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, Jon Yanofsky
For more information, please contact [email protected].
Upcoming Events
A Fiction Reading by Jay Boss Rubin from his translation of Swahili stories by Esther Karin Mngodo
Monday, March 16, 7 pm, Rosenthal Library, Room 300i.
Followed by a conversation with Rebecca Suzuki.
A Reading by New York State Writer Min Jin Lee
March 25, Wednesday, 7 pm, LeFrak Auditorium (also live-streamed over Zoom)
A Kupferberg Center for the Arts Event, a reading in memory of Marjorie Hecht Watson for Women’s History Month.
Followed by a conversation with Julie Goodale.
Come to campus or join us on Zoom: https://bit.ly/46tXFoW
Belladonna Poets Showcase: James Loop and Sahar Romani
Monday, March 30, 12:15 pm, Student Art Gallery, Klapper Hall 472
Details to come!
A Reading and Celebration of the Chapbook by Birdhouse Prize winner, Sonia Arora
May 4, Monday, 7 pm, Rosenthal Library, Room 300i
Moved to a larger space by popular demand! A reception and book signing will follow the event.
Don’t miss out on these readings—sign up for our mailing list today!
Past Events
Fall 2025
Kelly Fernandez, NYS Poet Laureate Kimiko Hahn, Susan Issacs, Deborah Paredez and Ann Powers, and National Poet Laureate Arthur Sze
2024
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.
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.
