The Visiting Writers Series begins at the University of Cincinnati on Feb. 5, 2026, where a roundup of fiction, nonfiction and poetry writers will be on campus for public readings.
"The origin of the series goes back over 70 years," Jennifer Habel, the coordinator of creative writing, said. "It's a very renowned series. We've had Noble Prize winners come, winners of Pulitzer Prizes."
Made possible by the Elliston Poetry Fund and the Robert and Adele Schiff Fund, the events from the Visiting Writers Series are on campus and open to the public.
"The writers usually hang around, they answer questions, and they sign books. We do Q&As with the writers afterwards, so it's a great way if you've read the person's work to talk to them about it," Habel said.
"Some of our writers visit classes while they're here so undergraduate and graduate students get to interact with them in class."
The series begins Feb. 5 with a nonfiction "read and talk" with Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City specializing in culturally informed mental health care.
"We also try to bring in writers at all different stages of their career," Habel said.
The series will feature writers like Mariah Rigg, Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Danielle Dutton, Joyelle McSweeny, Kathryn Cowles and Donald Revell, with the series going all the way through April 23, 2026.
"Everyone is welcome, and we try to create a welcoming community after our events," Habel said. "We're looking for people who are going to inspire our students."
The Elliston Poetry Room is located in Suite 646 on the 6th Floor of Langsam Library on the UC Uptown Campus at 2911 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221. Public parking is available in the Woodside Garage beneath Langsam Library, or along Martin Luther King Drive on the north edge of the Uptown Campus.
