Sonja Livingston

Sonja Livingston is an Associate Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Conference. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans and has contributed extensively to academic and literary fields through her works on nonfiction, memoir, and social justice.

• Education: MFA (Creative Writing) University of New Orleans; MSEd (Counselor Education) SUNY/Brockport; BA (Anthropology) SUNY Brockport

Her research and writing focus on literary nonfiction, lyric essays, autoethnography, poverty, and religious themes. She explores these through personal narratives and historical accounts, often highlighting marginalized voices and experiences.

Her publications include several award-winning essay collections and memoirs. Her work has been recognized with prestigious honors such as the AWP Book Prize, Foreword Reviews/INDIES/Book of the Year (Gold Prize), and a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship.

• Scientific Awards: AWP Book Prize, Foreword Reviews/INDIES/Book of the Year (Gold Prize), Arts & Letters Prize, VanderMey Nonfiction Prize, Iowa Review Prize, NYFA Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center grants, Deming Fund grants

Sonja teaches creative writing and mentors students in the MFA program. Her work intersects with social justice themes, and she is currently researching profiles of immigrant ancestors combining history and speculative elements.