2026 Festival of Faith and Writing: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

8:00am EDT

Friday April 17, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT

Join Jess Ray for an early‑morning Matins performance—a 30‑minute gathering of song and quiet attention that invites participants into a grounded, contemplative start to the Festival day.

Speakers

Jess Ray

Jess Ray is a singer-songwriter, producer, and creative supernova based in her beloved home state of North Carolina. Crafting a new wave of music for those seeking God, Jess blends fresh sonic style with timeless truths, delicately weaving it all together with the realities of the human experience... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Chapel

Matins

8:30am EDT

Information Desk Open

Friday April 17, 2026 8:30am - 4:30pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Friday April 17, 2026 8:30am - 4:30pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Info Desk

8:59am EDT

Exhibit Hall Open

Friday April 17, 2026 8:59am - 4:30pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Great Hall

Exhibitors

Broadleaf Books

Our books inspire transformation in readers and their communities to foster a more open, just, and compassionate world.

Rooted in the progressive Christian tradition and reflecting the diversity of human creativity, we publish books that engage readers in fresh, substantive, timel... Read More →

Eighth Day Books

Eighth Day Books has specialized in classic books across the disciplines of art, science, and the humanities since 1988, when we first opened our store in Wichita, Kansas.

From the beginning, we have not been a typical independent bookstore; we eschew the trendy, and do not carry books solely based on their saleability. Instead, we're selective, offering an eccentric community of books based on this organizing principle: if a book (be it literary, scientific... Read More →

Lake Drive Books

Lake Drive Books began with a vision to do book publishing for authors and readers who want to break the mold and ask honest questions about religion, spirituality, and personal growth, including books on faith deconstruction, self-improvement, theology, race, class, gender, and sexuality... Read More →

Slant Books

Slant is an independent, not-for-profit literary press specializing in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, philosophy, theology, and belles lettres. Slant books are marked by the kind of meticulous craft and passion for language that are harder and harder to come by in our age... Read More →

Englewood Review of Books

Launched in 2008, The Englewood Review of Books is a weekly online book review published by Englewood Christian Church on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. We focus on covering books related to the themes of community, mission, imagination, and reconciliation, and hope to cultiv... Read More →

The Christian Century

The Christian Century is a progressive, independent religious magazine devoted to helping people think critically and live the Christian faith thoughtfully.

Known for its excellent essays and poetry, incisive reporting and commentary, and prominent writers contributing from variou... Read More →

Eerdmans Publishing Company

Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is an independent publisher of religious books, from academic books and scholarly works in theology, biblical studies, and religious history to popular titles in spirituality, ministry, and cultural criticism.

William B. Eerdmans Sr. believed that responsible viewpoints from across the religious spectrum should be given opportunity for expression and that high literary and intellectual standards were of utmost importance. His publishing company continues to operate according to these beliefs... Read More →

Taylor University: Making Literature 2027 Conference

The Making Literature Conference is officially the William A. Fry Undergraduate Conference on Literature and Writing. Dr. William A. Fry served as English department chair at Taylor from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. Bill was trained first as a minister at Nyack College, then... Read More →

Relief: A Journal of Art and Faith

For over a decade, Relief has helped shape the landscapes of faith and imagination for readers around the world. In our annual print journal, we feature fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, graphic narrative, and reviews by some of today’s finest literary practitioners, alongside emerging voices. We also o... Read More →

Evelyn DeKorte/Diane Ford

Evelyn DeKorte is the author of the spiritual memoir Tracing His Hand: Recognizing God’s Fingerprints on Our Everyday Lives. Depicting the author's growth in her faith walk, Tracing His Hand offers a collection of stories she’s experienced on her journey in this life, a recor... Read More →

Baker Publishing Group

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Visit our Independent Christian Bookstore, Baker Book House.

