The lecture hall was half-full, but the 50 students gathered there listened intently.

Author Dionne Irving stood on a stage in front of the lecture hall reading “All Inclusive,” her story about a Jamaican woman visiting her homeland and trying to get back in touch with the roots of it.

Irving said she relates to the woman because she grew up in Canada, losing touch with her own Jamaican roots.

It’s a story she had never read aloud before.

“It is too sad,” she said. “I like fun things and laughs.”  

Still, the students were enthralled throughout the reading.

Afterward, Jacob Hill, a first-year finance major, praised Irving and her storytelling.

“It was interesting to see a story from a different perspective than your own,” he said.  

Irving, who has been nominated for multiple awards throughout her career, said she decided to become an author to make people more aware of things. 

“I was always reading and writing stories,” Irving said. “I had a desire to tell stories that weren’t being told.”

Dr. Marcela Fuentes and Professor Matthew Pitt invited Irving to campus after assigning Irving’s book to their students.

“It was an extra credit opportunity, and I just decided to come to it,” said Mark Schaefer, a first-year biology major. “I’m glad that I did, the message was deep, and you just take a step back to look at things.”

Students said the reading taught them about a different culture and some even talked about wanting to buy some of Irving’s other books.