By Bry Colyar / The Jambar
Literary excellence was on display at Lit Youngstown’s 2025 Fall Literary Festival. From Oct. 16-18, vendors, residents and artists alike were invited to share and show their appreciation for literary art and writing.
At the first gather in, it was announced that due to budget cuts to arts and humanities, this year would be the festival’s last year of operation.
The events schedule included a plethora of activities for attendees to choose from. All three days were opened by Karen Schubert, director and cofounder of Lit Youngstown. Though this year will hold the last festival, Schubert said she is thrilled the organization has made it to 10 years.
The festival was initiated Oct. 16 with a walking poetry writing workshop at Fellows Riverside Gardens. An open mic closed out the night.
Friday’s and Saturday’s events consisted of concurrent sessions and workshops on various topics, such as ancient poetry and publishing with a small press. Featured writers also had the chance to read their works and sign books.
A main attraction amongst attendees was the book fair. For all days, horror to romance-themed works were displayed across campus and surrounding buildings. Schubert said the event gave authors and event goers an opportunity to interact with one another.
“The book fair included 25 presses, journals, [Master of Fine Arts] programs and booksellers. This year, we were in the [John J.] McDonough Art Museum, Bliss Hall, the Butler Institute of American Art, Butler North, St. John’s Episcopal Church and Noble Creature Wild Ales & Lagers,” Schubert said. “Many attendees had never been to Youngstown and were so taken with the gorgeous historic architecture and phenomenal art.”
The festival’s book fair did more than provide opportunities for buyers, as Schubert said book suppliers and recruiters also benefited from the event.
“Lit Youngstown’s table, alone, took in $5,000 in presenter books and logo merchandise. Over these nine years, at least a half-dozen writers published books with presses they talked to for the first time at the festival,” Schubert said. “We also have an impact on the local economy, with catered meals, screen printing, parking fees, drinks and restaurant meals and hundreds of hotel nights.”
One of the goals for Lit Youngstown was to build an outreach program. Schubert said the team’s goals were to work with returning citizens, immigrants, cancer survivors and those who would like to write in a small group with others who have similar experiences. She said data shows that the impact of this kind of writing is positive and profound.
Schubert’s partnership with Youngstown State University is longstanding. Her history includes being an instructor during her graduate years and a part-time faculty representative at the Department of English and World Languages meetings.
Since creating the organization with Liz Hill in 2015, the nonprofit team has helped provide local, regional, national and continental literature.