Editor Pitch Meetings

What We're Offering: Katelyn Beaty, E

... Read More →

Redbud Writers Guild

Redbud Writers Guild is a diverse community of Christian women writers passionate about using words to encourage, challenge, and transform culture. We do this through books, articles, blogs, and speaking engagements. We engage our faith in Jesus while using our creativity to spar... Read More →

Collegeville Institute

The Collegeville Institute is a place of scholarship, worship, dialogue, and community immersed in the Benedictine rhythm of work and prayer. We invite you to enter this place—explore our site, join the online conversations, subscribe to us, apply for a program, make a visit to... Read More →

PLNU M.A. in Writing Program / Last Syllable Journal

Point Loma Nazarene University Master's Degree
Earn your master’s in writing at PLNU in two years. Whether you’re seeking to strengthen your practice in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, PLNU’s M.A. in Writing program is designed to expand your knowledge of written art and cra... Read More →

Reformed Journal

Our purpose is to publish Christian writing that delights readers and engages the world in a Reformed Way.

We’re Reformed. We call ourselves generously Reformed—meaning open, curious, progressive, more interested in building bridges than walls, while still standing in the historical line of Christian orthodoxy. Our roots and our community are predominantly in the Dutch Reformed community... Read More →

The Windhover Literary Journal

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is proud to sponsor The Windhover. The journal is dedicated to promoting poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction that considers Christian perspectives and engages spiritual themes. Each spring the journal hosts a writers’ festival, inviting their published authors and interested readers to come to campus for a weekend... Read More →

Orion Magazine

The first issue of the Orion Nature Quarterly was published in June 1982, and in its editorial George Russell, the publication’s first Editor-in-Chief, boldly stated Orion’s values:“It is Orion’s fundamental conviction that humans are morally responsible for the world... Read More →

Leslie Leyland Fields/Memoir Masterclass

Leslie Leyland Fields is an international teacher, speaker and the multi-award winning author of fourteen books, including Your Story Matters: Finding, Writing and Living the Truth of Your Life, Crossing the Waters: Following Jesus through the Storms, the Fish, the Doubt, and the... Read More →

Mark Mattison

Luminescence, L.L.C.

About Us
Titles published by Luminescence, L.L.C. seamlessly blend academic rigor with spiritual wisdom. The best literature and art amazes, surprises, and provokes, enkindling personal reflection and an openness to the deeper meanings of human existence.

Our titles are easily acce... Read More →

Moody Global Media

Moody Bible Institute’s new multimedia division – Moody Global Media – has a 10-year vision to reach 100 million people weekly with the gospel of Jesus Christ through its Moody Radio network of stations and now a multitude of growing digital channels.

Moody Global Media is n

... Read More →

Healing Medicine

Whitworth University MFA

Where Rigorous Literary Craft Meets Deep Spiritual Formation
The Whitworth Writers Workshop is one of only three faith-based low-residency MFA programs in the United States. Built on 15 years of success and over 100 published books by program alumni, we offer what few programs can: nationally recognized faculty, personalized mentorship and... Read More →

NavPress

NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators, which since 1933 has shared the gospel of Jesus and helped people grow in their relationship with Him through Life-to-Life® discipleship. Since 1975, with its rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message... Read More →

Plough

Plough Publishing House, founded in 1920, is an independent publisher of books on faith, society, and the spiritual life. We’re based in Walden, New York with branches in the United Kingdom and Australia.

We also publish Plough Quarterly, a bold new magazine of stories, ideas, a

... Read More →

Read. Pray. Write. Podcast

Read. Pray. Write.

Lectio Divina for Modern Life
Words by others who have traveled our road—when read, heard, written—are a steady source of grace and mercy. When despair makes it difficult to find the answers within ourselves, all we need to do is listen. Lectio divina is a simple 5-step method that can be applied to any text... Read More →

Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry

Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry is a venue for publication of poetry written by authors whose work is informed by the Catholic faith. As Thomas Aquinas suggests, art is a good in and of itself, and the artist is primarily concerned with the goodness of his or her creation. Thus, the primary principle for inclusion... Read More →

Baylor University Press

Baylor University Press is the academic press of Baylor University, an R1 institution known for its research activities and initiatives across schools and departments. The Press publishes around forty new academic titles each year, focusing on technical scholarship for researchers... Read More →

Menno Media / Herald Press

Herald Press author Aimee Reid will be signing her books at our booth on Friday, April 17, from 2-2:30 pm.

