LEWISTON, ID — Lewis-Clark State College will welcome Idaho author Tara Karr Roberts for a public reading and discussion on April 10 as part of its Visiting Writers Series.

Roberts, a novelist, freelance writer and newspaper columnist, is scheduled to present at 7 p.m. at the Lewiston City Library in downtown Lewiston. During the event, she will read from her debut novel, Wild and Distant Seas, and speak about her current work.

The novel, which draws inspiration from Moby-Dick, expands beyond the original story to explore generations of characters and perspectives, particularly those of women connected to a failed whaling voyage. The book received both the 2024 Idaho Book of the Year Award and a Pacific Northwest Book Award.

Roberts, who grew up in Laclede, Idaho, now lives in Moscow and is known for her work rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

The April 10 event will include an introduction by LC State student Landry Cash, vice president of the student-run literary journal Talking River Review. Roberts contributed a short piece of fiction to the journal’s current issue, which will be available for purchase alongside copies of her novel at the event.

In addition to the public reading, Roberts will participate in campus activities, including a discussion on teaching writing and the future of writing careers in the age of artificial intelligence. That session is scheduled for 3 p.m. April 9 at the college’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

The Visiting Writers Series, coordinated by LC State’s Humanities Division, brings authors to campus each fall and spring semester to engage with students and the public through readings, lectures and classroom visits.

The event is free and open to the public.