Alabama Writers' Forum

Scrooge! The Musical at Bean-Brown Theatre, Tuscaloosa
2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-11 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | Bean- Brown Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35405, United States
Scrooge! is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film “Scrooge” staring Albert Finney and Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

Scrooge! The Musical
2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:30, 2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:30 | Bean- Brown Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35405, United States
Scrooge! is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

Jacqueline Allen Trimble, Alabama Poet Laureate elect: Reception with reading from “American Happiness,” Now in Paperback!
2025-12-10 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Join us for a reception in honor of Jacqueline Allen Trimble on her Alabama Poet Laureate nomination (2026—2029). Trimble will read briefly from American Happiness, her first collection of poems, newly released in paperback. It’ll be a joyful occasion. Come celebrate with us.

A NewSouth Bookstore Holiday Special: A little literary, a lot of cheer!
2025-12-07 15:00 - 16:30 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
The NewSouth Bookstore officially kicks off the 2025 holiday season with a very special event on Sunday, December 7 at 3pm. Enjoy an afternoon of short holiday-themed readings — from the works of Damon Runyon, Della Lutes, and others — with musical interlude. The talented cast includes Wanda Battle, Rodney Clark, Greta Lambert, Maire Martello, Greg Thornton, and the producer himself, John Martello. The NewSouth Bookstore loves a holiday tradition. Ringing in the holidays with Martello and friends is fast becoming a wonderful such tradition. Don’t miss the fun!

Celebrating Jane Austen's 250th Birthday!
2025-12-04 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Jane Austen is one of the world’s most popular novelists. To celebrate her 250th birthday in December of this year we’ll be serving English tea and shortbread and bringing in Austen expert Barry Cole. He will lead a program about Austen, discussing her life, writing history, and the enduring appeal of Pride and Prejudice and her other works. There’s a lot to celebrate! With thanks to Joshua at the Eastbrook Flea Market for sourcing proper porcelain teacups.

Celebrate Small Business Saturday at The Haunted Book Shop
2025-11-29 11:00 - 20:00 | The Haunted Book Shop, 9 S JOACHIM ST, MOBILE, AL, 36602-2707, United States
Join us at The Haunted Book Shop on November 29th for Small Business Saturday. This year’s celebration will be bigger than ever!
The Haunted Book Shop will be hopping November 29th with three author appearances! Elise Burke Brown, Ellizabeth Essex (Hobbs), and Manda Collins will sign their latest works and chat up customers, answering all your mystery and romance questions. Catch Elise at the signing table from 11:15am-1:15pm, and Elizabeth & Manda together from 1:30-3:30pm.
Families will enjoy the Shop Local with Richard Scarry event, a special activity that celebrates shopping locally while diving into the world of one of children’s literature’s most beloved authors. Known for his whimsical depictions of animals and bustling community scenarios, Richard Scarry’s books have delighted children and adults alike.
During this event, you’ll be immersed in Scarry’s playful universe, as you shop local at several enticing downtown shops. Make sure to start this activity at The Haunted Book Shop where you will receive your Richard Scarry Busytown Booklet and activity instructions. (Available while supplies last.)

The Inflectionist Reading Series #35
2025-11-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Facebook
The Inflectionist Reading Series #35, featuring poets Steve Castro, Ben Cooper, and Jason Gordy Walker will take place on Nov. 24, 2025, at 5 pm Pacific Time/8 pm Eastern Time/7 pm Central Time.
A Q&A with the poets will follow the reading.
Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ygldkZqGTTiD_piaqLERSg. For security reasons, we ask the audience members to register in advance or before the reading.
Steve Castro is a Costa Rican surrealist and documentary poet whose poetry is forthcoming in Tampa Review; Water~Stone Review; Huizache; Laurel Review; Cream City Review; The Boiler; Packingtown Review and The National Poetry Review. His poetry collection Conejo y Gallo was a finalist for the National Poetry Series Competition (2024) and a finalist for the Poetic Justice Institute Editors Prize for a BIPOC Writer (2024-2025). His poetry has appeared in 32 Poems; DIAGRAM; miCRo series: The Cincinnati Review; Verse Daily; The Spectacle; Green Mountains Review; Salamander; Bayou Magazine; The Florida Review; Image; Notre Dame Review; etc.
Ben Cooper is a poet studying creative writing at Salisbury University. He is the winner of the 2025 AWP Intro Journals Award, works as a Managing Editor at 149 Review, and is published or forthcoming in Colorado Review, The Penn Review, The Shore, Atlanta Review, Rust & Moth, Frontier Poetry, and more.
Jason Gordy Walker has placed recent poems with Dunes Review, Louisiana Literature, Nimrod, Pembroke Magazine, and others. His translations from the Norwegian of Rune Christiansen appear or are forthcoming in Birmingham Poetry Review, B O D Y, Cordite Poetry Review, and Subtropics. Walker was a 2025 Artist-in-Residence at Newnan ArtRez, reviews books for Asymptote’s What’s New in Translation, and has received scholarships from the New York State Summer Writers Institute and Poetry by the Sea.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/19rFSCXQTD