Herald Press is a Christian publisher known for transformative books on reconciliation, community, discipleship, mission, spirituality, theology, and Amish and Mennonite life and faith. We reach a broad spectrum of readers—from evangelical, mainline, and Anabaptist backgrounds—and... Read More →

Solum Literary Press

We are a Christian small press embodying a faith that seeks excellence. We publish poetry, short stories, and homilies in Solum Journal, our annual literary journal, as well as poetry chapbooks, poetry collections, novellas, novels, and short story collections.

We primarily publish work concerning Christian theology or work which deals with the Christian life, i.e., the trials and triumphs of daily life with God. We hope to uplift young or undiscovered Christian authors, academics, and artists, and provide a space for them to interact and... Read More →

The Perkipery Press

Bob and his wife Shelley Townsend-Hudson run Perkipery Press, which has published chapbooks for three decades, and play together as members of the band Gooder'n Grits, that performs the pre-bluegrass music of the Carolinas.

InterVarsity Press

Who We Are
Since 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) has been publishing thoughtful Christian books that shape both the lives of readers and the cultures they inhabit. Throughout these seventy-five years, our books and authors have established a legacy of speaking boldly into important cultural moments... Read More →

Kregel Publications

Sensing a growing need for solidly evangelical works, Kregel Publications began in 1949 to supply resources to meet the spiritual needs of evangelical readers as well as the professional needs of pastors, missionaries, teachers, and Christian leaders. Today Kregel's backlist has over... Read More →

Wipf and Stock Publishers

Based in the land of great microbrews and towering Douglas firs, Wipf and Stock Publishers is a creative team, an adventurous bunch who arrive to work with mud still on our shoes from the weekend ride or hike. Our staff handles every step of publication in-house, from customer service... Read More →

Wildhouse Publishing

Wildhouse Publishing is a nonprofit independent publisher that exists to enliven the spiritual quests of people outside or on the margins of established religious and spiritual traditions through books that are thoughtful, accessible, impactful, and practical.

Books from Wildhouse Publishing offer practical ways to deepen spirituality and enhance the meaning of our readers’ lives. We publish substantive spiritual explorations that our readers can trust. We aim to build an imprint that is widely respected while helping to advance the spiritual... Read More →

The Rabbit Room

The Rabbit Room cultivates and curates story, music, and art to nourish Christ-centered communities for the life of the world.

In so many ways, the Rabbit Room is about you. Yes, you. At some time, for some reason, your story overlapped with the Rabbit Room. Whether you are a whol... Read More →

Wesley Theological Seminary

The mission of Wesley Theological Seminary is to equip persons for Christian ministry and leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to model a prophetic voice in the public square.

Western Theological Seminary

Western Theological Seminary is an evangelical and ecumenical community of faith and learning in the Reformed tradition that serves the church of Jesus Christ. WTS equips women and men for Christ-centered, biblically-based, theologically integrated, culturally competent, and miss... Read More →

Religion News Service

Religion News Service (RNS) is an independent, nonprofit and award-winning source of global news on religion, spirituality, culture and ethics, reported by a staff of professional journalists. Founded in 1934, RNS seeks to inform readers with objective reporting and insightful commentary... Read More →

Ashland University, MFA in Creative Writing

Book Signings at the Ashland MFA table:
Tania Runyan will be signing her book How to Write a Poem on Thursday, 2:00-4:00pmJoanne Lehman will be signing her books Leah's Faith and Susan's Hope (Masthof Press) on Friday, April 17, 12:00-2:00pmAgnes Howard will be signing her book... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 8:59am - 4:30pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Great Hall

Exhibit Hall

9:00am EDT

Beyond Nostalgia: The Art of Remembering

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

How do we write the past without hiding its scars? Dana VanderLugt examines the "middle place” of memory, reflecting on how to honor history without anesthetizing it and wrestling with how we might reject simple nostalgia in favor of complex stories that access the grit and grace of the truth. 

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Dana VanderLugt

Dana VanderLugt descends from a family of apple growers and storytellers. Her debut novel in verse, Enemies in the Orchard, is inspired by German POWs who worked on her family orchard during WWII. A former English teacher, she now works as a literacy consultant in Michigan, where she lives with her husband, sons, and spoiled golden retriever. And yes, she makes a mean apple pie... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

9:00am EDT

Reclaiming Christianity from the Christians: The Witness of Las Casas

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Prince Conference Center, Board Room

In the 16th century, a former conquistador named Bartolomé de las Casas boldly confronted his fellow Christians and spoke out against colonial violence in the Americas. In this session, Daniel José Camacho shares about Las Casas’s fascinating life and underappreciated writings that contain crucial lessons about faith and empathy that remain relevant in our own day.

