The Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series concluded its 2025–26 season in the Chancellor Green Rotunda with two evenings celebrating Princeton seniors receiving minors in the Program in Creative Writing. The events showcased independent work developed under the mentorship of professional writers on the faculty. The first evening, held on April 20, featured students reading from their plays, screenplays, and collections of poetry, followed by readings from novels, short stories, and creative nonfiction on April 21.
Photo Highlights
Seniors in Princeton’s Program in Creative Writing who read from the plays, screenplays and collections of poems pose for a group photo. Back: Tacy Guest, Wyatt Browne, Roya Reese, George Tidmore, Destine Harrison-Williams, Athena Sophia Chu, Front: Emma Tsoglin, Avery Gendler, Kelly Kim, Amy Liu, Avery Danae Williams. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
Princeton’s Program in Creative Writing Director, Ilya Kaminsky, introduces the seniors who will be reading from their plays, screenplays, and collections of poems.
Wyatt Browne ’26 reads from his poetry at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 20 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
Athena Sophia Chu ’26 reads from her poetry at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 20 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
The audience gathered in the Chancellor Green Rotunda applauds during 2026 Senior Readings event in the Chancellor Green Rotunda on April 20. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
Destine Harrison-Williams ’26 participates in the senior readings event in the Chancellor Green Rotunda on April 20 by reading from his independent work in playwriting. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
Princeton seniors George Tidmore, Roya Reese, and Avery Gendler participate in the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 20. Photo by Angel Chang Liu
Helena Richardson ’26 speaks from the audience during the 2026 Senior Readings event, where students shared their novels, short story collections, or creative nonfiction. Photo by Karen Zhang
Princeton Professor of Creative Writing Yiyun Li speaks at the 2026 Senior Reading event on April 21 for students reading from their novels, collections of short stories, and creative nonfiction. Photo by Karen Zhang
Ina Aram ’26 reads from her independent fiction project at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Pia Bhatia ’26 reads from her independent fiction project at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Mariana Castillo ’26 reads from her independent fiction project at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Teodor Grosu ’26 reads from his independent project in fiction at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Jessica Wang ’26 reads from her independent project in fiction at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Catherine Xie ’26 reads from her independent project in fiction at the 2026 Senior Readings event on April 21 in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Photo by Karen Zhang
Seniors in Princeton’s Program in Creative Writing pose for a photo after reading from their novels, collections of short stories, and creative nonfiction. Back Row: Sofiia Shapovalova, Harry Gorman, Catherine Xie, Teodor Grosu, Alden Stafford, Pia Bhatia, Ina Aram, Front Row: Helena Richardson, Mariana Castillo, Jessica Wang, Melanie Garcia, Kayla Xu. Photo by Karen Zhang
Featured students included Wyatt Browne, Athena Sophia Chu, Avery Gendler, Tacy Guest, Kelly Kim, Amy Liu, George Tidmore, Emma Tsoglin, and Avery Danae Williams, who read from their poetry collections; Roya Reese and Destine Harrison-Williams, who presented excerpts from their screenwriting and playwriting independent projects; Ina Aram, Pia Bhatia, Mariana Castillo, Melanie Garcia, Harry Gorman, Teodor Grosu, Helena Richardson, Sofiia Shapovalova, Jessica Wang, and Catherine Xie, who read from their fiction works; and Alden Stafford and Kayla Xu, who shared selections from their creative nonfiction projects.
