St. Louis Literary Award

A huge congrats to Scarlet, Katie, and Elianna for their fantastic work in our competitions this year. Their writing is beyond impressive and we are so proud of them!

A new chapter for the arts at Saint Louis University.
https://www.slu.edu/news/2026/april/center-literary-creative-arts.php

The Center for Literary and Creative Arts (CLCA), led by Katrina Thompson Moore, Ph.D. and Edward Ibur, M.Ed., has officially launched in the SLU College of Arts & Sciences—a space designed to bring together creative work across disciplines and connect it more intentionally with the St. Louis community.

At its core, the CLCA is about people gathering around ideas—books, performances, exhibitions, and conversations. It builds on programs already central to SLU, including the St. Louis Literary Award, the Campus Read, student competitions, and a new Youth Literary Initiative, while opening the door to broader collaborations across campus and throughout the region.

The focus is on building stronger connections, more shared experiences, and more opportunities for students, faculty, and the broader community to engage with the literary and creative arts in meaningful ways.

More to come soon.

What a week.

We were honored to welcome Jhumpa Lahiri to Saint Louis University as the 2026 recipient of the St. Louis Literary Award—two days of conversation, reflection, and real connection across campus and the St. Louis community.

This year’s programs also marked an important step forward with the continued launch of the Center for Literary and Creative Arts (CLCA), which is helping bring these conversations into closer dialogue with students, faculty, and partners across the region.

We’re grateful to everyone who made it such a meaningful few days—and especially to our students, who continue to be at the heart of this work.

Thank you to Jhumpa Lahiri for her generosity, insight, and presence.

Read more:
https://www.slu.edu/news/2026/april/literary-award.php

Join us today in the Cook Hall auditorium at the Chaifetz School of Business on the SLU campus for one more opportunity to catch one of the world's great contemporary writers in conversation! Free and open to the public...

Get to know a bit about our brilliant moderators for the upcoming Literary Award events this week…and if you haven’t already, you can purchase tickets for the Literary Award Ceremony here:

https://www.thesheldon.org/events/detail/saint-louis-literary-award-honoring-jhumpa-lahiri?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleARCxtdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacR3Pr8l848Gr3A4YGmdndP0ubKboilM86ips8JYOp-EElphHTDr3Dr6zwpdA_aem_A7OkBoTnGMU73gE0VCSx-Q

Don’t miss out on this beautiful performance from SLU’s very own students and faculty! Tonight at the Literary Award Ceremony!

For more information and to purchase tickets click here: https://www.thesheldon.org/events/detail/saint-louis-literary-award-honoring-jhumpa-lahiri?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleARCxtdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacR3Pr8l848Gr3A4YGmdndP0ubKboilM86ips8JYOp-EElphHTDr3Dr6zwpdA_aem_A7OkBoTnGMU73gE0VCSx-Q

Don’t miss out on this year’s Literary Award festivities with Jhumpa Lahiri!

Purchase Award Ceremony tickets here: https://www.thesheldon.org/events/detail/saint-louis-literary-award-honoring-jhumpa-lahiri?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleARBAmdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAae-o6A_jgQrxkC0CkH6oZFacUVvdRhZ9A8n6qI17134uuJRKIQSxlsvZHkKhA_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

We’re excited to share this wonderful conversation with Jhumpa Lahiri on St. Louis on the Air with St. Louis Public Radio. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview that touches on her work, her process, and the idea of belonging that runs through so much of her writing.

And we’d love to see you this week:

St. Louis Literary Award Ceremony
April 8 | 7:00 PM | The Sheldon Concert Hall
Tickets are still available!

Author Craft Talk (Free & Open to the Public)
April 9 | 12:00 PM | Anheuser-Busch Auditorium, Chaifetz School of Business
Register now and join us for a conversation about Lahiri’s creative process.

It’s shaping up to be a special couple of days—hope you can join us.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri to receive 2026 St. Louis Literary Award Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Interpreter of Maladies,” talks about translation in her art and everyday life.

This year’s Sant Louis Literary Award winner Jhumpa Lahiri kickstarted her career with her short story collection “Interpreter of Maladies”. If you haven’t already read it, it is worth checking out!