Phillip B. Williams

Saint, a mysterious woman with mysterious powers, creates a hidden refuge 200 years ago for the lost, the formerly enslaved, the rescued. Here they put down roots, became neighbors and families, lovers: Ours. Saint succeeds in saving the community from the brutal evils of the world. But the people begin to wonder whether safety must inevitably be based on lack of freedom, even in a place like their town of Ours.

Phillip B. Williams, born in Chicago, has published two award-winning books of poetry. He teaches creative writing at New York University and is the 2025 Williams Picador Visiting Professor of Literature at the University of Leipzig. Ours. The City (2024) is his debut novel.

Moderation: Dr. Dorothea Fischer-Hornung

Language: English