Celebrated Author Will Give Public Reading at Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 15 Chautauqua Institution proudly announces Whale Fall: A Novel (Pantheon Books) by Elizabeth O’Connor as the 2025 winner of The Chautauqua Prize. Awarded annually since 2012, the Prize celebrates a book of fiction, literary/narrative nonfiction, or a book-length collection of poetry that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and honors the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts. As author of this year’s winning book, O’Connor receives $7,500 and will be presented with the Prize during a celebratory event and public reading at 3:30 p.m. EDT Friday,...
Chautauqua Institution is pleased to announce the highly anticipated black box theater in the Roe Green Theater Center is to be named in honor of Chautauqua Institution’s 18th president Michael E. Hill, who served from 2017 through 2025, and his husband Peter M. Korns. The Michael E. Hill & Peter M. Korns Theater, a state-of-the-art intimate performance space seating 99 patrons, will be home to a full slate of programming during the season and will operate year-round dedicated to the development of original works. The theater is made possible through a generous gift from longtime Chautauquans and devoted supporters...
Did you know that if you mistakenly put your coffee grounds in your recycling bin it could result in a whole truckload of recyclables being diverted to the landfill? Cross contamination of recyclables by non-recyclable items is one of the biggest reasons recycling rates are so poor. Cross contamination is particularly high at Chautauqua, perhaps owing to our many visitors who may not be familiar with what is and is not recyclable in our community. For the 2025 season, thanks to a new partnership with Chautauqua’s main waste management company, Casella, we’re taking action to reduce cross contamination and improve...
Chautauqua Institution is pleased to announce seven exceptional books as the 2025 finalists for The Chautauqua Prize, now in its 14th year: In the first year considering full-length poetry collections alongside works of fiction and literary nonfiction, this finalist list celebrates the variety and vitality of the literary world in what was yet another year of a record-breaking number of submissions from publishers, agents and authors. “This year’s list of finalists for The Chautauqua Prize is composed of narratives of revelation and surprise,” said guest judge Andrew Krivák. “On every level — form, content and voice — these authors have...
Emerging Writer to Give Lecture, Reading of Winning Work on Aug. 8 In another record-breaking year for submissions, Chautauqua Institution is delighted to announce “Bread, Meat, and Water” by Stefan Bindley-Taylor as the winner of the 2025 Chautauqua Janus Prize. “Bread, Meat, and Water” was selected from 11 finalists as the winner by this year’s guest judge Marita Golden, who described the short story as one that illustrates “a world in which everything is changing all at once and all the time, challenging and reshaping values, and dreams even as the foundational impulses that connect us as humans prevail.” ...
The 2025 Special Studies Catalog Is Here Whether you’re a lifelong learner, creative spirit, or simply curious, the 2025 Special Studies season offers a rich variety of classes designed to spark new interests and deepen existing passions. From returning favorites to brand-new offerings, there’s something for learners of every age and stage. Print production is underway, and the catalog will soon be on its way to your mailbox. In the meantime, you can explore the full catalog online and begin mapping out your summer experience. Some of your favorite classes are back. Kate Junker’s popular nine-week Gentle Yoga series...
Chautauqua Literary Arts and the Department of Education at Chautauqua Institution are pleased to announce 11 finalists for the 2025 Chautauqua Janus Prize. To be awarded this summer for the eighth time, the Janus Prize has enjoyed a steady increase of interest among emerging writers and this year saw another record-breaking number of submissions. This year, 210 writers entered work to be considered for the prize that looks to celebrate an emerging writer’s single work of short fiction or nonfiction for daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder readers’ imagination. The 11 finalists for the 2025 Janus Prize and their...
Chautauqua Institution and acclaimed author Kwame Alexander redefined the literary landscape in 2024 with the launch of the inaugural Kwame Alexander Writers’ Lab & Conference. Building on that success, we are thrilled to announce the 2025 Writers’ Lab will take place Oct. 23–25, 2025, at American University and the Institution’s offices in Washington D.C. in partnership with American University’s School of Communication and Mahogany Books. The Writers’ Lab boasts a tradition of intensive writing workshops with award-winning contemporary authors, like Kwame Alexander, a #1 New York Times best-selling author and Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts. Hosting the...
Chautauqua Institution today announced the 2025 season repertoire of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (CSO) under the leadership of Music Director and Principal Conductor Rossen Milanov. The 2025 season, marking the CSO’s 96th season, will offer more than 20 performances between June 26 and Aug. 19, with concerts in Weeks One through Week Nine of Chautauqua’s Summer Assembly. Repertoire will range from classics to pops concerts with Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz on the podium. The CSO welcomes guests including Laufey, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues project, Time For Three, Denyce Graves, Christine Goerke, Aaron Diehl, Michael Cavanaugh, Alexander Gavrylyuk, and conductors...
Gena E. Chandler and Andrew Krivák to Serve as Guest Judges for The Chautauqua Prize Chautauqua Institution proudly announces the 2025 guest judges and jury for The Chautauqua Prize. Awarded annually since 2012, the Prize celebrates a book of fiction or literary/narrative nonfiction that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and honors the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts. New this year, the Prize also accepted nominations of full-length poetry collections for consideration. Books published in 2024 were accepted as submissions for the 2025 Prize from September to December 2024. The 2025 Prize finalists and award-winning book will...
