The Get Lit! Festival will be held virtually April 12th-18th, 2021!
Our full festival schedule is now LIVE!
Here's what you need to know in order to enjoy this year's festival from the comfort of your own home:
Almost all of our festival events this year will be FREE to watch on our YouTube channel. Events will be available to stream starting at their designated time in our festival schedule, PLUS they will stay up for 2-12 months (depending on the event) to be shared and viewed anytime!
While you can access our free events simply by viewing them on our YouTube Channel, we have also created Eventbrite listings for all events. Using Eventbrite helps us gather information from our attendees that could be very helpful to our program in applying for grant funding. Using Eventbrite also means that you will receive reminders about each event. Another way you can help us is by filling out a post-festival survey after attending any event. (Link coming soon)
During the festival week, April 12th-18th, we will have 2-3 LIVE events mixed in with our schedule of pre-recorded material—we will note on our schedule which events will be live. Q&A for live events will take place via YouTube's chat feature, and attendees can also send us questions ahead of time for any event or author at getlit@ewu.edu. Please use the subject line [Q&A submission for "event title"]
A group of events that requires Zoom registration is Conversations Over Coffee and Conversations with Authors, in partnership with Must Read Fiction, which will allow attendees a chance for more direct interaction with authors and community members. Conversations Over Coffee is free Monday-Thursday and requires Zoom registration. Sunday's Conversations with Authors requires a donation and Zoom registration. Learn more about these events on Sched and follow links above to register.
We said that *most* events are free and do not require registration. A few more exceptions are our four craft classes, which are an incredible deal at $35 each (and capped at 25 attendees) and Pie School, which will require the purchase of a book via Auntie's Bookstore.
Here are links to register for those classes:
Pie School : Make sure to purchase your book via this link so that you will be properly registered for the class. If you have already purchased the book, please email events@auntiesbooks.com for help.
Friday Craft Classes:
The Performance of Poetry taught by Michael Kleber-Diggs
Saturday Craft Classes:
The Practice of Worldbuilding taught by Ruth Joffre
Writing Poetry that Packs a Punch(line) taught by Tiffany Midge
Thank you for joining us for our very first virtual festival. We can't wait to celebrate with you April 12th-18th!
To support our program with a one-time or recurring donation, please use this link.
Recap / FAQ:
How do I register for events? Registration is only necessary for craft classes, Pie School, and Conversations Over Coffee / Conversations with Authors. All other (20+) events are free and you can find them the following ways:
Each festival event on our schedule contains direct links to Eventbrite listings, our YouTube Channel, and FB events.
Going directly to our YouTube Channel and subscribing so that you don't miss any events.
How can I support Get Lit! with a one-time or recurring donation?
Use this link! Thank you!
More about Get Lit!: The Get Lit! Festival began in 1998 as a one-day marathon of literary readings sponsored by Eastern Washington University Press and EWU’s Department of Creative Writing. Then The Spokesman-Reviewlovingly called it “the little literary festival that could,” and they were right. By 2004, the festival had become a community tradition that thousands of people from Spokane and the surrounding region enjoy every year. More recently, The Spokesman-Review referred to the festival as the literary equivalent to Spokane’s nationally recognized sporting events, Hoopfest and Bloomsday.
Our week-long celebration of reading and writing offers:
- readings, lectures, and on-stage-conversations
- craft classes
- writing workshops
- panel discussions
- poetry slams and open mics
- writing contests
- book signings
- visits by festival authors to local K-12 schools and colleges
- Pie & Whiskey!
Our definition of storytelling also allows us to include:
- graphic novels, playwriting, screenwriting, songwriting, blogging, and spoken-word poetry
- events combined with radio, music, film, and theater performances
- community readings and storytelling events by writers of all ages
Housed within Eastern Washington University’s College of Arts, Letters, and Education, the Get Lit! Festival loves to bring in authors who can start important conversations within our community and our colleges and universities. We often partner with local institutions such as Gonzaga University, Spokane Community College, Spokane Falls Community College, North Idaho College, and Whitworth University; as well as community organizations and businesses.
Past festivals have featured authors such as Kurt Vonnegut, Jane Smiley, Richard Russo, Salman Rushdie, Rita Dove, and Sarah Vowell. We also spotlight regional talent from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana such as Sherman Alexie, Dorianne Laux, Tim Egan, Sallie Tisdale, and Jess Walter. Over the past decade, the Get Lit! Festival has been praised consistently as “one of the best festivals I’ve ever been to” by authors and audiences alike.
It is our festival's mission to advance the arts, celebrate and amplify diverse voices, and empower creativity. Check back here and follow us on social media for updates about this April's digital festival.
