The American Writers Museum (AWM) today announced it will host its inaugural American Writers Festival on May 15, 2022 in Chicago, coinciding with its fifth anniversary. The free public event will be held at Four Stages inside the Chicago Cultural Center and One Stage at the American Writers Museum, and feature more than 75 beloved contemporary authors, artists and playwrights. Participating writers will address their perspectives on many of today’s most timely and controversial topics including immigration, justice, racism and equality by way of themes throughout their literature.
“We are thrilled to host the first-ever American Writers Festival this spring as a reflection of America through its writers to celebrate our past and inspire future writers,” said American Writers Museum President Carey Cranston. “We hope to expose more people to incredible works of literature and showcase how writing continues to shape our history and culture through the lens of contemporary authors who will touch on some of the most critical topics of today’s cultural landscape.”
Throughout the festival, notable themes from AWM’s My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today exhibit and its upcoming Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice exhibit (opening in June), will also be addressed through lively discussions.
As a special bonus, the AWM will waive museum admission fees on Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16 – AWM’s fifth anniversary – to encourage more people to experience the literary works of the greatest American writers. Guests can also purchase literary works and authors’ books on-site through the Seminary Co-op Bookstore.
The American Writers Festival is one of many exciting new cultural events to be held in Chicago in the coming year.
“We are excited to support the American Writers Museum as they host the first ever American Writers Festival in Chicago,” said Erin Harkey, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). “Revitalizing our arts and culture scene is essential to our ability to recover from this pandemic on both an economic and a social level. Mayor Lightfoot and DCASE are proud to offer continued support to the artists and organizations who bring us beauty, culture and experiences that make us human.”
The American Writers Festival will feature renowned writers including Joy Harjo, Marie Arana, David W. Blight, Jabari Asim, Rebecca Makkai and John Scalzi. There will also be a comedy writing panel with Peter Sagal, host of the well-known NPR podcast Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me and a live taping of the American Writers Museum’s Dead Writer Drama podcast with best-selling authors Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Zakiya Dalila Harris. More events and new guest appearances will be announced in the following weeks at AmericanWritersMuseum.org.
The American Writers Festival will also feature special programming from American Library Association, Chicago Public Library, Seminary Co-op Bookstores, The Newberry Library, Black Arts Consortium Poetry Foundation, Chicago History Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art and the Dusable Museum.
The American Writers Museum will operate in accordance with all current COVID-19 safety precautions. In accordance with the City of Chicago’s revised COVID-19 protocols, all guests over the age of 5 must show proof of full vaccination to attend the American Writers Festival. As required by the City, all guests over the age of 2 must wear a face mask that covers both mouth and nose while indoors, except while actively eating and drinking.
- For high-res images, b-roll (including today’s press conference held by the AWM), social media assets and more, see this Dropbox of assets.
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About American Writers Museum
The American Writers Museum is the first museum of its kind in the United States. The mission of the American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, and our daily lives. The museum is located at 180 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601, and offers something for every age group including permanent exhibits and special galleries highlighting America’s favorite works and the authors behind them. Tickets to the museum are $14 for adults, $9 for seniors, students, and teachers. Free for members and children ages 12 and under. To inquire about discounted rates for groups of 10 or more, including adults, student travel groups, and University students, visit AmericanWritersMuseum.org/visit/groups/ or call 312-374-8770. Museum hours are Thursday – Monday 10 AM – 5 PM. For more information visit AmericanWritersMuseum.org or call 312-374-8790.
Contact: Madeline Sweeney, TimeZoneOne
How do authors get more involved and have their books displayed or acknowledged?
Hi Charisse,
Our programming for the festival is limited and we already have a very full schedule in the works, so we are not accepting further proposals at this time. However, we will be surveying attendees and look forward to your input for future programming. For local author events we encourage you to reach out to your community’s independent bookstore or nearby public library.
-Ari Bachechi, Assistant Director, Operations and Exhibits