New York Times Bestselling author Kwame Alexander will visit William & Mary on Friday, Oct. 6 for a number of special events, including a writing workshop exclusively for W&M students.
A nationally recognized poet and author, Alexander writes for children of all ages. He has written 24 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and Paterson Poetry Prize. Some of his other works include The Playbook: 52 Rules To Help You Aim, Shoot, And Score In This Game Of Life; the picture books, Animal Ark, Out of Wonder and Surf’s Up; and novels Booked, He Said She Said, and the forthcoming Solo.
Born in New York City, Alexander moved to Chesapeake as a young child. He graduated from Great Bridge High School in 1985. He attended Virginia Tech, and now lives in Northern Virginia.
Alexander aims to inspire and empower young people through his “Page To Stage” writing and publishing program. A regular speaker at schools and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world. Recently, he led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded. In 2015, Alexander served as Bank Street College of Education’s Inaugural Dorothy M. Carter writer-in-residence.
Alexander will visit W&M to participate in the following events on Oct. 6:
- Joy of Children's Literacy and Literature Conference morning keynote and book signing
- 8:30-11:30AM, W&M School of Education
- Conference registration required
- More information: jcll2017.eventbrite.com
- Lunch with WMSURE students
- 12-1:30PM, Swem Library Ford Classroom
- Open to WMSURE students only
- Sponsored by the William & Mary Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE) program
- Student Writing Workshop
- 2-3:30PM, Swem Library Ford Classroom
- Open to W&M students, any major
- Limited spots
- Sponsored by W&M Libraries
- RSVP: http://forms.wm.edu/33816
Additionally, the Williamsburg Regional Library will host “The Crossover” Talk and Book Signing on Oct. 6 from 7-9PM in the library’s theater. Alexander will share a bit of conversation, a dash of storytelling and a splash of performance from his recent children’s books, educational insights and worldwide experiences in Literacy, Empowerment, Action and Poetry. This event is open to the public. The W&M Bookstore will have books for sale at event. Sponsored by William & Mary Libraries, Williamsburg Regional Library and Williamsburg Area Reading Council. Attendees can RSVP to http://forms.wm.edu/33814.
