UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jesmyn Ward will be unavailable to speak on October 12. This event will be rescheduled and all registrants will be notified once a new date has been set. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Join us for an evening with two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward as she discusses how her literary vision and personal experiences address urgent questions about racism and social injustice.

Hailed as “the new Toni Morrison” by the American Booksellers Association, Ward is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, including the critically acclaimed novels Sing, Unburied, Sing and Salvage the Bones, and the memoir Men We Reaped. In 2017, she became the first woman and first person of color to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice. A professor of creative writing at Tulane University and contributing editor to Vanity Fair, Ward’s many honors include the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, a MacArthur Genius Grant, and a Strauss Living Award.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events.

REGISTRATION CLOSED UNTIL NEW DATE IS SET

*You will receive a link to participate in the live event from Zoom; If you cannot attend the live event, register to receive a link to the limited-duration event recording.

ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com