Speakers

Daniel José Camacho

Daniel José Camacho is currently working on a book about Bartolomé de las Casas with Avid Reader Press. Previously an editor at Sojourners and Fortress Press, he won a Robert B. Silvers Foundation Grant for his essay "Saint Augustine's Slave Play," which became one of the top-t... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

9:00am EDT

Scratching the Creative Itch: Art, Curiosity, and the Myth of the Renaissance Man

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Andrew Peterson explores the joys and perils of a career as a multidisciplinary writer and artist.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby 
(Please note: This is the only book signing for Andrew Peterson.)

Speakers

Andrew Peterson

Recording artist, songwriter, producer, filmmaker, publisher and award-winning author of The Wingfeather Saga, and memoirs The God of the Garden and Adorning the Dark, Andrew Peterson is also founder and president of The Rabbit Room. He launched Shining Isle Productions to produc... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

9:00am EDT

Seen & Heard: Character, Authenticity and Connection

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

In her novel Lookout and memoir Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods, Christine Byl centers deeply emplaced, complex characters while resisting stereotypes. In this session, Byl discusses reading and writing nuanced portrayals of complicated people, families and communities, and how stories can both polarize and connect.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

Christine Byl

Christine Byl is the author of the novel Lookout, short-listed for the Center for Fiction's 2023 First Novel prize and recipient of a Montana Book Award Honor, and Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods, shortlisted for the 2014 Willa Award in nonfiction. Christine has worked as a professional trail-builder for nearly three decades. She lives in Interior Alaska on the homelands of Dene' people... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

9:00am EDT

Shared Roots: Converging Faiths in Care for the Earth 

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Gezon Auditorium

In conversation, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Kyle Meyaard-Schaap discuss how distinct spiritual traditions—Indigenous wisdom and Christian climate activism—meet in a common call to love, protect, and learn from the earth.

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Atrium

Speakers

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants; Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of ... Read More →

Kyle Meyaard-Schaap

Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap is the Executive Director of the Association for a More Just Society-US. His work has been featured in news outlets such as PBS, NPR, CNN, NBC News, the New York Times, and more. He was named a Yale Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis in 2020 and to the Grist 50 Fixers cohort in 2022 or for his work on climate change education and advocacy... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Gezon Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Conversation

9:45am EDT

Coffee Break

Friday April 17, 2026 9:45am - 10:15am EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby; Prince Conference Center Fireside Room; Spoelhof Atrium

Friday April 17, 2026 9:45am - 10:15am EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby; Prince Conference Center Fireside Room; Spoelhof Atrium

Coffee + Snack Breaks, Coffee Break

10:30am EDT

A Language for Grief: Words for What the Heart Must Speak 

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

From deathbeds to deliveries at a level 1 trauma center, J.S. Park noticed a common thread of frustration as he tended to thousands of patients over a decade as a hospital chaplain: Patients and families plagued by a lack of “grief literacy” due to a pervasive fear of discussing loss. With story, stats, metaphor, and poetry, Park discusses how we can use words to honor our losses, and why, especially now, we need the language to talk about our collective and communal grief.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

J. S. Park

J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, published author, and online educator. He serves a 1000+ bed hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center, providing grief support and end-of-life care.

J.S. has been interviewed by CNN, CBS News, Good Morning America, and The Today Show for his work in dea... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

10:30am EDT

Close Enough to See, Far Enough to Tell

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Eliza Griswold reflects on the craft and responsibility of immersive journalism, considering the delicate balance between getting close to a story and maintaining clear-eyed perspective. She explores how writers navigate trust, truth, and the moral stakes of bearing witness in complex human situations.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby 

Speakers

Eliza Griswold

A celebrated author, poet, and New Yorker reporter covering religion, politics, and the environment, Griswold is the author of Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, a finalist for the National Book Award, and Amity and Prosperity: One Fa... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

10:30am EDT

Faith, Imagination, and the Marketplace: Writing and Publishing Christian Genre Fiction 

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

What does it mean to write stories of faith within genres like mystery, romance, fantasy, or science fiction? This panel gathers Christian authors and editors to discuss how imaginative storytelling can illuminate truth, wrestle with belief, and reach wide audiences, and to offer insight into the craft and calling behind contemporary Christian genre fiction.

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Stephanie Broene

Stephanie is the Associate Publisher of fiction at Tyndale House Publishers. For the past twenty years, she has loved working with authors to help them cultivate and bring their stories to the page, managing the publishing process from the idea phase to finished product. She has been... Read More →

Janyre Tromp

Janyre Tromp is a best-selling historical suspense novelist who writes fiery myth-laced tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty—even when it isn’t pretty. Her books include The Scorpion Thief, Darkness Calls the Tiger, and Shadows in the Mind’s Eye. But she’s also a mo... Read More →

Kellie VanHorn

Kellie VanHorn is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of inspirational romantic suspense. Her novel Hunted in the Wilderness won an ACFW Carol Award in the Short Novel category, and her debut YA thriller was published by Penguin Random House in 2023 (writing as Kellie M. Parke... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

Concurrent Session, Panel Session

10:30am EDT

Rewriting the Record: Literature, Memory, and the Histories We Inherit

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

Gezon Auditorium

In conversation, Laurie Halse Anderson and Ayana Mathis discuss how literature can illuminate, challenge, and reshape historical narratives—especially those marked by racial injustice.They explore storytelling as an act of truthtelling and repair, revealing how writers help readers reckon with the past while imagining more honest, humane futures. 

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Atrium

Speakers

Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. Combined, her books have sold more than 8 million copies.

Two of her novels, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was short-listed for the... Read More →

Ayana Mathis

Mathis's bestselling debut, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, was an Oprah's Book Club selection. Her newest, The Unsettled, is a searing multi-generational novel set in a historically Black town in Alabama and racially and politically turbulent Philadelphia. Mathis was the first Black woman to be a permanent faculty member at the Iowa Writers' Workshop... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Gezon Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Conversation

10:30am EDT

Session Cancelled

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Tasha Jun will no longer be speaking at the Festival.

Friday April 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

11:45am EDT

A Conversation with Ariel Lawhon

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Chapel

Book signing follows in the Chapel Narthex

Speakers

Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River as well as several other works of historical fiction, including I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène. The Frozen River was an instant paperback bestseller, rapidly ascending the New York Times bestseller... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Chapel

Concurrent Session, Interview

11:45am EDT

As You Please: Writing From a Place of Joy

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

As writers, each of us draws on the well of books that have inspired us to be storytellers. Whether it’s their plots, their characters, or their prose that delight us, these books make up our own personal syllabi. In this session, Albus serves as your writing cheerleader, encouraging you to find what makes you tick as a writer and to use it to write from a place of joy. 

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Kate Albus

Kate Albus writes historical fiction for young readers. Her novels A Place to Hang the Moon and Nothing Else But Miracles have been recognized by the NY Public Library, Kids Indie Next, SCBWI, Bank Street College of Education, JLG, CCBC, the ALA's Association for Library Service to Children, and state reading lists around the country. Kate lives with her family in rural Maryland... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

11:45am EDT

Holy Hurt

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Spiritual trauma can leave lasting wounds—shaping how we trust ourselves, our bodies, and the sacred. Dr. Hillary McBride uses psychological theory, narrative, and empirical data to explore the impact of high-control belief systems, the process of deconstruction, and how agency can open a path toward wholeness, meaning, and spirituality wide enough to hold life's complexity.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

Hillary McBride

Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcaster, and mother, with expertise including trauma, embodiment, psychedelic psychotherapy, and the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Hillary makes her home in Victoria, Canada.

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

11:45am EDT

Religion Reporting in an Era of Distrust

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Board Room

At a time when distrust of institutions and media runs high, Religion News Service reporter Kathryn Post shares behind-the-scenes stories of earning trust with her sources, from conservative Christian "momfluencers" to ex-evangelicals and survivors of religious abuse. She discusses what she's learned about building relationships and why getting religion right matters in today's newsrooms.

