Columbia College’s 14th Annual Story Week Festival of Writers kicks off Sunday, March 14th! Known as Chicago’s own Literary Lollapalooza, the festival features readings, panel discussions, performances and more as free events around the city. This year’s theme, “Genre-Bending: The Faces of Fiction,” examines the blurring boundaries between the literary novel and genre fiction, and features writers who have explored (and perhaps further blurred!) these blending forms within their own work.

Among the featured guests this year is Joyce Carol Oates, author of over one hundred novels in many genres, including We Were the Mulvaneys and The Gravediggers’ Daughter. Ms. Oates will be giving a question and answer session (moderated by Gavin Cologne-Brooks) at the Harold Washington Library Center (Cindy Pritzker Auditorium) on Monday, March 15th at 2:30 PM; at 6 PM (same location), she will be discussing her work with Chicago Public Radio book critic Donna Seaman.

But that’s not even close to all the festival has to offer! For more information on this upcoming literary smorgasbord, taking place from March 14th – March 19th, please visit the Schedule of Events on Columbia College’s website.