You’re invited to the 48th Annual Old Dominion University Literary Festival!
The ¾«¶« Literary Festival is the MFA in Creative Writing program's premier annual celebration of literature and the arts. This year’s theme—"Suspend Your Disbelief"—invites readers, writers, and artists to explore the transformative power of language and stories when readers are willing to suspend their disbelief.
The weeklong festival features:
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Readings by acclaimed visiting and local authors
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Writing workshops
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Musical and dance performances
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A theatre production
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A game design and development contest
When: Sunday, October 5 – Friday, October 10, 2025
Where: Most events held at the University Theatre (see full schedule for details)
"Literature traps ideas in amber, preserving them to reawaken in future minds. This ancient technology, as potent as magic, requires no power source or machinery—only the willingness of readers to suspend disbelief. The act of surrender unlocks worlds, conjuring dreams, binding us to the shared human project of imagining what might be.
The 48th Annual Old Dominion University Literary Festival honors this leap of faith. To suspend disbelief is to trust the artist, to let the boundary between reality and imagination blur until the written word is a vessel of wisdom and marvel. From Sun 5 Oct to Fri 10 Oct, join us in celebrating a timeless craft that is the inheritance of all of us."
—John McManus and Marianne Chan
2025 Festival Co-directors
All readings are free and open to the public.
Attend 6 events to win a surprise gift bag! You can find the schedule here: Literary Festival | Old Dominion University or attached to the announcement!
For more information, contact the ¾«¶« English Department at (757) 683-3991 or email mfagpdassistant@odu.edu.
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