The 2026 Ball State Writer-in-Residence, award-winning author Varian Johnson, will be here in Muncie October 19 – October 22.
Click here to find more information about the featured books, a complete schedule of public events, video messages for Muncie readers from Varian, teaching resources—and much more!
In this unique writer-in-residence program, Ball State University partners with Muncie schools and community programs to welcome a young adult and/or middle-grade author to our city to engage and inspire young people to read literature and have real conversations about the stories, information, ideas, and characters they encounter. The program also provides experiential learning opportunities and career preparation for Ball State students who want to learn more about events planning and literacy outreach.
Every fall, we invite a high-profile writer here to Muncie to spend time on our campus and in the community to talk about reading, writing, and the power of storytelling. Their week-long stay is typically scheduled for late October or early November, but the program begins well before that! We coordinate with all the participating schools and programs and buy a book for every student who wants one. The writer-in-residence makes videos in which they speak directly to Muncie students to get them excited to read, and Ball State faculty, staff, and participating students prepare materials and events. There are always cool book-cover stickers.
When the week we’ve all been waiting for finally arrives and the writer-in-residence moves onto our campus for a few days, the real book party begins! While the author is in Muncie, they visit Burris Laboratory School, Northside Middle School, and Southside Middle School for writing workshops, Q&A sessions, and book clubs with students who have read their books. Additionally, the writer gives a craft talk on campus about writing for young people, teams up with NYT best-selling author and Ball State alum Ashley C. Ford for a reading and interview, and attends a free-and-open-to-all pizza party and literary activity fair at the Ross Community Center to meet with young readers and their families.
Over 1,000 Free Books
Each year, the Writer-in-Residence Program provides over 1,000 free books for students in Muncie Community Schools and Burris Laboratory School, as well as for readers in community programs such as the Ross Community Center, the Youth Opportunity Center, the Muncie Islamic Center, the YWCA, Motivate Our Minds, the Boys and Girls Club of Muncie, and the Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity. During their time in Muncie, the writer will meet in face-to-face programming with over 1,000 students and community members.
The authors who have participated in Ball State’s Writer-in-Residence-in-the-Schools Program so far have loved their experience and the opportunity to be part of this community-engaged program. Our evolving program model seeks to serve everyone involved—Muncie youth, local teachers, community organizations, Ball State students and faculty, and the larger writing community—starting with the writer-in-residence. During her 2025 visit, best-selling author Christina Díaz Gonzalez said on multiple occasions that she has traveled all over the world promoting her books and that she has never seen a program and partnership like the one we have between Ball State University and the Muncie community.
Special Thanks to Our Supporters
What we are doing here is special and only possible because of generous funding from the Efroymson Family Fund, as well as additional support from the Office of the President, the College of Sciences and Humanities, the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English, Burris Laboratory School, the Office of Community Engagement, and the Women’s, Gender, and African American Studies Program at Ball State University—along with our many community partners.
Questions, comments, or ideas? Please contact the Director of the Writer-in-Residence Program, Professor Jill Christman at jcchristman@bsu.edu
To learn more about past Ball State Writers-in-Residence: