Lee's Writer's Series to Welcome Arah Ko

by Kamea Sutherland

Cleveland, TN (11/05/2026) — The Lee University Writer's Series will welcome writer Arah Ko on Friday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. in the Edna Minor Conn Lecture Hall, located in the Vest Building on Lee's campus.

"We are so excited that Arah Ko is coming to visit us," said Dr. William Woolfitt, associate professor of creative writing at Lee. "'Brine Orchid,' her 2025 debut poetry book, weaves the language of Scripture into conversation with Korean diaspora, folklore, and the stories of her own family members."

A writer from Hawai'i, Ko has work published in over 60 journals. Along with "Brine Orchid," she has also authored the chapbook "Animal Logic." She is the winner of the 2026 Ohio Book Award for Poetry and co-winner of the 2025 Julie Suk Award.

Ko received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Ohio State University where she served as Art, Wheeler Prize, and Associate Poetry Editor for "The Journal." She is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Cincinnati and serves as an editorial assistant for "The Cincinnati Review."

There will be a Q&A session after the Friday reading, which is free and open to the public.

The Writer's Series will be part of a literary weekend hosted by Lee's Department of Language and Literature. In addition to her Friday afternoon reading, Ko will lead a craft workshop for current and prospective students. The weekend will conclude Saturday, Nov. 14, with Sigma Tau Delta's annual literary symposium.

For more information about Ko, visit arahko.com.

For more information about the Writer's Series, email Woolfitt at wwoolfitt@leeuniversity.edu.

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