Report by Lea Steinmetz, M.A. student cultural anthropology Kulturanthropology
This semester, Q+ Reads invited Megan Giddings on December 7 and 8, 2023. Giddings is the author of numerous published works, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, and the Picador guest professor at Leipzig university during the winter of 2023. Her novel Lakewood was published in 2020 by Amistad to critical acclaim.
Megan Giddings opened the event on December 7 with a reading from her book The Women Could Fly, which came out in 2022 and earned great reviews. The following open Q&A allowed for direct interaction and offered insights into Giddings’s writing world.
On December 8, Megan Giddings led us through imaginative writing exercises which stimulated our creative thought processes. Our dive into the fairly tale was especially fascinating. The author treated us with respect and encouragement, which contributed to a great learning atmosphere. The workshop wasn’t just fun, but it opened new perspectives on creative writing. It was informative and highly inspiring.
On behalf of all participants, I’d like to give thanks to the Q+ team for organizing this event, and to Megan Giddings for an educational and entertaining reading and workshop. It was a greatly enriching experience to be able to learn from such an experienced writer.