Author and Illustrator Vashti Harrison to speak at Baker’s Dozen event on April 18
April 15, 2025
USC’s College of Information and Communications has announced the Augusta Baker Lecture will take place on April 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Richland Library main. Vashti Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of the children’s book, “Big,” will speak. The event is free and open to the public.
Harrison is the first black woman to win the Caldecott Award. She has also won the Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor and a Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor, in addition to being a National Book Award finalist. Vashti is also the #1 New York Times bestselling creator of “Little Leaders,” “Little Dreamers,” and “Little Legends,” and the illustrator of numerous children’s books. A two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children, Vashti lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Augusta Braxton Baker was a legendary children’s librarian and storyteller who made South Carolina her home after a 37-year career at the New York Public Library. Baker served as the university’s storyteller-in-residence for 14 years from 1980 to 1994. Each year’s Augusta Baker Lecture features those in library, children’s literature and storytelling professions who espouse Augusta Baker’s advocacy for equity, social justice and diverse literature. The event is supported by the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair, Richland Library, the South Carolina Center for Community Literacy and the School of Information Science in the College of Information and Communications.
About the College of Information and Communication
The CIC is a community of scholars, teachers, practitioners and staff who provide inclusive transformative experiences, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary learning that produces real-world-ready graduates. We do this by embracing change, adopting emerging technologies, collaborating with academic and industry partners, and bridging the fields of communication and information science.
