Ithaca College offers a multitude of opportunities for students to connect with living writers. What's exciting about the New Voices Festival—a collaborative effort of the Departments of English and Writing, with support from the School of Humanities and Sciences—is that these promising writers may be just a few steps ahead of our students.
The New Voices Festival was founded by Professor Chris Holmes (English) and novelist and Professor Eleanor Henderson (Writing) in 2013. Held on the IC campus each April since then, the festival invites seven authors at the beginning moments of rich literary careers to share work in a variety of genres, including poetry, prose, and plays, over three days of readings, panels, and class visits. The festival is distinguished by the involvement of undergraduates at every stage of planning and implementation, and by its connection to Ithaca's larger literary arts community.
Each festival kicks off with the Short Short, featuring seven-minute readings by seven authors at Buffalo Street Books. In the past we have included musical performances in concert with our authors' writing, and wrapped the festival up with a staged reading of a play, often at the Cherry Artspace. We are also grateful for the support of Odyssey Bookstore. All students—and the wider Ithaca community—are invited to enjoy the range of readings, panels, and performances that make up the festival.
