Past Fall Festivals
2023 Lit Fest
2024 Lit Fest
Photo Credits Ash Dillon
Featured Presenters: Ama Codjoe (poet), Rachel Swearingen (fiction writer)
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Sponsors & Partners: Pam Anderson & Al Bartholet, Barbara Brothers, Monica Kaiser, Charles Kell, Craig Paulenich & Karla Krodel, Amie Souza Reilly, Samie Winick in memory of Stephen Sniderman, Janet Schuelle the Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, the Center for Working-Class Studies, Commercial Metal Forming, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, KO Consulting, NEOMFA, Ohio Arts Council, POP Art Books Culture, Purple Cat, Sojourn to the Past, St. John's Episcopal Church, WYSU-FM, Youngstown Foundation, YSU Cliffe College of the Creative Arts, YSU Poetry Center. This festival was supported in part by funds awarded to the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners under Assistance Listing No. 21.027 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Photo Credits Melanie Rae Buonavolonta
Featured Presenters: Jill Christman (memoirist & essayist), Ross Gay (poet & essayist), Alison Stine (novelist, poet & journalist)
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Sponsors & Partners: Pam Anderson & Al Bartholet, the Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Barbara Brothers, the Center for Working-Class Studies, The Centofanti Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Marie Davidson, KO Consulting, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, Craig Paulenich & Karla Krodel, The Purple Cat, the Grace Ruth Memorial Endowed Professorship in English, the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, Sojourn to the Past, St. John's Episcopal Church, the Thomases Family Foundation, WYSU-FM, and The Youngstown Foundation.
2022 Lit Fest
Featured Presenters: Candace Fleming (children's author), Kelly Fordon (fiction writer), Karla Murthy (filmmaker), Joy Priest (poet)
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Lou Yuhasz Memorial Writing Award Winner: Charity Morris
Sponsors & Partners: Pamela Anderson & Al Bartholet, Barbara Brothers, Diane & Tim Fitzpatrick, Barbara Sabol, Larry & Sally Sears, the Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Center for Working-Class Studies, Centofanti Foundation, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, Purple Cat, Grace Ruth Memorial Endowed Professorship in English, Sojourn to the Past, St. John's Episcopal Church, Raymond J. Wean Foundation, WYSU-FM, Youngstown City Council President Thomas Hetrick, The Youngstown Foundation.
2021 Lit Fest
​Featured Presenters: Jan Beatty (memoirist & poet), Teri Ellen Cross Davis (poet), Matt Forrest Esenwine (children’s author), Bonnie Proudfoot (novelist & poet), & Mike Geither (playwright)
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Lou Yuhasz Memorial Writing Award Winner: Anastasios Mihalopoulos
Sponsors & Partners: Centofanti Foundation, The Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts, Ohio Arts Council, WYSU, Youngstown State University Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences & Education, Youngstown State University Department of English & World Languages
2020 Lit Fest
Featured Presenters: Cynthia Atkins, Quincy Flowers, David Giffels, Janet Wong
Sponsors & Partners: The Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Mac’s Backs, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, WYSU, Youngstown Foundation, Youngstown State University Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences & Education, Youngstown State University Center for Judaic & Holocaust Studies, Youngstown State University Department of English & World Languages
2019 Lit Fest
Credit: RW Franklin
Credit: Jill Christman
Featured Presenters: Nin Andrews, Christopher Barzak, Erica Cardwell, Jill Christman, Michael Croley, George Ella Lyon, Philip Memmer, Philip Metres
Lou Yuhasz Memorial Writing Award Winner: Steven Caumo
Sponsors & Partners: The Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Nancy Beeghly, Barbara Brothers, Marion Boyer, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Liz Hill, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, Purple Cat, Sojourn to the Past, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Youngstown Foundation, Youngstown State University Department of English, Youngstown State University Department of Women & Gender Studies, Youngstown State University English Department
2018 Lit Fest
Featured Presenters: Lesley Nneka Arimah, Jeanne Dutton, Jon Kerstetter, Jacqueline Lipton, Dave Lucas, Craig Paulenich, Judith Vollmer
Lou Yuhasz Memorial Scholarship Winner: DT Dillon
Sponsors & Partners: The Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Nancy Beeghly, Liz Hill, Kent State University Wick Poetry Center, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts, Ohio Arts Council, Purple Cat, Sojourn to the Past, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Youngstown State University College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Youngstown State University Department of Women & Gender Studies, Youngstown State University English Department
2017 Lit Fest
Featured Presenters: Nin Andrews, Kelly Bancroft, Suzana H. Case, Denise Duhamel, Robert Olmstead, Bill Soldan, Margo Taft Stever
Sponsors & Partners: Nathalie & James Andrews Foundation, Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, St. John’s Episcopal Church