Speakers

Kathryn Post

Kathryn Post is an award-winning national reporter for Religion News Service (RNS). Based in Pittsburgh, Kathryn covers topics such as religious "nones," religious higher education and abuse in religious contexts. She joined RNS in 2021 after earning a Master of Arts in Religion from... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

11:45am EDT

Spell, Ceremony, Miracle: The Literacy Narrative of a Lapsed Catholic

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Kiki Petrosino's poems and essays trace the story of her own literacy across complex terrains of text and memory. In this discussion, she talks about how her grief, following her grandfather's suicide, was shaped by her literary explorations of Shakespeare and Dante as well as by the ceremonies of her childhood Catholic faith.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

Kiki Petrosino

Kiki Petrosino is the author of four books of poetry, including White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. Her memoir, Bright, was released from Sarabande in 2022. She is a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

11:45am EDT

The Power of Parable: Personal Story-telling as a Tool for Advocacy in the Church

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Gezon Auditorium

As a Palestinian Episcopal priest, deeply committed to a Church that fails her own people, Leyla King grapples with the impact such dissonance has on her faith and her vocation. From that space, she discusses the power of telling her own family's stories as parables that dismantle systemic and personal defensive structures of the Church to open ears, hearts, and minds.

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Atrium

Speakers

Leyla K. King

Leyla K. King is a Palestinian-American Episcopal priest and author. She is a founding member of both Palestinian Anglicans and Clergy Allies (www.palestiniananglicans.org) and The Small Churches Big Impact Collective. She writes about her experiences as a Palestinian, a clergywo... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Gezon Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

12:30pm EDT

Lunch

Friday April 17, 2026 12:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

On or Off-Campus

Boxed Lunches
Festival attendees who pre-ordered boxed lunches for Friday may pick up their meals in the Knollcrest Dining Hall between 12:30-2:00 pm. There is seating inside the dining hall for attendees to eat lunch together. Please note–no outside food or drink is allowed in Knollcrest Dining Hall.

Festival Lunch Circles in the Knollcrest Dining Hall
Attendees who pre-registered for a Festival Lunch Circle can also pick up their boxed lunches beginning at 12:30 pm before making their way to their assigned table in the dining hall. Festival Lunch Circles will begin at 1:00 pm in the Knollcrest Dining Hall on Friday and Saturday. Each Circle will have a designated seating area in the dining hall. Please note–no outside food or drink is allowed in Knollcrest Dining Hall.

Off Campus
Find local restaurant recommendations in the Festival app.

Friday April 17, 2026 12:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
On or Off-Campus

Lunch

2:30pm EDT

A Conversation with Carrie Fountain

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Gezon Auditorium

Join us in a conversation with Carrie Fountain, interviewed by Abram VanEngen.

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Atrium

Speakers

Carrie Fountain

Carrie Fountain is the author of three books of poetry: The Life, Instant Winner, and Burn Lake; the YA novel I’m Not Missing; and the children’s book The Poem Forest. She is currently adapting I’m Not Missing for the screen, working on a second YA novel, and finishing a th... Read More →

Abram VanEngen

Abram Van Engen is the Stanley Elkin Professor of the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis. His books include City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism (2020) and Word Made Fresh: An Invitation to Poetry for the Church (2024), named Best Book of 2024 in Cul... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Gezon Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Interview

2:30pm EDT

Finding Faith in Traditionally Published Children's Books

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Chapel

Karina Yan Glaser, the New York Times bestselling children’s book author of The Vanderbeeker series and the Newbery Honor-winning The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, reflects on how faith informs her work and guides the creation of the characters in her stories. 

Book signing follows in the Chapel Narthex

Speakers

Karina Yan Glaser

Karina Yan Glaser is the New York Times bestselling author of the Vanderbeeker series, the standalone middle grade novel A Duet for Home, the chapter book Poppy Song Bakes A Way (part of the multi-author series The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class), and the Newbery Honor-winning historical... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Chapel

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

2:30pm EDT

How to Pitch Your Nonfiction Book

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

You have a book inside you that you know will be a gift to readers. But to reach those readers, you need to persuade the gatekeepers—agents and publishers—to say “yes.” The good news is that when you discover how gatekeepers think, you can deliver what they want. In this session, Starbuck will dish about how to craft a strategic pitch that gives gatekeepers every reason to say “yes.”

