Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah was raised in Spring Valley, New York, and now lives in the Bronx. His debut collection, Friday Black, was a New York Times bestseller, won the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize. His first novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, winner of the Inside Literary Prize, shortlisted...

Students, join the book club that meets monthly inside the iconic Old Capitol Museum, with books chosen by you. Come read, wonder, and connect as we transform this timeless building into a cozy retreat for shared stories and spirited discussion in the Pentacrest Museums first ever student book club.

For the Fall 2026 semester, Book Club @ the Museum will meet on the following Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Old Cap:

Sept. 14: We'll pick a book and make "junk journals" together.

Oct. 12: Bookmark...

The award ceremony for the 2026 Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in Memory of Newton Arvin will take place at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in the Old Capitol Senate Chamber. The event will feature remarks by the winner and a reception in the Old Capitol Rotunda. Both the ceremony and reception are open to the public.

To subscribe to a weekly emailing list of Writers' Workshop events, please fill in the linked form or email iww@uiowa.edu with “Events Mailing List Subscribe” in the...

Explore the Literary Grove with University of Iowa Arborist Andy Dahl
Take a guided stroll through the Literary Grove, where each tree has a story to tell. Arborist Andy Dahl will share the unique histories and literary connections of these remarkable trees, many linked to celebrated authors from the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop.