Each year during the last week of October, the UNC Wilmington Department of Creative Writing hosts Writers’ Week – a series of events that brings in authors, publishers, alumni and professors to speak to the current MFA and BFA students studying creative writing, as well as to the public. These events include readings, panels, workshops and presentations from those currently working in the writing and publishing fields. Attendance peaked at over 150 people at multiple events throughout the week.

Writers’ Week is an event that all creative writing students look forward to – especially the graduate and undergraduate students who are responsible for planning the week. There is a class that creative writing students have the opportunity to take in the fall if they are interested in planning the schedule. This year, the course was overseen by Mark Cox and Melissa Crowe, both professors in the Department of Creative Writing.

“I have taught the course three times now,” Cox said. “This was our eighteenth Writers’ Week. We’ve brought hundreds of writers to campus over the years, including at least eight Pulitzer Prize winners and five National Book Award Winners. Students and community members have been introduced to a deep and diverse field of literary talent.”

Ross Gay, author of “Against Which”; Kristen Radtke, author of “Imagine Wanting Only This”; and publisher Julie Barer, among other notable writers and publishers, came from all over the country to attend this year’s Writers’ Week.

The students that take the course not only have the tasks of selecting authors and publishers who come, but also of selecting students that read for the MFA and BFA poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction readings. These readings tend to be the most highly-attended events during the day since they allow students to read their work as professionals and show off the talent the creative writing department has.

Jess Cohn, who will graduate in December with a BFA in fiction and a publishing certificate, has overseen the selection process for the BFA reading for the past two Writers’ Weeks.

“The hardest part of organizing the BFA reading is choosing the submissions,” Cohn said. “You want to have a good range of genres for the one-hour limit of the event. There are so many amazing writers — especially this year — so it makes it more difficult.”

The keynote event with Ross Gay, National Book Award finalist and professor at Indiana University, had a lecture hall in Dobo Hall completely full.

“The chairs were filled, people sat on the floor, around the edges of the stairs, and stood in the hallway,” said BFA student Tyler Whichard. “He broke down the slow, low-energy stereotype poetry readings are often given. He was alive, a born performer, with a voice you can’t fall asleep on.”

During the question and answer section of the reading, Gay was asked why he chooses to bring happiness and humor into his poetry.

“I want to explore the fullness of life, not just one aspect,” Gay said. “I want to capture joy, not happy or sad.”

Writers like Ross Gay, and all the writers and publishers who spoke at this past Writers’ Week, inspired students.

“It’s cool to listen to people who’ve had their writing published before,” said Brian Capps, a BFA student. “Yeah, our professors have done it, but listening to people who are doing it right now is very inspiring.”

Ricki Nelson, another BFA student, said, “It’s very insightful. It makes me feel like getting published is possible.”

Writers’ Week will be back next fall to continue to inspire and educate students.