IWU English

Welcome to Illinois Wesleyan University's English Department! Follow us for information about events, speakers, classes, and all things English at IWU!

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Welcome to Fall Semester, 2026!
On Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 4:00 p.m., the English department will host our annual welcome back event! Join us in the Center for the Humanities, on the first floor of CLA.

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Congratulations to Prof. Joanne Diaz on the publication of her latest book, Electric Dress, winner of the Barrow Street Editors' Prize! 🎉
https://t.co/7Hfk3U4a6N

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We are excited to welcome author Ron Rindo to campus on 4/14! Ron will discuss his highly acclaimed latest novel, Life, & Death, & Giants. A reception and book signing will follow the talk.

Students can enter a drawing to win one of two copies of Life, & Death, & Giants!

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Help us kick off the IWU Festival of the Arts by attending a reading by our three creative writing contest winners! The reading will take place on Friday, April 10, from 4:30-5:15 p.m. in Ames Beckman Auditorium.

Check out https://t.co/ecCaHbgvt6 for the full schedule of events!

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Get ready for an inspiring day of poetry! Join us on Thursday, April 9, for the 2026 Spoon River Poetry Review's Lucia Getsi Poetry Conversation and Reading.

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Congrats to Visiting Asst. Prof. of English Anastasia Klimchynskaya on the publication of her new book!
On Thurs., 3/26, Dr. Klimchynskaya will present a talk at 7 p.m. in Ames Beckman Auditorium. Refreshments will be served, and all are welcome.

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We had a lovely time welcoming and celebrating the newest members of IWU Sigma Tau Delta on Sunday!🌹Congratulations!

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Join us on Sunday afternoon for the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta induction ceremony!🎉 Come celebrate our newest members and enjoy snacks and literary mocktails. All are welcome!

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We can't wait for the MUSE Humanities+ Conference on Saturday! 🎉

Join us in State Farm Hall for the presentations and workshops and in CNS C101 for the keynote address at 4pm!

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The 2026 Creative Writing Contests are open! Send us your poetry, fiction, and personal essays by 4 p.m. on Friday, February 20. Contests are open to ALL currently enrolled IWU students!

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Dear IWU English Community,
We're sorry to share that Kathie Bradley has passed away. Our condolences to all who knew Kathie well, including the many English student assistants who worked with her.
https://t.co/8301bOMmMg

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Kick off the semester the right way--with pizza, of course! Join us at the Hart Career Center at noon on Wednesday, January 14, for a presentation from Sourcebooks, a major publisher based in Naperville. Pizza will be provided!

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TONIGHT! Join us in Ames Beckman Auditorium for a poetry reading by award-winning poet, essayist, and translator Gabriel Gudding.

Tomorrow morning, Prof. Gudding will lead a translation workshop from 9:25-10:40 a.m. in State Farm Hall 206. All are welcome!

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Award-winning poet, essayist, and translator Gabriel Gudding will visit IWU in November for a poetry reading and translation workshop!
Nov 12, 7 pm
Poetry reading
Ames Library Beckman Auditorium

Nov 13, 9:25-10:40 am
Translation workshop
SFH 206

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Thanks to our friends at Ames Library for helping us celebrate the release of Prof. James Plath's new book of poetry, At Quarry Farm! Stop by Ames to check out a display of Plath's books and Mark Twain memorabilia, including a 1st American ed. of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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Join us in celebrating the release of Prof. James Plath’s new poetry collection, At Quarry Farm (Kelsay Books, 2025), on Tues, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m., in The Ames Library’s Beckman Auditorium. Plath will read selections from At Quarry Farm; a book signing and reception will follow.

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Please join us for the English/Communication welcome back event on Wed., 9/3 at 4 PM!

We will be gathering in the CLA second floor Reading Room. (When you get to the second floor, go to the hallway where the offices are and keep walking down to the end of the hallway!)

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Congratulations to Valeria Suarez '26, winner of the 2025 IWU Department of English Prize for Short Fiction for her short story, “Wasps.”
Abraham Bishop '26 received an Honorable Mention for his story, “Heroism.”
The Prize for Short Fiction was judged by Jill Stukenberg.

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Join us this afternoon as we welcome award-winning poet Victoria Chang!

Read the full story here: https://t.co/CaXVlMZHho

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Congratulations to Dana Janiec '26, winner of the 2025 Peter J. Theune Memorial Essay Prize for “On the Streets of Berlin."
Lily Sakalys '25 received an Honorable Mention for her essay, "Thaw."
The Peter J. Theune Memorial Essay Prize was judged by author Gretchen Henderson.