Internationally acclaimed author and educator John Green will headline ETSU’s Festival of Ideas as the keynote speaker on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts.

There is no charge to attend the event, but ticket reservations are required and will be available later this fall on the Festival of Ideas webpage.

Green is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of works such as “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Looking for Alaska,” “An Abundance of Katherines,” “Paper Towns” and his latest release titled “Everything is Tuberculosis.”

Beyond his literary achievements, Green, along with his brother Hank, launched their YouTube channel “Crash Course” in 2011, offering educational courses in subjects like history and science. Today, their channel has over 10 million subscribers and more than 1.2 billion views, leading the way for accessible online learning.

ETSU Common Read for 2025 (Contributed/ETSU)

Green’s “The Anthropocene Reviewed” was selected as ETSU’s Common Read for the 2025-26 academic year. The Common Read initiative began in 2024 and serves as a means for the campus community to connect through conversation. A free workshop and discussion for the public will kick off this year’s read on Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 131 of Lamb Hall.

“We are thrilled to welcome John Green to campus,” Dr. Kimberly McCorkle, ETSU provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, said in a release. “His writing and digital work resonate with learners of all ages, and his visit will be a cornerstone of our yearlong engagement with ‘The Anthropocene Reviewed.’”

ETSU’s Festival of Ideas launched in 2019 and remains an annual tradition on campus. The event serves as a platform, bringing together leaders from diverse disciplines to promote insightful dialogue among students, faculty and the community. Past speakers include Mitch Albom, who wrote the No. 1 bestselling memoir “Tuesdays with Morrie,” and Piper Kerman, author of “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison.”

For upcoming information, visit https://www.etsu.edu/festival/.

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