Tunisian-American poet Leila Chatti will be joining the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Creative Writing Program as the Mendota Lecturer in Poetry!

Chatti is no stranger to UW-Madison. She held the Ronald Wallace Poetry Fellowship during 2017-2018. Chatti announced her excitement at returning to Madison by donning a festive Badger red sweatshirt with a Peter Pan collar, knife pleated skirt, and red tights. Fans of the look can check out Chaati’s Instagram for more outfit inspo.

Chatti is the author of the poetry collection Deluge (2020) as well as the chapbooks Ebb (2018) and Tunsiya/Amrikiya (2017). Deluge was recently longlisted for the 2021 PEN Open Book Award. Chatti’s poems have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Tin House, American Poetry Review, Best New Poets (2015 & 2017), and other journals and anthologies.

Joining Chatti as Mendota Lecturer in Fiction is Dantiel W. Moniz, who is also no stranger to UW-Madison, having received her MFA from UW-Madison.

Congratulations to Leila Chatti and Dantiel Moniz! We’re excited to welcome you to the UW-Madison community.