ChiTeen Lit Fest Online

Join us for the sixth annual ChiTeen Lit Fest (CLTF), a for-teens-by-teens event that provides a safe and creative space for young adults to unlock and discover their unique voices through the literary arts. CTLF brings together young people from across Chicago to celebrate their talents as they express themselves through exceptional and honest art.

This year’s headliners are Ric Wilson and Kara Jackson.

Ric Wilson is a community activist and artist based on the Southside of Chicago. Wilson got his start with the legendary Young Chicago Authors, the Chicago-based storytelling and poetry organization which helped launch the likes of Noname, Saba, Jamila Woods, Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins, and many others. Following a string of singles and EPs, including Negrow Disco (2017), BANBA (2018), and last year’s summer single, “Yellowbrick”, Wilson was named by both Complex and NPR Music as a “Rising Chicago Rapper You Need To Know in 2019.”

Kara Jackson is the daughter of country folks. She is the author of BLOODSTONE COWBOY (Haymarket Books, 2019). Jackson made her musical debut with her EP A Song for Every Chamber of the Heart, which was self-released. Through a multidisciplinary approach, Jackson attempts to document her lineage in a country that demands its erasure. Her work has appeared in POETRY, Frontier Poetry, Rookie Mag, Nimrod Literary Journal, The Lily, and Saint Heron. Jackson is a TEDx speaker. She is a sophomore at Smith College.

This event is for teens ages 13-19.

Presented in partnership with Chicago Public Library