Join these 2024 National Book Award honorees to hear real-life inspirations behind their books, and how they polished ideas and fascinations into their final drafts. Moderated by Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, this session is presented in partnership with the NBF.

Campus Store (Seats 250)  
Sat, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
National Book Awards
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA Campus Store Lower Level (following presentation)  

Panelists: Jason De León, Violet Duncan, Octavio Quintanilla, Ernest Scheyder
Moderator: Ruth Dickey

Can poetry heal our personal and collective wounds? Confronting both historical and present forms of violence — colonialism, U.S. border policy, racism and more — each of these poets explores language as an urgent response to pain.

Student Union Kiva (Seats 100)  
Sat, Mar 15, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Poetry
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA Campus Store, Main Floor (following presentation)  

Panelists: Denise Low, Octavio Quintanilla, Danez Smith
Moderator: Aria Pahari

Poets explore themes of self, belonging, and resistance in relation to American identity. Through personal and cultural lenses, these authors redefine what it means to aspire, succeed, and struggle in contemporary America, reshaping complex stories of resilience and hope in the wake of the election.

Student Union Kiva (Seats 100)  
Sun, Mar 16, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Poetry
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA Campus Store, Main Floor (following presentation)  

Panelists: Jose Hernandez Díaz, Octavio Quintanilla, Danez Smith
Moderator: Paola Valenzuela