42nd YSU English Festival Goes Virtual

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — After 41 years of bringing thousands of middle school and high-school students to the campus of Youngstown State University, the award-winning YSU English Festival is going virtual this spring.

After the original dates of April 22 and 24 were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival will be held virtually on May 13, 14 and 15.

Links to online festival sessions and a schedule of events is available on the event’s website at YSUEnglishFestival.org. Live events will take place on the Festival’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/YSUEngFestival/live.

Highlights include a presentation from festival guest authors Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace, a Q&A session with guest author Rita Williams-Garcia, a poetry contest, booklist trivia, conversations about festival art and music contest entries and awards. Pre-recorded sessions will be available on the YSU English Festival YouTube channel.

Leading up to the virtual festival, students should watch the website and social media, including Instagram and Twitter, for announcements on how to play trivia and how to enter and vote on the Stay-at-Home Poetry Contest. Prizes will be awarded to outstanding entries as judged by Festival participants.

All pre-festival contests will be judged and awards given as usual. Awards will be announced for the Candace Gay Essay Contest, the Festival Art Contest and the Jeremy Salvner Music Contest. Students will also be able to submit questions in advance to our authors. To submit questions or for further information about this year’s online Festival, email [email protected].

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.