Lucha Corpi, a Mexican-born poet, novelist, and children’s book writer now residing in Oakland, Calif., will discuss her work at 10 a.m. Friday, April 9, in conjunction with this weekend’s Arkansas Literary Festival. The discussion is made possible by the UALR English Department and the William G. Cooper Jr. Honors Program in English.

The event is free and open to the public in the fifth floor conference room in the Ottenheimer Library. Refreshments will be served.

Corpi’s work includes two books of poetry, two children’s books – featuring Spanish and English text. She also has penned six novels, five of them mysteries featuring Chicana detective Gloria Damasco.

Her most recent of the Damasco stories has been named as a finalist for the ForeWord Book of the Year Award.

Corpi has also received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Prize in fiction, and the Multicultural Publishers Exchange Book Award for Excellence in Adult Fiction. Corpi’s books of poetry were written originally in Spanish and then translated into English by Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto. Corpi has been also been a tenured teacher in the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers Program for more than 30 years.

Copies of her books will be available for purchase. Corpi will also be conducting two sessions at the Arkansas Literary Festival on Saturday morning, April 10. For more information, contact Dr. Paul Yoder at the UALR English Department.