Conway native Sheri Reynolds, a former Oprah author, is returning to Coastal Carolina University on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m. for a reading in Wall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Reynolds, who teaches creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia, is part of the “Words to Say It Series” that brings authors to the university for public discussions. A book signing and reception will follow the reading, and books will be available for purchase.

Reynolds has three novels to her credit, including “The Rapture of Canaan,” a 1997 Oprah Book Club selection, as well as “Bitterroot Landing” (1994), which was nominated for Old GRANTA Young American Author Awards and “A Gracious Plenty” (1997). She is currently at work on a play.

Reynolds started writing as a teenager . She attended Davidson College as an English major and went on to earn a master’s degree in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was a student of Lee Smith, a respected Southern author.

Sponsors of the literary series are the Nancy Smith Distinguished Visitor-in-Residence Series, the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the Office of Student Activities and Cypress Inn in Conway.

For more information, call 349-2967.