Writers at Queens: The QC Reading Series is a literary series for the entire Queens College community, both graduate and undergraduate students, celebrating the identity and creativity of Queens as a richly multilingual, culturally pluralistic community, one of the most diverse in the United States.
It features collaborative events between many departments and programs across campus, bringing in writers working across genres and fields including poetry, fiction, graphic narrative, and translation. It is co-sponsored by the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, the English Department, the School of the Arts, and the Kupferberg Center.
Series Director: Nicole Cooley
Series Advisory Board: Nicole Cooley, Annmarie Drury, Briallen Hopper, William Orchard, Jason Tougaw, Ryan Black, Julia Del Palacio Langer, Jon Yanofsky
For more information, please contact writersatqueens@qc.cuny.edu.
Upcoming Events
Ivan Velez: A Day of Comics Workshops
October 23, 2024
IVAN VELEZ JR. is a Latinx, Creative Capital / Xeric grant-winning cartoonist and writer for mainstream and independent comic books. Ivan is also an urban artist with great significance to the comic book industry. Creator of the 80s comic series Tales of the Closet, and co-creator of the early 90s series Blood Syndicate, Ivan has drawn and written comics that give greater representation to racial and sexual diversity. Ivan’s focus throughout his career has been to create complex stories featuring under-represented and culturally diverse heroes as they navigate real-life issues that plague our global communities. On October 23, Ivan will lead two comics workshops: details here.
This event is co-sponsored by Writers at Queens, The Department of English, MFA in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, MFA in Social Practice, Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS), The Office of the Dean of Arts and Humanities, The Office of the Provost, and in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Edwidge Danticat
March 10, 2025
Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat, a MacArthur Genius Award winner, will participate in a reading on campus during the spring semester.
Other events
Dates TBA
Other upcoming events include an MFA alumni publishing roundtable, poetry readings, a Ghostbird Press chapbook event, and a Hanging Loose Press translation reading. Check back later for more information!
Past Events
Alaya Dawn Johnson
September 30, 2024
Alaya Dawn Johnson is an award-winning author of speculative fiction for adults and young adults and is currently Visiting Professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Translation at CUNY Queens College. She will be reading from her impressive body of work. Her most recent adult novel, Trouble the Saints, was the recipient of the World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her short story collection, Reconstruction, was published by Small Beer Press in January 2021. Her latest YA novel, The Library of Broken Worlds, is a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin award. She is current a Visiting Professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Translation at CUNY Queens College.
After the reading, Johnson will join in a conversation with the QC community led by MFA alum Megan Pindling, which will be followed by a reception with refreshments and books for sale.
