History
Peggy Dilner was the founder of Festival of Words Delaware in 2000. She worked at the Educational Resource Center at the University of Delaware after retiring as a librarian for Colonial School District. Ms. Dilner thought Delaware teens deserved a literacy event and the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware agreed, and to date, FOW is still the only literacy event for teens of its kind in the state of Delaware.
When Ms. Dilner retired, Christy Payne resumed the role for four years. Festival of Words continued to grow under her direction. Ms Payne brought in controversial authors such as Walter Dean Myers, Ellen Hopkins and Emily Danforth.
In 2017 and 2018, Festival of Words was co-chaired by Jennifer Delgado and Sharon Roat. Because of their diligence and connections, they were able to host the largest amount of authors in a single year.
In the year of 2019, Andrea Rashbaum transitioned into the Festival of Words director bringing with her exciting authors, hands-on workshops, and creative ways to look at literacy amid an ever-changing literary world.
PAST AUTHORS:
(2002) Twin Poets
(2003) Marilyn Nelson
(2004) Todd Strasser (Poetry Alive!)
(2005) David Lubar (Poetry Alive!)
(2006) Ellen Wittlinger, George Ancona
(2007) E.R. Frank, Pat Mora
(2008) David Klass (Poetry Alive!)
(2010) Patricia McCormick (Poetry Alive!), Rita Williams-Garcia (Poetry Alive!)
(2013) Walter Dean Myers
(2014) Ellen Hopkins
(2015) Kwame Alexander, Malindo Lo, Emily Danforth
(2016) Jason Reynolds, Chris Crutcher, Sharon Roat, Cristin Terrill, Shauna McVey
(2017) The Peace Poets, Adam Silvera, Brendan Kiely, Ronald Smith, Maggie Thrash, Laura Deloza, Julie Eshbaugh, Megan Roberts, Isabel Bandeira
(2018) Nic Stone, Jeff Zentner, Lance Rubin, Erin Entrada Kelly, I.W. Gregorio, Ronald Smith, Kathryn Holmes, Maggie Thrash
(2019) Paul Valponi, Cordelia Jensen, Juliana Baggot, John Micklos, Chimere McLean, LaVern Robinson, The Twin Poets
(2020) Carlos André Gómez
(2021) Catherine Ryan Hyde, Jordan Ifueko, Nate Powell, Jewell Parker Rhodes, & Karol Ruth Silverstein
(2022) Yamile Saied Mendez, K.A. Holt, C.H Williams, Ryan Gebhart, E.S. Rosalynn, Deshanna & Trinity Neal
IN THE PRESS
Festival of Words: You Never Realize Where Reading Will Take You by Harry Brake
Creativity. Freedom. Discovery. Repeat. Festival of Words 2022. by Harry Brake
Peggy Dilner was the founder of Festival of Words Delaware in 2000. She worked at the Educational Resource Center at the University of Delaware after retiring as a librarian for Colonial School District. Ms. Dilner thought Delaware teens deserved a literacy event and the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware agreed, and to date, FOW is still the only literacy event for teens of its kind in the state of Delaware.
When Ms. Dilner retired, Christy Payne resumed the role for four years. Festival of Words continued to grow under her direction. Ms Payne brought in controversial authors such as Walter Dean Myers, Ellen Hopkins and Emily Danforth.
In 2017 and 2018, Festival of Words was co-chaired by Jennifer Delgado and Sharon Roat. Because of their diligence and connections, they were able to host the largest amount of authors in a single year.
In the year of 2019, Andrea Rashbaum transitioned into the Festival of Words director bringing with her exciting authors, hands-on workshops, and creative ways to look at literacy amid an ever-changing literary world.
PAST AUTHORS:
(2002) Twin Poets
(2003) Marilyn Nelson
(2004) Todd Strasser (Poetry Alive!)
(2005) David Lubar (Poetry Alive!)
(2006) Ellen Wittlinger, George Ancona
(2007) E.R. Frank, Pat Mora
(2008) David Klass (Poetry Alive!)
(2010) Patricia McCormick (Poetry Alive!), Rita Williams-Garcia (Poetry Alive!)
(2013) Walter Dean Myers
(2014) Ellen Hopkins
(2015) Kwame Alexander, Malindo Lo, Emily Danforth
(2016) Jason Reynolds, Chris Crutcher, Sharon Roat, Cristin Terrill, Shauna McVey
(2017) The Peace Poets, Adam Silvera, Brendan Kiely, Ronald Smith, Maggie Thrash, Laura Deloza, Julie Eshbaugh, Megan Roberts, Isabel Bandeira
(2018) Nic Stone, Jeff Zentner, Lance Rubin, Erin Entrada Kelly, I.W. Gregorio, Ronald Smith, Kathryn Holmes, Maggie Thrash
(2019) Paul Valponi, Cordelia Jensen, Juliana Baggot, John Micklos, Chimere McLean, LaVern Robinson, The Twin Poets
(2020) Carlos André Gómez
(2021) Catherine Ryan Hyde, Jordan Ifueko, Nate Powell, Jewell Parker Rhodes, & Karol Ruth Silverstein
(2022) Yamile Saied Mendez, K.A. Holt, C.H Williams, Ryan Gebhart, E.S. Rosalynn, Deshanna & Trinity Neal
IN THE PRESS
Festival of Words: You Never Realize Where Reading Will Take You by Harry Brake
Creativity. Freedom. Discovery. Repeat. Festival of Words 2022. by Harry Brake