51¸£ÀûÉç

51¸£ÀûÉç’s Get Lit! festival kicks off on Friday, April 17, offering three days of free and low-cost events for literary enthusiasts.

Get Lit!, which is hosted by 51¸£ÀûÉç’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, has for 28 years provided the greater Spokane community with opportunities to connect with nationally acclaimed writers, local authors and fellow lovers of literature.

From crafting sessions and readings to open mic events – and a session that explores the journey to getting published – this year’s festival offers something for everyone.

Throughout the morning and afternoon on Saturday, April 18, events held at the historic Montvale Event Center are free and open to the public. Other venues offering free and ticketed events include the Spokane Central Library, the Bing Crosby Theater, and Emerge, a nonprofit art school in Coeur d’Alene.

Featured authors for this year’s crafting sessions include:

• Willy Vlautin, award-winning author of eight novels, including, most recently,ÌýThe Left and the Lucky. Three of his novels,ÌýThe Motel Life, Lean on Pete, andÌýThe Night Always ComesÌýhave been adapted as films, and his books have been translated into fifteen languages. .
• Tessa Hulls has received numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, for her graphic memoir Feeding Ghosts. She’s pivoting her career to become an embedded comics journalist working in long-term partnership with field scientists in remote environments. .
• Keetje Kuipers’ fourth collection of poetry,ÌýLonely Women Make Good Lovers, won the Isabella Gardner Award, received a starred review fromÌýPublishers Weekly, and was recommended by Ron Charles for theÌýWashington PostÌýBook Club.

Here is the schedule of the Get Lit! festival’s 2026 events:

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

10:30 a.m. |

11:00 a.m. | :

Noon |

1 p.m. |

2 p.m. |

3 p.m. |

3:30 p.m. |

5 p.m. |

7 p.m. |

SATURDAY, April 18

9 a.m. |

9:30 a.m. |

10 a.m. |

10:30 a.m. |

11 a.m. |

11:30 a.m. |

Noon |

12:30 p.m. |

1 p.m. |

1:30 p.m. |

2 p.m. |

2:30 p.m. |

3 p.m. |

7 p.m. |

Ìý

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

9 a.m. |

10 a.m. |

11:30 a.m. |

1 p.m. |

2:30 p.m. |

4 p.m. |

5:30 p.m. |

7 p.m. | Ìý

To learn more, visit the Get Lit! site.