Nine Franklin & Marshall students gathered in the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House on the eve of spring break, coffee clutched in hand. 

The task? Deciding the theme, decor and details of the 23rd annual Emerging Writers Festival, slated April 2 to 4.

“We’re going for a dual theme: enchanted forest and ruins. Hope and renewal,” said Miles Montalvo ’25, an English and international studies joint major from Guilford, Conn. 

F&M students don’t just study the country's most exciting new authors. They work personally with them while planning a campuswide literary festival.

The three-day festival features a diverse range of in-person and virtual craft talks and readings, free to members of the College and visitors. The collaborative effort between students and faculty champions the work of rising writers early in their careers.

Students gather with visiting writers during the 2024 Emerging Writers Festival. (Photo by Deb Grove)

F&M students are selected as “shadows” for each writer, tasked with coordinating visits and writing introductions prior to readings. 

“It's already an incredible privilege to hear from and talk to the writers, but it's even more amazing to learn from my writer directly as a shadow and have that personalized communication,” said Hima Ramnarine ’25.

Scroll below to meet some of the student shadows behind this beloved campus tradition. 

In addition to Montalvo and Ramnarine, the team includes eight other members of the Class of 2025: Harmony Clark, Olivia Clay, Kezmond Elliott, Emily Hanson, Ally Morrow, Tech Oh, Tyra Smith and Carolyn South.

This year’s EWF lineup includes poets Kelan Nee and Leslie Sainz, creative nonfiction writers Katie Moulton and Jamila Osman, and poetry and fiction writer Lauren K. Watel. The festival commences with an April 2 reading with Moulton, Nee and Osman at 7:30 p.m. in the Green Room Theatre. 

Harmony Clark ’25

• Hometown: Frederick, Md. 
• Major: English and mathematics joint major, Italian studies major

What do you like best about EWF?

It was just an honor to be asked, first of all. It's my senior spring and this is a unique opportunity to collaborate with other English majors on campus and with professors that I've had in the past. Working with them in this sort of new way has been really lovely. 

Favorite author or genre? (or both!)

Comedic writing and mystery.

Hima Ramnarine ’25

• Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
• Major: English (creative writing) 

What do you like best about EWF?

Being a part of the community and having the opportunity to be a shadow. It's already an incredible privilege to hear from and talk to the writers, but it's even more amazing to learn from my writer directly as a shadow and have that personalized communication. 

Favorite author or genre? (or both!)

Creative writing in the form of poetry. It's something most of us learn from childhood in the form of children’s books or nursery rhymes and eventually turns into something more developed and beautiful. I love that poetry has been healing for me and many others because of the way it speaks to the heart and soul, capturing emotions and memories that can't always be explained in plain words.

Hyuntech “Tech” Oh ’25

• Hometown: Montgomery County, Pa.
• Major: Mathematics 
• Minor: English and philosophy

What do you like best about EWF?

I like seeing what goes on behind the scenes at events. I like being part of the relaxed and playful vibe of the English Department. I am most excited about getting to meet Lauren Watel, who I am shadowing. Her writing persona is a powerful voice that strives to become a human... and then I remember that Lauren is a human, who I will get to meet! I am also excited to feel the energy of the crowd at the events.

Favorite author or genre? (or both!)

I like Søren Kierkegaard and Toni Morrison, and for some reason, I tend to like books that don't fit neatly into a single genre. 

Emily Hanson ’25

• Hometown: Mahwah, N.J.
• Major: Creative writing and theatre

What motivated you to get involved with EWF this year? 

The Emerging Writers Festival is such a great way to bring a talented group of writers together and make them feel welcome into the great F&M English community!

Favorite author or genre? (or both!)

My favorite genre is fantasy and my favorite author is Casey McQuiston.

The Emerging Writers Festival is generously supported by Edna Hausman P'85 and Richard D. Hausman '50, P'85 and the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House.

Several F&M alumni have been featured in the lineup over the years, including Indrapramit (Indra) Das ’08, author of “The Devourers,” Elizabeth Byrne ’07, author of “The Grave Keepers,” and Mandy Berman ’09, author of “Perennials” and “The Learning Curve.”

Philadelphia Alumni Writers House

Unique among selective liberal arts colleges, F&M’s Writers House is an actual house — complete with comfy couches, a kitchen, and a picturesque fireplace — with a mission to give the writing and reading community exciting opportunities to fully immerse themselves in wordcraft and literature.

See More »

F&M’s Resident Poet Inspires Students to Find Their Voices

Documentary poet Niki Herd, an assistant professor of English at F&M, is an artist and a teacher who inspires. Learn about her published works, teaching at F&M and the power of poetry to evoke multiple interpretations among its readers.