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Margot Starbuck

Margot is a New York Times bestselling writer who’s written over 50 books and works with publishers as a writer, editor, and coach. She specializes in helping nonfiction writers get published by equipping them to dazzle gatekeepers. As a collaborator, Margot enjoys writing alongside... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

2:30pm EDT

Listening for the Lyric

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Join a panel of songwriters as they reflect on the creative and spiritual dimensions of their craft. Through conversation about inspiration, artistry, and the power of music to express faith and human experience, this session invites attendees into a deeper appreciation of how songs are made and what they can mean.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby
(Please note: Andrew Peterson will not be signing books after this session.) 

Speakers

Amanda Held Opelt

Amanda Held Opelt is a speaker, songwriter, and author of the books Holy Unhappiness and A Hole in the World, which was selected by Publisher's Weekly as one of the best books of 2022. Amanda spent 15 years serving in the non-profit and humanitarian aid sectors. She lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband and two young daughters... Read More →

Andrew Peterson

Jess Ray

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Panel Session

2:30pm EDT

Talking To Strangers: How To Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Even Get The Reluctant Haters To Tell You Something Useful

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Since we have so many ways to separate us from one another, the art of the interview has become more important than ever. Dean Nelson has been asking questions as a journalist and as host of the annual Writer's Symposium By The Sea for more than 30 years. In this session, Nelson shows you how to engage others at a deeper and more profound level. It's more than serendipity and intuition. It's a skill you can learn. 

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

Dean Nelson

Dean Nelson is the founder and director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, and the founder and host of the annual Writer's Symposium By The Sea, where he has interviewed great writers for more than 30 years. His most recent books are Talking... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

2:30pm EDT

The Grief and Hope of Conversion

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Board Room

In her memoir We Carry Smoke and Paper, poet and essayist Melody S. Gee explores the grief and hope of becoming Catholic at age 35. She discusses what is lost and found in religious conversion--what is gained, let go, and sometimes resurrected.

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Melody S. Gee

Melody S. Gee is the author of We Carry Smoke and Paper: Essays on the Grief and Hope of Conversion (University of Iowa Press, October 2024) and three books of poetry. She is the recipient of Kundiman fellowships in poetry and fiction, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award, and Artist Support Grants from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

3:15pm EDT

Afternoon Snack Break

Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby; Prince Conference Center Fireside Room; Spoelhof Atrium

Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby; Prince Conference Center Fireside Room; Spoelhof Atrium

Coffee + Snack Breaks, Afternoon Snack Break

4:00pm EDT

Drawing Stories Together: Writers and Illustrators in Creative Partnership

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Gezon Auditorium

In conversation, Aimee Reid and Larissa Theule discuss the collaborative art of creating children’s picture books, exploring how writers and illustrators bring a shared story to life. This conversation will touch on communication, trust, and the joyful surprises that emerge when visual and written imagination meet, shaping books that resonate with young readers and their grownups. 

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Atrium

Speakers

Aimee Reid

Children's author Aimee Reid learned to read through frequent story times with the Beginner Books from Random House. She soon read her way through the books in her Kindergarten classroom and received entrance to the big school library. It was special to release her first picture book... Read More →

Larissa Theule

Larissa Theule is the author of critically-acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books for children, including Tove Under the Tree, illustrated by Julie Benbassat, Kafka and the Doll, illustrated by Rebecca Green, and the Material Marvels. She lives and writes in Pasadena, California... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Gezon Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Conversation

4:00pm EDT

Finding and Working with a Literary Agent: The Dos, the Don’ts, and the Reality

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

What really happens when writers start looking for a literary agent—and what should they expect if they find one? Drawing on over 20 years in publishing, including the past decade as an agent at Yates & Yates, Mike Salisbury offers a candid, light-hearted look at the dos, don’ts, and realities of literary representation.

Speakers

Mike Salisbury

For nearly twenty years, Mike Salisbury has helped authors transform ideas into bestselling books and enduring brands. As a literary agent at Yates & Yates and a consultant at Author Coaching, he has guided high-capacity communicators—pastors, speakers, thought leaders—through... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Willow Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

4:00pm EDT

How to Write Good

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Sarah Perry reflects on how her work has considered theological and philosophical ideas of personal and collective moral responsibility, the influence of her strict Calvinist upbringing, whether a writer has an ethical duty to their readers, and to what extent artistic excellence might be considered a moral virtue.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby 

Speakers

Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry is the internationally best selling author of the novels Melmouth, The Essex Serpent, After Me Comes the Flood, and Enlightenment, and the nonfiction Essex Girls.

