The 2025 New Voices Festival launched in Ithaca with The Short Short, a sold-out evening of brief readings by seven emerging authors at Buffalo Street Books. Students introduced each writer, setting a warm, engaged tone that filled the bookstore and overflowed into the next room.
Author Puloma Ghosh captured the spirit of the evening, saying, “I wish my college had a program like this,” before reading her work. Chris Holmes, associate professor and chair of Literatures in English, opened the event by reminding the crowd that literature can be a form of joyful rebellion, especially in times of rising authoritarianism.
A student-driven literary celebration
New Voices was founded in 2012 by Holmes and writing professor Eleanor Henderson, inspired by the literary energy depicted in Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys. Since its first festival in 2013, New Voices has built a national reputation for showcasing future literary stars while providing students with rare hands-on experience organizing a professional festival.
The 2025 festival is directed by Holmes and Jacob White, associate professor and chair of writing, with students leading every aspect of planning, hosting, and marketing. Fourteen student guides work closely with authors, and a leadership team of three students manages outreach, merchandise, and social media.
“This is very much a student-run festival,” said White. “The opportunities afforded to students by this festival are something I’ve never seen before.”
Authors with rising acclaim
This year’s authors include Jamaica Baldwin, Jinwoo Chong, Puloma Ghosh, Ananda Lima, Anna Shechtman, Hannah Louise Poston, and playwright Jake Brasch. Past participants have quickly gained major literary honors, such as Tess Gunty’s National Book Award win just days after her appearance at New Voices.
The festival concludes with a staged reading of The Reservoir by Brasch, directed by Claire Gleitman, dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences. The play, which breaks the fourth wall and moves fluidly between realism and commentary, is set for a world premiere later this year through major theater companies.
Deep ties to the Ithaca community
Beyond campus, New Voices has strong connections to local businesses and organizations, including Buffalo Street Books, Odyssey Bookstore, Alley Cat Café, and the Tompkins County Public Library. Authors receive locally sourced gifts and a warm welcome from the community, which consistently turns out to support readings and events.
Student leaders emphasized how deeply the festival has shaped their academic and professional goals. Graduates have gone on to work with prestigious literary festivals, publishing houses, and cultural organizations like the Library of Congress.
As Holmes put it, “Every class session is load-bearing.” For students, faculty, and the greater Ithaca community, the New Voices Festival is a proof of concept that literary passion, when given room to grow, can build lasting careers and connections.
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