Maggie Smith

WEST LIBERTY — West Liberty University will welcome award-winning writer and poet Maggie Smith as the 2026 Hughes Lecturer on April 9.

Smith will deliver the Hughes Lecture at 4 p.m. in Kelly Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of the memoir “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” and the poetry collection “Good Bones.” She is the author of seven award-winning books and currently serves as the host of the poetry podcast “The Slowdown.” Her newest poetry collection, “A Suit or a Suitcase,” is scheduled for release on March 24.

Smith’s poem “Good Bones” gained international attention following the 2016 shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla., and was named the Official Poem of 2016 by Public Radio International. The poem has since reached more than one million readers and continues to be widely shared in response to moments of tragedy and reflection.

During her visit to campus, Smith will meet with students from creative writing classes and the university’s book club before delivering the Hughes Lecture later in the afternoon.

“We are very excited to welcome Maggie Smith to campus as the 2026 Hughes Lecturer,” said W. Scott Hanna, professor of English and coordinator of the Hughes Lecture Series. “I have been a fan of her poetry for many years and have used her books and poems in my literature and writing classes, so it is a great honor to have her here to meet with students and to address the campus community.”

The Hughes Lecture Series is an annual tradition at West Liberty University dating back to the early 1970s. Named in honor of English professor Raymond Hughes and supported by his endowment, the series has featured a range of speakers over the decades, including Homer Hickam, Jeannette Walls, David Sheff, Jayne Ann Phillips, Marc Harshman, Silas House and many others.

The lecture will be introduced by West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman. A book sale and signing will follow the event in the Nutting Gallery, where attendees will have the opportunity to purchase books and meet the author.