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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Seven writers and alumni of Oregon State University’s School of Writing, Literature and Film will return to campus EdFest 2018 on Friday, April 27.

EdFest is a biennial festival that brings in panels of editors, publishers, agents and writers to address a range of topics related to professional development for emerging writers. This year’s events explore the theme “Writers in the World” and will feature a panel discussion and reading featuring OSU alumni.

The panel discussion will feature recent program graduates Rebecca Olson, Chris McDonald, Heather Brown, Scott Latta and Mackenzie Smith, discussing their current positions in writing-related fields, their paths to employment and how their degrees have benefited them. The discussion begins at 4 p.m. in room 268 of the Learning Innovation Center.

The alumni graduated between 2011 and 2017 and earned degrees in poetry, fiction or nonfiction in OSU’s master of fine arts program in creative writing. Today they are working in a range of fields including nonprofit work, publicity, teaching, university communications and writing for a non-governmental organization. The panel is especially geared toward undergraduate and graduate students pursuing liberal arts degrees and wondering about life after graduation.

At 7:30 p.m., alumni Dionisia Morales and Matt Young will read from their works as part of the Literary Northwest Reading Series in the Valley Library Rotunda. Both writers published their debut books this year.

In her writing, Morales explores questions of identity, place, and the meaning of home. She draws on her experience living both in New York City and in Oregon and examines her roles as mother, wife, rock climber, canner, traveler, and aspiring beekeeper. Her essays have appeared in journals such as Crab Orchard Review, Colorado Review, Hunger Mountain and Oregon Humanities Magazine. Her book, “Homing Instincts,” publishes this month. Morales, a graduate of the MFA program in creative writing, is a publishing manager for OSU Extension.

Young’s first book, “Eat the Apple” is a compilation of lyrical flash nonfiction essays about his three combat deployments to Iraq and subsequent returns home. His work has been published by Tin House, Granta, the Rumpus, Word Riot and Catapult, among others. He holds an undergraduate degree in English from OSU and a masters in creative writing from Miami University. He is the recipient of fellowships with Words After War and the Carey Institute for Global Good. He teaches writing and literature at Centralia College in Washington State.

A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow the reading.

Both EdFest events are free and open to the public. The Learning Innovation Center, or LInC, is located at 165 S.W. Sackett Place, Corvallis. The Valley Library is located at 201 S.W. Waldo Place, Corvallis.

EdFest is sponsored by the MFA Program in Creative Writing at OSU, with support from the OSU Libraries and Press, the OSU School of Writing, Literature, and Film, the College of Liberal Arts, Kathy Brisker and Tim Steele, and Grass Roots Books and Music.