Department of English

College of Humanities and Sciences

Current StudentsGive

Events

David Coogan speaks into a microphone

After Jail, Before Freedom

Date: Monday, Sep 21, 2026

Join the Humanities Research Center for a Meet VCU Authors event with David Coogan, Associate Professor of English, and co-author of After Jail, Before Freedom.

Title reading

Larry Levis Tribute Event

Date: Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026

Nine poets each read a single Levis poem and offer brief remarks, together forming a portrait assembled in many voices.

Matthew Tuckner

2026 Levis Reading Prize

Date: Thursday, Oct 29, 2026

Matthew Tuckner, the 2026 Levis Reading Prize winner, will read from his poetry collection The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

A line drawing of hands holding a book with text that reads, UVA/VCU Joint Graduate Poetry Reading, Friday, October 30, 1:30 pm, Commons Theater

UVA/VCU Joint Graduate Poetry Reading

Date: Friday, Oct 30, 2026

Graduate poets from the University of Virginia and VCU read new work written in Levis's wake.

Black and white photo of Larry Levis with text that reads,

“A Late Style of Fire” & Q&A with the filmmaker

Date: Friday, Oct 30, 2026

A screening of Michele Poulos's 2016 documentary “A Late Style of Fire: Larry Levis, American Poet,” with an original score by Iron & Wine, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.

Olufunke Grace Bankole

2026 Cabell First Novelist Award

Date: Thursday, Nov 12, 2026

Olufunke Grace Bankole has won the 2026 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, which honors an outstanding debut novel published during the preceding calendar year.

Carvell Wallace

VCU Visiting Writers Series: Carvell Wallace

Date: Tuesday, Feb 16, 2027

The VCU Visiting Writers Series hosts a reading by acclaimed author Carvell Wallace . . .

MFA in Creative Writing - Virtual Info Sessions

Wednesday, November 11 at 7 p.m. - Register here.

Wednesday, December 2 at 12 p.m. - Register here.

We'll cover:

  • Application essentials and key deadlines
  • What makes your writing sample stand out to our faculty
  • How to know if our MFA community is the right fit for you

VCU Visiting Writers Series

The English department is pleased to offer the community Visiting Writers lecture series, which features accomplished writers external to VCU. All events are free and open to the public.