The Pepperdene Speaker Series
October 2026
Akwaeke Emezi
We are very excited to welcome Akwaeke Emezi as the next Pepperdene speaker on October 1, 2026.
More information to come.
Past Speaker
Luis Alberto Urrea
Master storyteller and award-winning writer, Luis Alberto Urrea.
Praised by NPR as both “a literary badass” and “a master storyteller with a rock and roll heart,” Luis Alberto Urrea is a celebrated author whose work draws deeply on his bicultural upbringing to illuminate universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience.
The Pepperdene Speaker Series brings writers of distinction to Paideia through the support of a legacy gift from Jane Pepperdene, a profound teacher who taught literature at Paideia and Agnes Scott College for more than twenty years. Jane was an absolute believer in the power of story. Her gift to the school has brought prolific writers such as Richard Wilbur, former United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, and even one of Jane’s students and Paideia alum, Mosi Secret ’97 to campus to engage with students, parents, alumni, and the community. Thanks to Jane’s generosity and her legacy gift, writers of distinction will be able to continue to do the same for years to come.
If you are interested in including Paideia in your legacy plans and joining our Fountain of Youth Society, please contact Kelly Douglas ’02 at douglas.kelly@paideiaschool.