Barbara Forste and Sarah Jessica Parker Headline Adelphi's Writers & Readers Festival

Garden City, NY (02/27/2025) — Adelphi University will welcome Barbara Forste and her daughter, award-winning actress and producer Sarah Jessica Parker-lifelong advocates of reading and libraries-to its second annual Writers and Readers Festival , which will be held on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5. Their conversation on April 4 will be moderated by Adriana Trigiani, award-winning author and playwright and host of the hit podcast You Are What You Read. Audiences will also get a special sneak peek at Parker's powerful new project, a documentary she executive-produced, The Librarians.

Celebrating the Pleasures of Reading and Writing

Adelphi's 2025 Writers & Readers Festival, founded by Adelphi alumna and New York Times best-selling novelist Alice Hoffman '73, '02 (Hon.), will celebrate the pleasures of reading and writing with students, teachers, librarians, emerging writers, and the local community. Attendees can get an inside look at the art of writing and the business of publishing, connect with fellow book lovers and have the chance to meet and hear from prominent authors including Hoffman, Trigiani, Alvin Hall, Ann Leary, Elinor Lipman, Lise Olsen, Jennifer Baker, Matthew Klam, Lisa Genova, Lee Woodruff and Laura Zigman and more.

"Stories connect us. Whether on the page, the stage, or the screen, they shape our understanding of the world, ignite our imaginations, and deepen our empathy," said Hoffman, author of more than 40 works of fiction including, Practical Magic. "As we gather to listen, reflect and celebrate the written word, I hope festival attendees will discover new ideas, fresh inspiration and a renewed love for literature."

See the Full Schedule of Events and Registration Information

Adelphi's Writers & Readers Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 4 and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on April 5 at the University's Garden City campus. The two-day event includes panels and keynotes with bestselling authors, professional development workshops with literary agents, book editors, writing coaches and Adelphi professors from the MFA in Creative Writing program, as well as conversations with writers and publishing insiders about the art and business of publishing.

Registration for the event is limited and is now open. Register for the Adelphi's Writers & Readers Festival and see the full schedule of events.

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university in the United States with a personalized approach to higher learning

Adelphi University, New York, US, is a highly awarded, internationally ranked and powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students' lives. It is recognized for small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support academic and career success. Adelphi offers exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training at the undergraduate and graduate level with particular strength in its 'Core Four' academic areas: the Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness.

Recognized as a Best College by U.S. News & World Report, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. It serves more than 7,250 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York-just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities-and at dynamic learning hubs in Brooklyn, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, as well as online.

More than 119,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, engaged citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities, and the world.

About Barbara Forste

Born in Cincinnati Ohio and a graduate of Ohio University, Barbara Forste is a lifelong supporter of the arts, literacy and education. In addition to diverse volunteer involvement, she has worked in market research for Procter and Gamble, as a second-grade teacher in a small coal mining town, and as a "child wrangler" for the Metropolitan, New York City Operas and American Ballet Theater. She is a Co-founder and Director of The Children's Circle, an NAEYC school in Bergenfield, NJ. Forste is the mother of eight now-adult children (and 13 grandchildren) who are committed readers involved in the arts and various creative pursuits. Her very busy daughter Sarah Jessica Parker is well-known as an actress, producer and publisher.

About Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker is Barbara Forste's daughter and an award-winning actor and producer who has worked in the theatre and in film since 1976. Her many credits include the title role in Annie, L.A. Story, Failure to Launch, The Family Stone, State and Main, Ed Wood, The First Wives Club, Honeymoon in Vegas, and Footloose; the HBO series Sex and the City (1998-2004), and its sequel, And Just Like That; as well as the films based on the her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City, and Sex and the City 2. Parker was most recently seen on stage opposite her husband, Matthew Broderick, in the revival of Neil Simon's comedy play, Plaza Suite. A lifelong dedicated advocate for reading, writing, the arts, and libraries, Parker runs SJP Lit, her own imprint in partnership with independent publisher Zando, where she publishes thought-provoking, big-hearted stories inclusive of international and underrepresented voices. She has recently executive produced the documentary, The Librarians, which highlights librarians across the country who have been fighting against book bans and standing up to the ideology that prevents children from having access to certain books and have put their lives and their families' lives at risk as a result.

About Adriana Trigiani

Adriana Trigiani loves Barbra and her family. Adriana is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one fiction and nonfiction books, award-winning playwright, television writer/producer, and filmmaker. She is the host of the hit podcast, You Are What You Read, where she interviews the great luminaries of our times. Adriana was named Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia by President Sergio Mattarella of Italy. She grew up in the mountains of southwest Virginia, where she co-founded The Origin Project, a year-round, in-school writing program serving students K-12 across the state. Trigiani is honored to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.

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