Author Visit: Ferdia Lennon

Above: GLORIOUS VISIT: In partnership with the UGA Willson Center for Humanities and Art, the iliad will host a Q&A with author Ferdia Lennon on March 26. iliad Writing Director Margo McDaniel, a junior, will be co-moderating the event. “I hope that students can have the opportunity to engage with (Lennon),” McDaniel said. “It’s important for schools to host author visits, (because) students can see possible career paths (for) their future.” Graphic by Niles Flath and Victoria Garland

Award winning author Ferdia Lennon will visit CCHS on March. 26 to speak to students and staff about his experience as an author.

Ferdia Lennon, the author of “Glorious Exploits,” will visit Clarke Central High School’s Media Center on March 26 for a moderated Q&A about his experiences as an author. The event will be held during third block, and invitations have been extended to Lit 12 classes and teachers.

“Getting to hear from a professional about their path and creative process is huge for high schoolers,” iliad Business Manager Mattie Pittard, a junior who will be co-moderating the event, said. “Author visits bring knowledge, culture and new ideas to (students).”

Lennon was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland and currently lives in Norwich, England with his wife and son. After studying at University College Dublin, Lennon wrote his award-winning novel “Glorious Exploits,” which will be a topic of discussion during the Q&A session. iliad Writing Director Margo McDaniel, a junior who will co-moderate the session, is excited to see the impact on fellow students. 

“(Students) will (get) to see someone who’s a successful writer, which can be really inspiring,” McDaniel said. “It’s an opportunity for students to connect with a new author (that) they might not know much about.”

The event will begin with an introduction and Q&A session moderated by McDaniel and Pittard. Then, the floor will open for students to ask Lennon questions about his work. 

“I hope that students can have an opportunity to participate and that they get to engage with (Lennon) in a more personal sense,” McDaniel said. “I hope that (students) find it meaningful and that they learn something new.”

The author visit was organized by iliad Literary-Art Magazine adviser and English department co-chair David Ragsdale along with Media Specialists Anglea Pendley and Naomi Craver, who have partnered with the University of Georgia’s Willson Center for Humanities and Arts. 

“The Wilson Center’s outreach through the years has allowed our students not only access but also the opportunity to engage with some of our generation’s most creative and successful artists,” Ragsdale said. “I’m incredibly grateful to our administration, our media specialists and the good folks at the Willson Center for these continued opportunities.”

Above: A video of Pulitzer Prize award-winning author and journalist Hua Hsu speaking in the CCHS Media Center last year is shown. Katherine Queen, senior, felt that Hsu’s advice has created an influence in the way she thinks about her writing now. “My biggest takeaway was when Hsu said to not take yourself too seriously. This resonated with me as I get in my own head a lot of the time which can impact my work, especially my writing,” Queen said. “This is something that I found held me back when writing my college essays, I often would be too worried about who I was and how I see myself when I should’ve been focusing on how I could present my accomplishments to the reader.” Photo and story by Isabelle Duncan

Story by Niles Flath

Niles Flath is a junior at Clarke Central High School in Athens Georgia. She serves as Outreach Director for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. Flath hopes to make connections with creators both inside and outside the CCHS walls and showcase their work through the iliad program. In her free time, she likes playing tennis, swimming, and hanging out with friends.