Western Reserve Academy’s Word Count Literary Festival: Because Words Count

For 200 years, Western Reserve Academy has called Ohio home. April 8-10, and in conjunction with its Bicentennial celebrations, WRA will celebrate voices of Ohio through the Second Annual Word Count Literary Festival, a three-day exploration of storytelling rooted in place, history and the power of the written word.

On Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m., WRA invites the Northeast Ohio community to campus for “An Evening with BUFO,” featuring beverages and bites, introductions by students, live readings by Seth Borgen, Mary Biddinger, Dave Lucas and the debut of the Western Reserve Academy Bicentennial poem by Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour. Guests are encouraged to visit the Bicentennial Tree, illuminated by 75,000 twinkling lights, before the evening concludes. Register here.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m., the festival continues with a panel discussion and Q&A session at the Hudson Library & Historical Society. This event is presented in partnership with Western Reserve Academy and The Learned Owl Book Shop. The evening will highlight Ohio’s vibrant literary tradition and offer attendees the opportunity to engage with visiting writers. Register here.

Featured Authors:

● Kari Gunter-Seymour, Ohio Poet Laureate, whose work amplifies rural voices across the state

● Dave Lucas, former Ohio Poet Laureate, poet and educator whose work reflects urban life and the Midwestern identity

● Mary Biddinger, poet and director of the NEOMFA program, whose work bridges Northeast Ohio’s academic and literary communities

● Seth Borgen, Western Reserve Academy’s writer-in-residence and author of If I Die in Ohio, a title that captures both the affection and complexity of the Midwestern imagination

As one of the nation’s oldest boarding schools — and the oldest outside the Northeast — Western Reserve Academy remains dedicated to elevating literary voices and celebrating the diversity of human experience. All are welcome!