Her essays have been widely published, and she has contributed to the Guardian, the New York Times, the ... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

4:00pm EDT

Making and Meaning: The Creative Rhythm of Courage and Reflection

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Chapel

In conversation, artist Scott Erickson and scholar Lanta Davis explore the essential interplay between creating and pausing, making and discerning, considering why creative work demands both bold action and thoughtful reflection–and how holding these modes together can deepen our art, our faith, and our capacity to see the world with clarity.

Book signing follows in the Chapel Narthex

Speakers

Lanta Davis

Lanta Davis writes and teaches about the sacramental imagination, beauty, and character formation. Her book, Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation, was named one of Christianity Today's best books of the year, and her writing has also appeared... Read More →

Scott Erickson

Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, creative curate, and author. Scott's work has appeared on CNN, National Geographic, and in various magazines and newspaper outlets. He is the author of Say Yes: Discover the Surprising Life Beyond the Death of a Dream, Hon... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Chapel

Concurrent Session, Conversation

4:00pm EDT

Poetics of the Sacred

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Prince Conference Center, Board Room

How might artistic practices invoke the qualities of prayer? By extension, is it possible to articulate a poetics of the sacred? In this session, Patrick Rosal explores his complex relationship to prayer, the sacred, and a secular artistic practice, sharing how he was influenced by his relationship with his father, who was a priest and theologian trained in the Thomist tradition.

Book signing follows in the Prince Conference Center, Fireside Room

Speakers

Patrick Rosal

Patrick Rosal is the author of The Last Thing and has been published in The New York Times, The Nation, Best American Poetry and elsewhere. A Guggenheim and NEA Fellow, he is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers-Camden. His mother and father immigrated from the Philippines and met in the U.S., while his father was still a Catholic priest and theologian in the Thomist tradition... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Board Room

Concurrent Session, Solo Session

4:00pm EDT

Reporting Across the Divide

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

In this moderated conversation, these seasoned journalists explore the challenges of reporting at the intersection of politics and religion in a polarized era: covering culturewar issues, writing about people across political and theological divides, and staying faithful to the principles of their craft while reflecting on how personal worldview shapes their work.

Book signing follows in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Lobby

Speakers

Eliza Griswold

Kathryn Post

Astead Herndon

Journalist Astead W. Herndon is a host and editorial director at Vox, where he helps lead politics coverage across text, video, audio, and social media platforms. Previously at The New York Times, he distinguished himself as a sharp, accessible voice on American politics, hosti... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Covenant Fine Arts Center, Auditorium

Concurrent Session, Panel Session

5:30pm EDT

Evening Plenary Session - The Garden Has Faith in You

Friday April 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Van Noord Arena

Ross Gay examines joy, grief, faith, and coexisting with the garden. 

Book signing follows in the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Lobby
(Please note: Ross Gay requests no photos, videos, or audio recordings at any time throughout his participation in the Festival.This includes before, during, and after sessions, at book signings, and in between events. Thank you for honoring this request.) 

Speakers

Ross Gay

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN America Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry A... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Van Noord Arena

Plenary Session

7:00pm EDT

Whitworth University MFA

Sponsors

Plough

The Christian Century

Friday April 17, 2026 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
Prince Conference Center, Various Venues

8:00pm EDT

Jess Ray in Concert

Friday April 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:30pm EDT

Chapel

Join us for an evening concert with Jess Ray and Band, whose “friendly folk” blends indie pop textures with spiritually rich, lyric-driven storytelling. Rooted in faith and experience, her music creates space for reflection, hope, and connection through songs exploring devotion and everyday grace.

Speakers

Jess Ray

Friday April 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
Chapel

Evening Activity, Concert

8:00am EDT

8:30am EDT

8:59am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:45am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

11:45am EDT

11:45am EDT

11:45am EDT

11:45am EDT

11:45am EDT

11:45am EDT

12:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

3:15pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

5:30pm EDT

7:00pm EDT

8:00pm EDT

Get help with the event