Bestselling Author Alan Gratz to be featured at 47th Annual YSU English Festival

Bestselling author Alan Gratz will be the Thomas and Carol Gay Memorial Lecturer at the 2025 Youngstown State University English Festival, set for April 9-11 on the YSU campus. Gratz, the author of 20 young adult books, regularly appears on the New York Times bestseller lists. His book “Refugee”, one of the featured titles for the Festival, stayed on the list for five years.

Two recent Ohio Poets of the Year, Quartez Harris and Rikki Santer, will also appear at the 2025 Festival.

Now in its 47th year, the English Festival is the oldest and one of the largest literary festivals in the country dedicated to young people. This year, 2,600 students and teachers from more than 200 schools in the region will attend, including a school from the Columbus area making its first appearance.

In addition to meeting authors, students will participate in various competitions, workshops, and performances. A shortened version of the musical “The Lightning Thief,” part of the Youngstown Playhouse’s 100th anniversary season, will be performed. Students will also attend sessions highlighting the winners of the Festival’s annual art and music contests.

Winners of pre-Festival contests, including the Candace Gay Memorial Essay Contest, the Jeremy Salvner Memorial Music Contest and art and graphic essay competitions, will be honored at an awards ceremony at the end of each day. Students participating in contests during the Festival will also be recognized. More than $15,000 in prize money, books and merchandise will be awarded to over 200 winners.

For more information visit the the YSU English Festival online or contact info@ysuenglishfestival.org.