Columbia Hosts Kincaid and Danticat in Conversation

Annual Zora Neale Hurston Lecture features renowned authors at Schomburg Center event.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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Columbia University's Institute for Research in African American Studies is hosting the 2026 Zora Neale Hurston Lecture, featuring a conversation between acclaimed authors Jamaica Kincaid and Edwidge Danticat. The event will take place on March 6, 2026 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City.

Why it matters

The Zora Neale Hurston Lecture honors the legacy of the pioneering anthropologist, novelist, and essayist, highlighting Columbia's deep connections to the Black intellectual tradition. Kincaid and Danticat are two of the most influential contemporary writers exploring themes of identity, culture, and the African diaspora.

The details

Kincaid, the 2026 Mellon Arts Project Artist-in-Residence at Columbia, and Danticat, the Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor of the Humanities, will discuss their acclaimed bodies of work, which include novels, essays, and children's books. The event is organized by Columbia's Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies.

  • The event takes place on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 6:00pm (DST).
  • The Zora Neale Hurston Lecture is an annual event hosted by Columbia University.

The players

Jamaica Kincaid

An acclaimed novelist and essayist, Kincaid is the 2026 Mellon Arts Project Artist-in-Residence in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University. She is also a professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

Edwidge Danticat

A celebrated author of novels, essay collections, and children's books, Danticat is the Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor of the Humanities in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University.

Institute for Research in African American Studies

The organizing body behind the Zora Neale Hurston Lecture, housed within the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The New York Public Library venue hosting the 2026 Zora Neale Hurston Lecture featuring Kincaid and Danticat.

Zora Neale Hurston

The renowned anthropologist, novelist, and essayist whose legacy is honored by the annual lecture at Columbia University.

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What’s next

Tickets for the event are available on EventBrite, and more information can be found on the Facebook page for the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University.

The takeaway

The Zora Neale Hurston Lecture continues Columbia's tradition of honoring pioneering Black intellectuals and showcasing the work of influential contemporary authors like Kincaid and Danticat, who are shaping the literary and cultural landscape.