LIONS IN WINTER is an annual literary festival that has included author readings, craft talks by featured writers in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, editors panels, book fairs, and more.
Saturday January 31, 2026
Lions in Winter is EIU’s annual literary festival. This year’s events include a student open mic, masterclasses by the visiting writers, book signings, a roundtable, readings, and more. Our featured fiction writer is Aram Mrjoian, author of Waterline. Our featured poet is Ruth Awad, author of several poetry collections, including Outside the Joy. Alice Bolin, author of two essay collections, most recently Culture Creep, will be our featured nonfiction writer.
The festival is free and open to the public and will be held at the Doudna Fine Arts Center on EIU's campus. Tickets are required and can be obtained from the Doudna Box Office.
