UT MFA Program Presents “Lectores” Speaker Series Jan. 3–10

The University of Tampa MFA in Creative Writing speaker series, “Lectores,” will feature seven nights of readings with a mix of award-winning visiting authors and UT’s world-renowned MFA faculty from Jan. 3–10.

The series kicks off Thursday, Jan. 3, with a reading by Ottessa Moshfegh, who has been heralded as one of the boldest voices in fiction since the publication of her debut novella, McGlue. Her second novel, Eileen, was named a book of the year by The Washington Post and The San Francisco Chronicle, and her short story collection, Homesick for Another World, was highlighted in The New York Times in 2018 as one of the best books written by a female author in the 21st century.

The series continues on Friday, Jan. 4, with Sarah Perry, author of the memoir After the Eclipse, which was named a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, a Poets & Writers Notable Nonfiction Debut and a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers pick.

The series also features readings by Ira Sukrungruang, Sandra Beasley, Erica Dawson, Meg Day, Kate Christensen and Kevin Moffett.

All readings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. The full series follows:

Thursday, Jan. 3: Reading by Ottessa Moshfegh, author of the award-winning novella McGlue, Eileen, Homesick for Another World and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Vaughn Center Crescent Club.
Friday, Jan. 4: Reading by Sarah Perry, author of the memoir After the Eclipse and recipient of the 2018 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award. Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.
Saturday, Jan 5: Reading by Ira Sukrungruang, recipient of the 2015 American Book Award, and author of two memoirs, a short story collection and a book of poetry. Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.
Sunday, Jan. 6: Readings by Sandra Beasley, author of three books of poetry, most recently Count the Waves, and Erica Dawson, author of three books of poetry, including her latest release, When Rap Spoke Straight to God. Vaughn Center Crescent Club.
Tuesday, Jan. 8: Reading by Meg Day, author of Last Psalm at Sea Level, which won the Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize and The Publishing Triangle’s 2015 Audre Lorde Award. Vaughn Center Crescent Club.
Wednesday, Jan. 9: Reading by Kate Christensen, author of seven novels, including The Great Man, which won the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction, and most recently, The Last Cruise. Vaughn Center Crescent Club.
Thursday, Jan. 10: Reading by Kevin Moffett, author of two books — Permanent Visitors, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award, and Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events. Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.

The UT MFA in Creative Writing program works by bringing students to campus for 10-day residencies in January and June. Throughout each residency, Lectores speakers give a 45–50 minute evening reading, followed by a book-signing. The next morning, the author gives a 60–70 minute seminar on a topic of their choice for the program’s student body.

For more information, go to www.ut.edu/mfacw/lectores or contact Lynne Bartis at (813) 257-3514 or lbartis@ut.edu.