Western Libraries Brings Award-Winning Author Kwame Alexander to Bellingham High School Oct. 21

Western Libraries and PoetryCHaT are sponsoring a special event featuring award-winning writer Kwame Alexander.

Alexander, recipient of the 2015 Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for his novel in verse, “The Crossover,” will appear from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21 at Bellingham High School. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for poetry displays and live readings by area youth.

This presentation is free and open to the public.

During the presentation, Alexander will talk about The Crossover, which tells the story of the complicated relationship between twin brothers who share a love for basketball. A question and answer session will follow, and copies of Alexander’s books will be available for sale and signing.

Alexander is a poet, educator, and bestselling author of 21 books. He regularly travels the world as a literacy advocate and expert, and has owned several publishing companies. He has also written for both stage and television, recorded a CD, produced jazz and book festivals, hosted a radio show and taught high school English.

The talk is being offered in celebration of the newly-established PoetryCHaT collection, an initiative at Western Washington University to create a distinctive collection of children and teen poetry books, curricular resources for educators and information about poetry events and programming.

For more information about this event or about PoetryCHaT, please visit http://www.library.wwu.edu/poetrychat or contact Sylvia Tag at sylvia.tag@wwu.edu, or Nancy Johnson at nancy.johnson@wwu.edu.