The Hyam Plutzik Reading Series is thrilled to welcome author Stephanie Powell Watts as part of the 2023-24 season.

Stephanie Powell Watts won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence for her debut story collection, We Are Taking Only What We Need (2012), also named one of 2013’s Best Summer Reads by O: The Oprah Magazine. Her short fiction has been included in two volumes of the Best New Stories from the South anthology and honored with a Pushcart Prize. Her debut novel, No One Is Coming to Save Us, follows the return of a successful native son to his home in North Carolina and his attempt to join the only family he ever wanted but never had. Born in the foothills of North Carolina, with a PhD from the University of Missouri and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she now lives with her husband and son in Pennsylvania where she is an associate professor at Lehigh University.

The Plutzik Series is one of the most prestigious and longest-running readings series in the country. In keeping with the generosity of spirit and commitment to bringing poetry to the community, the Plutzik Reading Series readings are always open to the public and free of charge.