67th Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference

In 2022, our annual Spring Conference will explore the landscape of literary prizes as we mark the publication centenary of Willa Cather’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel One of Ours. Our three-day conference, "Literary Prizes: Acclaim and Controversy," will examine the distinctly modern phenomenon of cultural prizes. Dr. James F. English, author of The Economy of Prestige: Prizes, Awards, and the Circulation of Cultural Value, will give an invited lecture as we examine the impacts of the literary award industry on authors' lives and legacies, their books, and their readers. A scholarly symposium will be a part of the three-day schedule, with Dr. Melissa Homestead, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, serving as this year's Spring Conference academic director.

Click the accordian tabs below to learn more about our invited speakers and artists.

Registrations to attend on-site will be accepted through May 20; registrations to attend virtually will be accepted through June 2.