2014

Claire Vaye Watkins, Fiction
www.clairevayewatkins.com

Christopher Merkner, Fiction
www.christophermerkner.com

Amy Leach, Nonfiction

Greg Wrenn, Poetry
www.gregwrenn.com

Caryl Pagel, Poetry

  • 2015 EWF Committee and Writers

EWF 14 / 2015

Arna Bontemps Hemenway, Fiction
 www.arnabontempshemenway.com

Ansel Elkins, Poetry
www.anselelkins.net

Sampson Starkweather, Poetry

Kristin Dombek, Nonfiction
www.kristindombek.com

Chisa Hutchinson, Playwriting 
www.chisahutchinson.com

 

  • The 2016 Emerging Writers Fest crew!
4/8/16

EWF 15/2016

Kerry Howley. Nonfiction
kerryhowley.com

Robin Coste Lewis, Poetry

Julia Pierpont, Fiction
www.juliapierpont.com

Suzanne Scanlon, Fiction/Nonfiction

Phillip B. Williams, Poetry

 

  • EWF 2018

EWF 16/2017

Garnett Cadogan, Nonfiction

Franny Choi, Poetry
www.frannychoi.com

Indra Das '08, Fiction
www.indradas.com

Meghan Kenny, Fiction
www.meghankenny.co

Kristen Radtke, Graphic Fiction
www.kristenradtke.com

  • Group photo of committee and writers.

 EWF 17/2018

Raymond Antrobus, Poetry
www.raymondantrobus.com

Mandy Berman '09, Fiction
www.mandyberman.com

Tessa Fontaine, Nonfiction
www.tessafontaine.com

Sarah Gerard, Fiction and Nonfiction
sarah-gerard.com

Chinaka Hodge, Poetry and Playwriting
chinakahodge.com

  • EWF Committee Members

EWF 18/2019

Derrick Austin, Poetry
derricklynnaustin.wixsite.com/authorpage

Elizabeth Byrne '07, YA Fiction
elizabethbyrne.net

Jeannie Vanasco, Nonfiction
www.jeannievanasco.com

Tillie Walden, Graphic  Novel
tilliewalden.com

Weike Wang, Fiction
www.weikewangwrites.com

EWF 19/2021

Tiana Clark, Poetry
www.tianaclark.com

T Kira Madden, Fiction
www.tkiramadden.com

Meghan O'Gieblyn, Fiction
www.meghanogieblyn.com

Martin Riker, Nonfiction
www.martinriker.com

Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Poet
vanessaangelicavillarreal.com

News and Events

Story 4/11/2022

Emerging Writers Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The 20th annual Emerging Writers Festival takes place April 13 to 15 at F&M. The on-campus event features craft talks and readings from visiting writers. 

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Story 3/16/2022

Bank Prize Winner Jeremy Mauser Reflects on Writing

"I'm inspired by the small, seemingly insignificant moments that can capture real emotion in a narrative," said F&M senior Jeremy Mauser, winner of  this year’s Jerome Irving Bank Memorial Short...

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Story 2/15/2021

Emerging Writers Festival Goes Virtual

The Emerging Writers Festival will feature online craft talks and readings from Feb. 18 to March 5. Learn more about featured writers and the virtual format. 

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Story 11/12/2020

Why Writing 10 Failed Poems is Best Thing to Happen to You

A decade after visiting Franklin & Marshall College, poet Jericho Brown returned with a Pulitzer Prize and invaluable wisdom about giving your poetry a second chance. 

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Writers House Social Distance Salon
Story 4/30/2020

Writers House Series Hosts Jonathan Groff

Actor Jonathan Groff fielded student questions about Hamilton, Frozen and pursuing your passion. Watch his Q&A and learn about his favorite spots near campus.  

Read More
Story 4/2/2019

Emerging Writers Festival to Spring Forth, Celebrate Budding...

A group of promising writers who are early in their careers will arrive on the Franklin & Marshall College campus April 10-12 to host and attend a series of readings, craft talks and panel...

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Story 4/4/2017

Four New Faces, and One Familiar One at 2017 Emerging...

In a typical year, the Emerging Writers Festival (EWF) welcomes five fresh faces to the Franklin & Marshall College campus for three days of dialogue about the art and craft of writing. This year is...

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Story 4/4/2016

Five Writers, Three Days, One Rewarding Event

For 15 years, Franklin & Marshall College's Emerging Writers Festival has been bringing five young writers to campus for three days of intensive workshops and intimate readings, giving students a...

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Story 4/14/2015

Emerging Writers to Meld and Shift Words at Annual Festival

The 14th annual Emerging Writers Festival, a three-day literary event that brings five rising guest writers to campus, begins Wednesday, April 15. The featured writers are Kristin Dombek, Ansel...

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