Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Stage (On W. Polk St., just east of Clark St.) Saturday 9/12 - 10am Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels, most recently, Happy Land (2025) which was longlisted for the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize and won the 2026 Southern Book Prize. Her previous ... Read more
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Stage (On W. Polk St., just east of Clark St.) Sunday 9/13 - 5pm Don Wycliff is a retired journalist and educator. His journalism career included stints as an editorial writer at The New York Times and as editorial page editor of the Chicago Tribune. He taught journalism for several ... Read more
North Stage (On S. Dearborn St., just south of Ida B. Wells Dr.) Saturday 9/12 - 2pm Donald G. Evans is the author of a novel and story collection, as well as the editor of two anthologies of Chicago literature, most recently Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry. He is the Founding Executive ... Read more
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Stage (On W. Polk St., just east of Clark St.) Sunday 9/13 - 11am Donna Seaman is Editor in Chief and Adult Books Editor for Booklist. A recipient of the Louis Shores Award for Excellence in Book Reviewing and the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award, Seaman is on the Content ... Read more
Grace Place, 2nd Floor (637 S. Dearborn St.) Saturday 9/12 - 10am Jay Thomas is a retired professor of education at Aurora University in Illinois, where he taught learning theory, motivation, and research methods. He has published and presented internationally on gifted education and STEM education. He is a past president of the National Consortium ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Saturday 9/12 - 10am Dr. Rekha S. Rajan is a USA TODAY bestselling author, audio book narrator, professor and classically trained opera singer. Her books have received starred reviews and been named to numerous state award ... Read more
North Stage (On S. Dearborn St., just south of Ida B. Wells Dr.) Sunday 9/13 - 12pm Ed Roberson is the author of numerous poetry collections, including the forthcoming book Red Silk Woven Carpet, The President’s Wife, and the Generals of Autumn (selva oscura press, 2026). His many honors include the Jackson Poetry Prize, the ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Sunday 9/13 - 3pm Edward Taylor is Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and a professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington. His work focuses on expanding educational opportunity, fostering civic engagement, and creating communities of belonging. His scholarship ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Saturday 9/12 - 1pm Edward Kelsey Moore is an award-winning author whose works include the New York Times and international bestselling novel The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, the film adaptation of which was released by Searchlight Pictures in 2024. His short fiction and essays have ... Read more
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Stage (On W. Polk St., just east of Clark St.) Sunday 9/13 - 4pm Eileen Favorite’s novel, The Heroines (Scribner), has been translated into five languages. Her essays, poems, and stories have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Rumpus, TriQuarterly, The Toast, Hypertext, Newcity, Chicago Reader, Diagram, and others. Her lectures ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Sunday 9/13 - 11am Liz McChesney is a lifelong children’s librarian, library leader, literacy champion, and lover of stories. A Chicagoan, she has spent her career helping children and families discover the joy, wonder, and power ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Sunday 9/13 - 10am Elizabeth Taylor, past president of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC), serves on its board. Chair of multiple Pulitzer Prize juries, she judges many other book awards, including the J. Anthony Lukas/Lyton. Author (with Adam Cohen) of American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard ... Read more
Grace Place, 2nd Floor (637 S. Dearborn St.) Saturday 9/12 - 1pm Emily Nemens is the author of the novels Clutch (Tin House/Zando, 2026), and The Cactus League (FSG, 2020), both of which were The New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice selections. Her stories and essays have appeared in BOMB, Story, Zyzzyva, n+1, and ... Read more
Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Stage (On W. Polk St., just east of Clark St.) Saturday 9/12, 12:30pm Emily Yellin is a journalist, author, and producer. Her latest book, Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love, is a collaboration with civil rights movement leader Rev. James Lawson Jr. They worked together for five years to ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Saturday 9/12, 11am Erika Slife is a deputy metro editor for city and suburban news. Her team of award-winning reporters cover immigration, public safety, emerging trends and general assignment features. She began her career as an intern in Springfield, covering the Illinois State Capitol. Afterward, ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Sunday 9/13, 3pm Erin Osmon is a music journalist, critic, and author of the new book Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America. She’s also published books on John Prine and Jason Molina. ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Sunday 9/13, 3pm Evan F. Moore is a South Side Chicago-based writer. He’s the co-author of the critically-acclaimed book, Game Misconduct: Hockey’s Toxic Culture and How to Fix It. His award-winning writing was featured in the 2019 and 2026 editions of The Best Sports Writing book series. ... Read more
Digital Realty Stage (On W. Polk St., at Plymouth Ct.) Sunday 9/13, 11am Eve L. Ewing is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer from Chicago. She is the award-winning author of many books across genre, most recently, Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, an instant New ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Saturday 9/12, 5pm Faisal Mohyuddin is the author of Elsewhere: An Elegy (Next Page), The Displaced Children of Displaced Children (Eyewear), and The Riddle of Longing (Backbone/Bull City). He teaches high school English in Chicago and ... Read more
North Stage (On S. Dearborn St., just south of Ida B. Wells Dr.) Sunday 9/13, 5pm Poet, screenwriter, educator, and performer, Fatimah Asghar is the South-Asian American Muslim author of Daughter of the Mountains, If They Come For Us, When We Were Sisters, and the chapbook After. Asghar is the writer and co-creator of Brown Girls, ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Sunday 9/13, 3pm Frances R. Aparicio is Professor Emerita at Northwestern University, where she taught in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and served as Director of the Latina and Latino Studies Program for eight years. ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Sunday 9/13, 3pm Francesca T. Royster is Professor of English at DePaul University in Chicago. She’s written scholarly work on Shakespeare, Black Lesbian Country music fans, Prince, Tracy Chapman and Fela Kuti, among other topics. Her ... Read more
Grace Place, 2nd Floor (637 S. Dearborn St.) Saturday 9/12, 12pm Gabriela Barrios is honored to return to Sanctuary Stories. While she began her career performing onstage in Spanish in her home country of Venezuela, Gabriela has since built a career in English-language television, with credits including Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Law & Order.
North Stage (On S. Dearborn St., just south of Ida B. Wells Dr.) Sunday 9/13, 11am Gabrielle Lyon is a nationally recognized nonprofit leader with a career dedicated to education and civic engagement. As Executive Director of Illinois Humanities, she champions initiatives that connect people and communities through the public humanities to explore ideas, engage ... Read more
Center Stage (On S. Dearborn St. in Printers Row Park between Polk and Harrison Streets, West Side of Dearborn.) Sunday 9/13, 10am Screenshot Gavin Harper (he/him) is a performer, conductor, director, and arts enthusiast. Gavin grew up in the Virginia Beach area, but has spent the last four years making Chicago his home. Favorite credits ... Read more