A Conversation with Novelist Jesmyn Ward

We are very sorry to report that Jesmyn Ward has been forced to cancel her appearance due to a family medical emergency. She hopes to reschedule in the spring at her earliest availability. We wish her family the best, and we apologize to our patrons for the disappointment and hope you will join us in the future when we are able to reschedule the event.

This is a live virtual event that you can attend over Zoom. In addition to the home viewing option, Lincoln Library will be showing the live stream on-site in our DeFrates Reading Room on the second floor.

Join us for an evening with two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward as she discusses how her literary vision and personal experiences address urgent questions about racism and social injustice.  

Ward, hailed as “the new Toni Morrison” by the American Booksellers Association, is the author of fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, including the critically acclaimed novels Sing, Unburied, Sing and Salvage the Bones, and the memoir Men We Reaped. In 2017, she became the first woman and first person of color to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice. A professor of creative writing at Tulane University and contributing editor to Vanity Fair, Ward’s many honors include the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, a MacArthur Genius Grant, and a Strauss Living Award.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com.