Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series

The Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series is an annual program that hosts local and nationally renowned writers for craft lectures and public readings. The first events were held in the early 1970s, and over the years, many of the most prestigious names in literature—Robert Pinsky, Lucille Clifton, Scott Russell Sanders, Mark Doty, Camille Dungy, and Terry Tempest Williams, to name a few—have made appearances in Fairbanks. All events are free and open to the public!

Daryl Farmer is Director of the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series for the 2024–25 academic year.

 

Upcoming Speakers

  • Oct3

      Schaible Auditorium
      7:00 p.m.
    Join us for an evening with author Christine Byl as part of the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series. Byl, an accomplished writer and trail worker, will share insights from her novel Lookout, which spans decades in the lives of a Western Montana family, and her non-fiction work Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods, an exploration of her experiences on National Park Service trail crews in Montana and Alaska. Her fiction and essays have been featured in The Sun, Glimmer Train Stories, Crazyhorse, and more. Christine also teaches craft classes for 49 Writers, serves as a senior affiliate editor for the Alaska Quarterly Review, and works as a writer-in-residence in remote and under-funded public schools. This event is free and open to the public.

    A Zoom link is available for those who cannot attend in person: https://alaska.zoom.us/j/81218694036

  • Oct25

      Schaible Auditorium
      7:00 p.m.
    The ÎÞÂëÂÒÂ× Department of English’s Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series is thrilled to partner with 49 Writers and the National Book Foundation to bring you an exciting event! Join National Book Award-honored author and Anchorage native Leigh Newman as she shares from her powerful short story collection, Nobody Gets Out Alive (2022). These stories vividly explore Alaska’s past and present, spanning centuries with themes of hope and despair. Don't miss this chance to hear Leigh's reading and dive into an engaging conversation about her creative process, writing craft, and the influence of community on her work. The event will also feature an audience Q&A!

    Presented in partnership with 49 Writers and the National Book Foundation.

    This event is free and open to the public. Advance registration preferred; walk-ins welcome. Please register at:

    A Zoom option is available for those who cannot attend in person:

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    Midnight Sun logo
    We're happy to debut the new logo for the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series. It was designed by undergraduate student Marina Gonzalez Mazo. Thanks to a Supplies & Services Award from Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity, we will be distributing promotional material featuring the new logo during the next academic year.

     

    Support the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series:

    Do you enjoy the work we do? Consider supporting the series through an online donation!

     

     

    Archive of Events

     

    Dead Writers

     

    The Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series also hosts the Dead Writers reading during the Halloween season. Participants—including many of our MFA students and faculty—deliver readings from the work of their favorite deceased writers, often in full creepy costume. The event includes raffle prizes and awards such Best Costume and Best Performance. Dead Writers, which originated in 1990, raises additional funds to bring visiting writers to Fairbanks.

    Cover charge for this event is $5 for ÎÞÂëÂÒÂ× students and $10 for all others. All of the proceeds go to the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series which brings up incredible authors and poets to our community.

     

     

    For more information about Dead Writers or the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series, please contact Jake Knuth .