Lesley University’s 2021 Evelyn M. Finnegan Children’s Literature Lecture Series speaker is Nigerian-American writer and dancer Candice Iloh. A 2017 graduate of Lesley’s MFA Program in Creative Writing for Young People, Candice is a fitting choice for this well-regarded lecture series. Their first novel, “Every Body Looking,” was a 2021 Printz Award Honoree and a finalist for a 2020 National Book Award. Named in honor of the noted children’s book author, the lecture brings to the Lesley community renowned authors and artists recognized for excellence in the children’s literature genre. The university and the Finnegan family are proud to welcome this distinguished alumna artist back to Lesley for the first-ever virtual Finnegan lecture.

Candice Iloh is a first-generation Nigerian-American writer and dancer from the Midwest by way of Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, New York. They are a graduate of Howard University and the Rhode Island Writers Colony. They received her MFA in Creative Writing for Young People at Lesley in 2017. Their work has earned them fellowships from Lambda Literary and VONA and a residency with Hi-ARTS where they debuted their first one-person show. A 2020 National Book Award Finalist and 2021 Printz Award Honoree, “Every Body Looking” is their first novel.