Meg Medina, a celebrated author and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will give a lecture at Virginia Commonwealth University this month. Medina, who won the John Newbery Medal in 2019, will discuss creative storytelling and its role in sharing culture and broadening perspectives.

The event, titled “Meg and Me: An Evening with Meg Medina,” is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the James Branch Cabell Library Lecture Hall Room 303, located at 901 Park Ave. The evening will also feature SJ Sindu, a Sri Lankan-American novelist and assistant professor in VCU’s Department of English.

Medina, born to Cuban immigrants and raised in Queens, N.Y., has a background in communication arts and English from Hunter College and Queens College. After working in publishing and teaching in New York, she moved to Florida and pursued a career as a freelance journalist before relocating to Richmond in 1998 to focus on fiction writing.

As the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Medina has been a leading advocate for the importance of literature in literacy, education and youth development. She is the first Latina to hold this position in the program’s history.

Medina’s works often draw from her personal experiences, exploring themes such as immigration, separation and financial hardship, while highlighting the strength found in Latino families. Her acclaimed middle-grade novel, “Merci Suárez Changes Gears,” won the Newbery Medal and is among several honors her books have received.

Tickets for the event, which supports the Friends of VCU Libraries Scholarship Fund, are $35 each, with tables for eight available for $500. To register, visit support.vcu.edu/event/medina. Seating is limited.