Kwame Alexander
Chautauqua Institution has announced the appointment of New York Times Bestselling Author Kwame Alexander to the role of Artistic Director of Literary Arts.
Alexander will also serve as the Inaugural Writer-in Residence at Chautauqua. A poet, educator, publisher, and Emmy-nominated producer, Alexander is the author of 40 books, including “Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir;” the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book “The Undefeated,” and the Newbery Medal winning middle grade novel, “The Crossover,” now a television series on Disney+.
His books have been a staple on lists for both the Institution’s Young Readers program and its Battle of the Books.
Alexander, the former Innovator-in-Residence at the American School in London, made his Chautauqua debut in a week dedicated to “The Life of Literature” in August 2023.
As director of Chautauqua’s Literary Arts program, Alexander will provide strategic vision and leadership for all Literary Arts programs, with a focus on amplifying Chautauqua’s position as a national force in the literary arts. In addition to the CLSC, Chautauqua Literary Arts programs include the Writers’ Center, Writers’ Festival, Poetry Makerspace, and two annual literary prizes, The Chautauqua Prize and The Janus Prize.
In addition to providing leadership for Chautauqua’s existing literary arts programs, Alexander also will support new initiatives, including Chautauqua Travels. He will serve as the trip expert for the 2024 Literary Ireland departure.
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