Award-winning children's author Andrea Wang to visit Lawrence for LitFest 2025

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) and School of Education & Human Sciences will host Andrea Wang, author of the award-winning children’s book “Watercress,” at the annual CEAS Literature Festival (LitFest) on April 17.  

The LitFest is a chance for students, educators and the community to learn about East Asian stories and the craft of storytelling. With the partnership of Project PEACE, the festival has expanded to include preservice educators for two events:

Pre-Service Workshop: “The Use of Non-English Languages in Children’s Literature” 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 17, Kansas Union Woodruff Auditorium 

This event is open to KU students, staff and faculty. Wang will discuss and demonstrate how educators can enhance learning in the classroom with diverse storytelling.

Public Talk: “Essential Storytelling” 

6-7:30 p.m. April 17, Carnegie Hall Heritage Room, 200 Ninth St.

Wang will share her writing journey, discuss the deeply personal experiences that shaped "Watercress" and explore its themes of cultural identity and resilience.

Wang is an acclaimed author of picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture book, "Watercress," received several awards including the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and many more. Wang grew up in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Newton, Massachusetts. She attended Wellesley College, graduating with dual degrees in biology and Chinese studies. She went on to receive a master's degree in environmental studies from Indiana University–Bloomington. As an environmental consultant, she evaluated and cleaned up hazardous waste sites. Subsequently, Wang earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University.

Project PEACE (Promoting English Learners' Academic Achievement and Cultivating Educational Equity) is one of the grants supporting these events. It is a federally funded project to support preservice and in-service teachers in Kansas in completing professional training and obtaining English as a second language endorsement to teach English learners. 

Further support for the event comes a Department of Education Title VI grant that funds the Center for East Asian Studies. Founded in 1959, the center is a National Resource Center with a mission to disseminate knowledge about East Asian studies to the Great Plains region. It partners with the Kansas Consortium for Teaching About Asia (KCTA), which is funded through the Freeman Foundation.

Other support for the events comes from the KU Hall Center for Humanities, whose mission is to support research in the humanities, to create knowledge and to share that knowledge with diverse communities.

KU is one of only 13 universities in the nation to have four or more federally funded centers dedicated to international area studies.