West Liberty University is proud to welcome award-winning writer and poet Maggie Smith as the 2026 Hughes Lecturer.
Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of the memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful and the widely celebrated poetry collection Good Bones. A nationally recognized voice in contemporary literature, she has authored seven award-winning books and currently hosts the acclaimed poetry podcast The Slowdown. Her newest poetry collection, A Suit or a Suitcase, will be released in March 2026.
Join us on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in Kelly Theater as Smith delivers the 2026 Hughes Lecture. The event is free and open to the public. A book sale and signing will follow in the Nutting Gallery.
During her campus visit, Smith will also meet with creative writing students and members of the university’s book club, offering a meaningful opportunity for engagement with one of today’s most influential literary voices.
The Hughes Lecture Series, established in the early 1970s, is named in honor of legendary English professor Dr. Raymond Grove Hughes and is supported through his generous endowment managed by the West Liberty University Foundation.
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