BRADFORD, Pa. — The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will celebrate writing, books, and reading with a Mini-LitFest from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, as part of National Day on Writing. The event is free and open to the public.

Three local bookstores will sell books by popular authors in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons, including horror, romance, and fantasy titles. Other organizations will staff tables with information about upcoming community events. Attendees can also pick up free zines and issues of Baily’s Beads, Pitt-Bradford’s student literary magazine. Light snacks will be served.

Around 7 p.m. Dr. Nancy McCabe, professor emeritus of writing, will announce the winners of a student poetry contest. The winners will have an opportunity to perform their pieces, followed by an open mic for anyone to perform a poem or speak about the importance of reading and writing.

Attendees can sign up for the open mic from 6 to 7 p.m.

                Karen Bell, assistant professor of writing and director of the writing program, said that the event builds on Write-Ins held during recent years by the university’s Writing Center.

                “In response to the ongoing literacy crisis and authors being overrun by [AI], we wanted to expand the celebrations to include local libraries and bookstores,” she said, adding that the book fair taps into deep nostalgia for Scholastic book fairs held at elementary schools.

                “I’m hoping people will come, support their local bookstores, feel inspired to write and maybe even submit a piece to Baily’s Beads (Pitt-Bradford’s literary magazine).”

The Mini-LitFest is sponsored by Pitt-Bradford’s Writing Center, Writing Program, Baily’s Beads, and Division of Communication and the Arts.

For more information, contact Karen Bell, assistant professor of writing, at ktb15@pitt.edu.