Join us for the third annual literary celebration founded by Adelphi alumna and novelist Alice Hoffman, headlined this year by New York Times best-selling authors Susan Lucci and Jodi Picoult.
Celebrate the joy of storytelling. Come to Adelphi for three days of book talk at the 2026 Writers & Readers Festival, Wednesday–Friday, April 15–17.
- It’s a novel event, with:
- Susan Lucci, the star of daytime television’s All My Children, in an opening-night keynote conversation about her new memoir, La Lucci, with best selling author Adriana Trigiani
- Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman in a keynote conversation about writing, reading and the power of storytelling in a time of book bans
- Alice Hoffman shares heartwarming stories with contributors to her upcoming anthology, The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love
- Musical director Tim Weil discusses the landmark musical by Adelphi alum Jonathan Larson ’82, the subject of his new book, Making Rent: The Story Behind the Music That Changed Broadway
- Novelist and memoirist Darcey Steinke and science writer Michael Rossi talk about their new books, which explore the impact of fake science and superstition
- A look at the career of Zora Neale Hurston, with Patrik Henry Bass, executive editor of Amistad Books, an imprint devoted to the works of Black writers
- Joan Silber, Ed Park and Luis Jaramillo discuss the art of time in fiction
- Novelists Fiona Davis, Ann Leary and Alyson Richman discuss the craft of writing historical fiction
- Featured faculty author Marcos Gonsalez, PhD, on his award-winning novel Pedro’s Theory
- Best Selling Novelists Jessica Knoll and Alice Hoffman talk about the writer-editor relationship with Marysue Rucci, publisher of Scribner Books
Featured Authors
Join these celebrated writers in this year’s keynote conversations.

Photo Credit: Justice Apple
Susan Lucci
Susan Lucci is an Emmy Award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and advocate for women’s heart health. The most famous actress in the history of daytime television, she is known to generations of fans for her vivid portrayal of Erica Kane on ABC-TV’s All My Children. She later starred on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun and in the television dramas Devious Maids and Deadly Affairs. Her new memoir, La Lucci, an instant New York Times bestseller, is a follow-up to her 2011autobiography, All My Life, which reached No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Photo Credit: Tim Llewellyn
Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels, including By Any Other Name, Mad Honey (co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan), Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with her daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Her work is celebrated not only for its emotional depth and meticulous research but also for tackling complex moral and ethical issues with nuance and compassion. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.
Festival Schedule
All events will take place in the Ruth S. Harley University Center on the Adelphi campus, except where noted.
Wednesday, April 15
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 7:00pm | An Evening With Susan Lucci Performing Arts Center Concert Hall |
Thursday, April 16
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:30am | The MFA and First Books: Puja Shah ’03, Robin Boyle-Laisure and Roohi Choudhry |
| 11:00am | Keynote Conversation: Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman |
| 1:30pm | Historical Fiction Panel: Ann Leary, Alyson Richman, Fiona Davis |
| 1:30pm | Making Rent: Tim Weil and Jennifer Tepper |
| 3:00pm | The Best Dog in the World: Alice Hoffman, Ann Leary, Laura Zigman |
| 4:30pm | Poetry: The Voice on the Page: Ed Mabrey, Emily Lee Luan |
Friday, April 17
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:30am | The Editor/Author Relationship: Alice Hoffman, Jessica Knoll and Marysue Rucci |
| 11:00am | Publishing 101: From Manuscript to Book: Elizabeth Mitchell, Catherine Tung and Courtney Paganelli |
| 1:30pm | Science and Superstition: Darcey Steinke, Michael Rossi |
| 1:30pm | Faculty Conversation: Marcos Gonsalez |
| 3:00pm | Fiction and the Art of Time: Joan Silber, Luis Jaramillo, Ed Park |
| 4:30pm | Amistad: Zora Neale Hurston and The Life of Herod the Great: Patrik Henry Bass |
| 4:30pm | High School Poetry Contest Awards |
| 5:00 pm | Closing Reception |
A Short Story
For a quick but compelling look at the festival, take a minute and watch our video.
2026 Writers & Readers Festival
The annual celebration founded by Adelphi alumna and novelist Alice Hoffman ’73, ’02 (Hon.), welcomed over 600 guests for three days of workshops and panel discussions. Launch Gallery
2026 Writers & Readers Festival
The annual celebration founded by Adelphi alumna and novelist Alice Hoffman ’73, ’02 (Hon.), welcomed over 600 guests for three days of workshops and panel discussions. 9 Photos-
The 2026 Writers & Readers Festival opened on Wednesday evening, April 15, with a keynote conversation featuring Susan Lucci, who discussed her new bestselling memoir, La Lucci, with bestselling author Adriana Trigiani.
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Bestselling authors Susan Lucci (right) and Adriana Trigiani onstage at the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Performing Arts Center
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Bestselling authors Jodi Picoult (left) and Alice Hoffman ’73, ’02 (Hon.), headlined the festival’s first full day of events in a keynote conversation about writing, reading and the power of storytelling in a time of book bans.
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Jodi Picoult signs a copy of her 2024 novel, By Any Other Name, for one of her many readers.
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This year’s festival was the largest ever, attracting more than 600 Adelphi students and faculty members, alumni, high school students and teachers, and members of the larger community.
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Musical director Tim Weil and theater historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper discuss the landmark musical by Adelphi alum Jonathan Larson ’82, the subject of Weil’s new book, Making Rent: The Story Behind the Music That Changed Broadway.
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Novelist and memoirist Darcey Steinke and science writer Michael Rossi, PhD, talked about their new books, which explore the impact of fake science and superstition. Craig Carson, PhD (right), associate dean of Adelphi’s Honors College, moderated the conversation.
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Novelist Ed Park, who appeared in the panel discussion on the art of time in fiction, signs a copy of his book of short stories, An Oral History of Atlantis, for a festivalgoer.
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Puja Shah ’03, DMD (with mic), an alumna and current student in Adelphi’s MFA in Creative Writing program, discusses her novel, For My Sister, in a panel discussion devoted to first books by MFA students.
Thank you for helping to bring writers and readers together to celebrate our shared love for literature and the magic of the stories that change our lives.
Alice Hoffman ’73, ’02 (Hon.),
New York Times bestselling author
Festival Coordinator
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Contact
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516.877.6890
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Nexus Building 210