Literature traps ideas in amber, preserving them to reawaken in future minds. This ancient technology, as potent as magic, requires no power source or machinery—only the willingness of readers to suspend disbelief. The act of surrender unlocks worlds, conjuring dreams, binding us to the shared human project of imagining what might be.
The 48th Annual Old Dominion University Literary Festival honors this leap of faith. To suspend disbelief is to trust the artist, to let the boundary between reality and imagination blur until the written word is a vessel of wisdom and marvel. From Sun 5 Oct to Fri 10 Oct, join us in celebrating a timeless craft that is the inheritance of all of us.
—John McManus and Marianne Chan
2025 Festival Co-directors
Readings are free and open to the public.
For more information, please contact the Old Dominion University English Department at (757) 683-3991 or email mfagpdassistant@odu.edu.
Follow the Literary Festival on Facebook and on Instagram @olddominionmfa
Attend 6 events to win a surprise gift bag! You can find the schedule here: Literary Festival | Old Dominion University or attached to the announcement!