Speaker Q&As

Albert Samaha, author of Concepcion: An Immigrant Family’s Fortunes, is a Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant recipient and inequality editor at BuzzFeed News. Get to know Albert in this Q&A and then …

Vera Kurian, author of Never Saw Me Coming, is a writer and scientist living in Washington, D.C. Her short fiction has been published in magazines such as Glimmer Train and The Pinch. She has …

Meredith Pangrace, editor of Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen, is a home cook and book designer from Cleveland, Ohio. Get to know Meredith in this Q&A and then see her at the …

Christopher Ali, author of Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity is an associate professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. His work focuses on broadband …

Amber McBride, author of Me (Moth), teaches English and writing at the University of Virginia. Her work has been published in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, Decomp and more. Me (Moth) is her debut novel and was a finalist …

Sylvia Liu, author of Manatee’s Best Friend, grew up with books and daydreams in Caracas, Venezuela. Once an environmental attorney protecting the oceans, she now spins stories for children, inspired by …

Lindsay Merbaum, author of The Gold Persimmon, is a queer feminist and high priestess of home mixology. Her short fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart, among other prizes, and her …

Jorge L. Contreras, author of The Genome Defense, received his law degree from Harvard and teaches intellectual property, science policy, and genetics law and ethics at the University of Utah. He …

M.K. England, author of The One True Me and You, lives in a small house in rural Virginia packed with video games, dogs, plants, Star Wars memorabilia, and one tiny human.  …

Lisa Russ Spaar is the author of over ten books, including Madrigalia: New & Selected Poems and Orexia: Poems. Her debut novel, Paradise Close, will appear in April 2022. Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship. …

Naomi Hirahara, author of Clark and Division and The Eternal Lei, is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series, including Summer of the Big Bachi, which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of …

Ran Walker, author of Keep It 100: 100-Word Stories, is an award-winning author of twenty-three books. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University and for Writer’s Digest University. He lives in …