OU's famous Neustadt Literary Festival goes entirely online for 2020

Here at Landers Chevrolet of Norman, we're proud of our connections to the University of Oklahoma, and proud of Sooners' accomplishments in both sports and academics. While the Covid-19 pandemic has meant plenty of changes on campus, life and learning are continuing at OU with the same innovation, grit and determination that students, administrators and teachers there have shown since OU's founding.

The latest display of that can-do spirit: the announcement that OU's famed Neustadt Literary Festival will be held entirely online this year, running from October 19 through 21. This year will also mark the 50th year of the annual Neustadt International Prize for Literature, first awarded in 1970, which makes the decision to go ahead with events online instead of cancelling the festival altogether even more poignant.

Often called "The American Nobel," the Neustadt Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in international literature, and is often considered a good indicator of which author could be a frontrunner to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature. The Neustadt Prize is awarded for a writer's entire body of work, with winners receiving a silver eagle feather and $50,000. Past recipients include such literary luminaries as Edwidge Dandicat, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz and David Malouf.

This year's festival will focus on the works of 2020 Neustadt Prize winner Ismail Kadare, an Albanian essayist, novelist, poet and playwright. Ten virtual events associated with the festival will be held online during the festival, including panel discussions and an award ceremony. A full schedule of events can be found at: neustadtprize.org/events/event. Those interested in signing up for events can do so at:  bit.ly/Neustadt2020.

An anthology featuring works by the first 25 recipients of the Neustadt Prize titled "Dispatches from the Republic of Letters" will launch and be available for purchase online starting on the opening night of the festival.

Robert Con Davis-Undiano, executive director of OU's award-winning literary magazine "World Literature Today," said that one silver lining of moving the Neustadt Literary Festival online is that it will be more accessible, with people from around the world being able to join in discussions and lectures associated with the festival from their homes. 

“While we made this decision with our stakeholders in the interest of safety, we are excited about the great potential to reach viewers from all over the world to enjoy what has always been more of a campus event,” Davis-Undiano said.

In addition to panels discussions about Kadare’s work, the festival will also include readings and book giveaways from the nine writers who served on the Neustadt Prize jury. The festival will also include the announcement of the 2021 Neustadt Prize winner so we can have a full year to catch up on the writer's work in preparation for next year's (hopefully in-person) Neustadt Festival.

We love seeing the ways the Sooner community has rallied together to meet the challenge of Covid-19 and the ongoing pandemic. At Landers Chevrolet of Norman, we share that same can-do spirit. If you need quality new or used vehicles in Norman, stop in and see us soon, or check out our full selection at our website right now.
 
Source: blog