Spring has settled into Morgantown, and it’s been a busy few months for WVU Press! Between new releases, conferences, awards, and events, there’s been plenty happening on campus and off.
Rachel Weaver’s Dizzy released in February and has been met with an enthusiastic response from readers and reviewers alike. The book received attention from NPR—a major milestone—and has continued to gain momentum through interviews, podcasts, and other publicity. Read—or listen to—what Maureen Corrigan had to say about the “arresting” memoir.
February also brought the release of Corinna Cook’s Permafrost is an Archive, while April saw the publication of both Beyond Ourselves, edited by Catherine Gander and Stefania Heim, and Danielle Raad’s Above the Oxbow. Raad has been celebrating the release with a book tour and events connected to this work.
Congratulations are due to Helen Kapstein, whose Petroforms was named a PROSE Award finalist in humanities: literature in February. Kapstein spoke at the University of Houston’s Honors College Grand Challenges Forum, drawing from the book’s work on oil, culture, and aesthetics.
March conference season kept many of us traveling. At the AWP Conference & Bookfair, WVU Press was joined by authors Julija Šukys, Sejal Shah, Neema Avashia, Corinna Cook, Rachel Weaver, Megan Howell, Chris Campanioni, Natalie Sypolt, Rachel King, and others for signings, panels, and conversations throughout the week.
At the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, WVU Press authors and editors gathered for another bustling stretch of panels and events featuring West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman, Sarah L. Morris, Meredith McCarroll, Anthony Harkins, Amanda E. Hayes, Wesley Browne, and more. WVU Press author William H. Turner delivered the keynote address, followed by a successful signing.
Chris Campanioni’s north by north/west was selected as a 2025 INDIES finalist in March, while Zoë Gadegbeku’s Blue Futures, Break Open was included on the 2026 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award top 20 longlist.
In March, contributors to the award-winning This Book Is Free and Yours to Keep participated in a signing connected to a screening of College Behind Bars as part of WVU’s Human Rights Film Series.
We’re excited to share that WVU Press signed Katie Rose Pryal’s literary memoir, An Autistic Girl’s Guide to Horses, this spring!
Outside of WVU Press titles, Renée K. Nicholson, editor of our Connective Tissue Series, recently released a new poetry collection, Feverdream.
This spring brought the release of our Fall 2026 catalog, featuring upcoming titles that shine a light on mental illness, agricultural practice, and surreal fiction. We’re looking forward to sharing more about those books in the months ahead!
In institutional news, we welcomed Mark Paris as Dean of WVU Libraries and Press in April.
Julija Šukys’s Artifact continues to receive thoughtful attention and reviews. “Artifact has all the hallmarks of good, trustworthy essaying: careful observation, a keen synthesizing intellect, and the principled cultivation of self-doubt.” – Bob Cowser, Jr., River Teeth
As summer gets closer and another semester winds down, we’re grateful for all the conversations, events, and readers that continue to support our authors and books. Follow us on social media to keep up!