March 4, 2026 The Department of English at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) would like to share this year's schedule for the H.E. Francis Readers and Writers Festival. The festival will take place on April 3-4, 2026, at Morton Hall on the campus of UAH. The H.E. Francis Readers and Writers Festival celebrates the life of Herbert E. Francis, Jr. (1924-2024), Fiction writer and Professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville from 1966-1988. Founder of the literary magazine Poem, and the recipient of multiple Fulbright Scholarships, Francis was an immense credit to the English department, and he was beloved by his peers and students alike. Schedule of Events Friday, April 3 Creative Writing Reading Morton 146 - Friday, 10:00 am - 11:00 amAll 3 Groups will meet and discuss creative writing in a college setting. Students will hear from current faculty and creative writing students. Concurrent Workshop Sessions 1 - 3 Workshop Group 1: Creative Writing at UAH Morton 288 - Friday, 11:00 am - 2:00 pmWorkshop Group 1 will be a quick dive into the world of publishing single pieces of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. At the end of the presentation, there will be resources available to students interested in publishing collections. A Q&A will follow. Workshop Group 2: High School WorkshopMorton 289 - Friday, 11:00 am - 2:00 pmWorkshop Group 2 will learn about how to present their writing at creative writing readings and events. A Q&A will follow. Workshop Group 3: Lunch/TourMorton 286 - Friday, 11:00 am - 2:00 pmAll workshops will have lunch at alternating times, and each group will have a tour of Morton Hall, hosted by Jenny Russell-Clifton. Kick-Off Event: Flash Fiction ContestMorton 145 - Friday, 5:00 pmAn English Department tradition, the Flash Fiction Contest comes with the prize of a $50 gift card to two separate winners. Hear contestants read their works and congratulate the winners! Keynote Reading: Emma Bolden, with Bradley Sides and Sam MoeMorton 145 - Friday, 6:00 pmBradley Sides will be reading from his latest book of fiction, Crocodile Didn’t Cause the Flood. Sam Moe will be reading from her newest book of poetry, Cicatrizing the Daughters. Emma Bolden will be reading selections from her new book, The Tiger and the Cage: A Memoir of a Body in Crisis. After, Sam Moe and Emma Bolden will co-interview each other about querying agents, and all things publishing. Keynote ReceptionMorton Atrium - Friday, 7:30 pm Saturday, April 4 Small Group Conferences and WorkshopsMorton Hall (various locations) Saturday, 10:00 amRequires advance registration. Writers will work in small groups, led by a group leader. Participants should consult their email for specific directions. Small Group LunchMorton 106 - Saturday, NoonFor participants in the Small Group Conferences and Workshops. Workshop 1Morton 145 - Saturday, 2:00 pm.With Lacy Marschalk, Eric Pitman, Melissa Morphew, and Sam Moe on Worldbuilding (students will be put into separate groups). Some groups will have the opportunity to write during the session based on prompts distributed and some groups will need to bring examples to class. Calhoun and UAH Joint Common Read Announcement Morton 145 - Saturday, 3:00 pm.Representatives from UAH and Calhoun Community College discuss the future of the common-read program, sponsored by Calhoun. This hybrid presentation promises both insightful commentary and a generative writing activity. Workshop 2Morton 145 - Saturday, 4:00 pm.Gianina Gabriel’s workshop about craft and creative writing. Exploring the personal narrative in collage and poetry, using symbolism, dualities, and surrealism. She will be selling leather accessories, collage prints, and poems after the event. Break w/ light refreshments 5:00 - 6:00 Closing Community and Student Open MicMorton 145 - Saturday, 6:00 pm.All writers are invited to share their writing - poetry, prose, and everything in between - at this open mic celebration. Readers are limited to 5 minutes. For questions about the event schedule, please contact english@uah.edu. Author Bios Emma Bolden Emma Bolden is the author of a memoir, The Tiger and the Cage (Soft Skull), and the poetry collections House Is an Enigma, medi(t)ations, and Maleficae. Her fourth poetry collection, God Elegy, is forthcoming from BOA Editions. An NEA Fellowship recipient, her work has been featured in The Norton Introduction to Literature, The Best American Poetry, Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, and The Slowdown. Bradly Sides Bradley Sides is the author of two previous short story collections, Those Fantastic Lives and Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood, a 2024 Book of the Year finalist at Southern Literary Review. His work has been featured at Electric Literature, LeVar Burton Reads, Lit Hub, The Millions, The Rumpus, and elsewhere, and he is the host of "The Southern Summer Book Club" at Southern Review of Books. His next book, The Volcano Keeper, will hit bookstores this October. Gianina Gabriel Gianina Fleming Gabriel is a writer, artist and designer. A graduate of School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2011). She has been handcrafting leather goods under her brand, Well-Loved, since 2012. Gianina uses collage and poetry to explore the complexities of motherhood and relationships. Her work is playful and surreal, the truth is told through an imaginative lens. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in Huntsville with her husband and two daughters. Sam Moe Sam Moe the author of nine books. Her most recent poetry collection, RED HALCYON, is forthcoming from Querencia Press. Her debut short story collection, I MIGHT TRUST YOU, is out from Experiments in Fiction (2025). She has attended the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and received fellowships from the Longleaf Writer’s conference and the Key West Literary Seminar. Sam has also attended residencies at The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, VCCA, and Château d’Orquevau.
