About

Our History

The idea of a literary festival that would bring a mix of established authors and emerging writers to Dallas has an impressive history at SMU. From 1975 through the late 90s, and then again for several years in the decades following, the SMU Literary Festival brought a long list of inspiring writers to campus to give readings and engage in informal conversation with students and faculty. Long-time Dallas residents who are fans of the written word remember fondly visits by such writers as Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Louise Erdrich, Allen Ginsburg, Louise Glück, Joseph Heller, Gish Jen, June Jordan, Yusef Komunyakaa, Denise Levertov, W. S. Merwin, Larry McMurtry, Czeslaw Milosz, Grace Paley, Robert Pinsky, Adrienne Rich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Wallace Stegner, Studs Terkel, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, Eudora Welty, and many more.

Our new name for this event, the Dallas Literary Festival, reflects our expanded scope: we want to continue to bring leading literary voices to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, while attracting an audience that extends far beyond the walls of Dallas Hall. We’re excited for this next chapter of the festival!