President’s Lecture Series: 38th Annual Literary Festival: Edwidge Danticat

President's Lecture Series: 38th Annual Literary Festival Presents

Edwidge Danticat

MacArthur Fellow and Acclaimed Haitian Writer, Author of Brother, I'm Dying and Claire of the Sea Light

Edwidge Danticat, MacArthur Fellow acclaimed Haitian writer and social activist, author of Brother, I'm Dying and Claire of the A powerful and widely celebrated voice in contemporary fiction, Haitian American bestselling author and social activist has written 10 books and has received numerous awards and honors, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Story Prize, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Edwidge Danticat published her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, at the age of 25. The book was selected for Oprah's Book Club and was immediately recognized by readers and critics alike as heralding the emergence of a shining new literary talent. Danticat's profound connection to her native Haiti has not only informed her literary output, but has made her a powerful and passionate advocate.

Her newest book, Claire of the Sea Light, is a stunning new work of fiction that brings us deep into the intertwined lives of a small seaside town where a little girl has gone missing. It was published in 2013, to much critical acclaim.

Previous works include Brother, I'm Dying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was a National Book Award finalist; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; and The Dew Breaker, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and winner of the inaugural Story Prize. Danticat has also received the MacArthur "Genius Grant" and been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and elsewhere.

For more information on the 38th Annual Literary Festival and related activities, please visit the following website: http://www.lib.odu.edu/litfest/38th/index.htm