For the 17th year in a row, downtown Spokane and surrounding areas will be inviting residents to get lit on April 20.

The Get Lit! Festival is a series of free workshops, seminars, panels, performances, competitions and readings hosted by EWU to celebrate and foster literary efforts in the Spokane area from April 20 – 26.

The mission statement says the purpose of the Get Lit! Festival “is to engage the Inland Northwest community in a celebration of the written word and to encourage discussion.” The festival celebrates different genres of literature and publication, from poetry slams to comic books to academic research.

Julie Neuffer, a history professor at EWU, is presenting on her recently published book “Helen Andelin and the Fascinating Womanhood Movement.” “It is my first year and let me just say that I am delighted that I was asked to speak,”she said.

The events are occurring in a variety of locations, including EWU’s campus, Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane Community College and Gonzaga University. The bulk of the events are taking place at the Spokane Convention Center, with some events at smaller, more local venues such as The Bartlett, Barrister Winery and Auntie’s Bookstore.

From the list of visiting authors, there are plenty of well-known Spokanites, such as Sherman Alexie, Walter Kirn and Jess Walter, but the festival highlights many less well known and recently published authors as well. Admission to all events, except workshops, is free for students with valid ID, but according to the conference website, spots fill up quickly and are based on available space. For those without student IDs, tickets to special events can be bought online through the GetLit! website.

The festival also hosts a variety of creative writing workshops for those looking for feedback on their work or to expand their skillset. The tickets for these workshops are $20 with a student ID and $30 without. However, the Get Lit! website emphasizes that registration spaces are limited and tend to sell out quickly. The tickets for Get Lit! workshops can be purchased on brownpapertickets.com.

However, the majority of the Get Lit! events are free and open to the public, offering literature for every kind of taste. With musical and theatrical performances, a plethora of local writing talent and such variety in venues, there’s an event in the festival for everyone.