Alabama State Poetry Society Online Open Mic
2025-11-24 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-10-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Join us for online poetry open mics the 4th Monday of each month!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85693609367
Meeting ID: 856 9360 9367

Give the gift of Story Feedback
2025-11-21 - 2025-12-31 | Online, NC
What to give that writer on your list? The gift of feedback. Sunspot’s Angel Leya, USA Today bestselling coauthor, provides feedback on stories and novel excerpts. Guidelines available here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit/311607/genre-fiction-feedback-2025.

WriterFest Nashville Conference
2025-11-21 09:30 - 2025-11-22 17:00 | Belmont University, 1909 15th Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37212, United States
The WriterFest Nashville conference will be held at Belmont University on November 21-22, 2025. WriterFest Nashville is a conference for all types of writers, including authors, songwriters, screenwriters, and any other type of creative writer. It is an incredible two-day event designed for writers of book, song and film, and it aims to inspire, empower and connect creatives. Industry professionals with years of experience will explain the essentials of the industry and share writing practices that help create the next up and coming writer. The conference will allow writers to network with both seasoned pros and other writers in the same stage of the process as themselves. more information, here is the link to our website and the link to purchase tickets!
For more information, check the website and event links below:
https://www.writerfestnashville.com/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writerfest-nashville-2025-tickets-1296292518819?aff=erelexpmlt

Third Thursday Poetry Series to feature Poet Joe Wilkins
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36849-5637, United States
Joe Wilkins will be guest poet at the Third Thursday reading on November 20, at Pebble Hill in Auburn. Book sales and refreshments will be available beginning at 6:00. The program will begin at 6:30 with a brief open mic reading followed by Wilkins’s presentation. Those wishing to read a brief poem in the open mic segment should arrive early and sign up.
Wilkins teaches creative writing at Linfield University in Oregon. He has published two novels, a memoir, and five collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Pastoral, 1994.

The Third Thursday Literary Series is sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Department of English and Southern Humanities Review in the College of liberal Arts at Auburn University, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

All Third Thursday readings are free and open to the public.

Sim Butler talk about "And the Dragons Do Come: Raising a Transgender Kid in Rural America"
2025-11-20 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Our country stands at a critical cultural crossroads, with a wave of anti-trans legislation emerging at unprecedented levels targeting trans children, in particular, who face increasing stigmatization and erasure. In recent years, the Sim Butler family faced an impossible reality in their home state of Alabama, where trans rights are increasingly under attack. Sim Butler’s And the Dragons Do Come is a poignant account of one family’s experience of parenting and supporting a trans child in these perilous times. His book provides a firsthand perspective on the human cost of anti-trans sentiment and a strong argument for keeping the humanity in our hearts and our communities. Meet Sim Butler on Thursday, November 20 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore. Co-sponsored by Prattville Pride.

Ink & Insight at Bellingrath Gardens with Author Joe Cuhaj
2025-11-14 10:30 - 11:30 | Bellingrath Gardens and Home, 12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd., Theodore, AL, 36582, United States
Join author Joe Cuhaj at the fabulous Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, AL, Friday November 14th, for a fun morning as Joe reads some of his favorite little known, obscure, off-beat, and forgotten stories from his nonfiction history books. Books will be available for purchase with a signing after the reading.

Scott Ellsworth joins us for a talk about "Midnight on the Potomac"
2025-11-13 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Prepare to be transported back to the Civil War in a program featuring historian Scott Ellsworth, author of the newly released Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America. Midnight on the Potomac is a page-turner which has won many fine reviews. Focusing on the last, desperate months of the war, when the outcome was far from certain, this is a story of titanic battles, political upheaval, and the long-forgotten Confederate terror war against the loyal citizens of the North. Dramatically paced and passionately told, the book has been called a new kind of history of the Civil War. Don’t miss author Scott Ellsworth at The NewSouth Bookstore on Thursday, November 13, at 5:30pm.

7 Points Press Book Release Celebration
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:00 | The Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts, 217 East Tuscaloosa Street, Florence, AL, 35630, United States
7 Points Press presents: A Book Release Celebration at The Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts, 217 East Tuscaloosa Street, Florence, Alabama 35630. Reading begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.
Featured readers will be: Donna Geise, J. D. Manders, Jeanie Thompson, and Wayne Sides. The authors will read and discuss their work. Books will be available for sale. Admission is free.

Sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1463289858121621/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22home%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

An In-conversation and Signing with author William Webster at The Haunted Book Shop
2025-11-06 17:30 - 19:30 | The Haunted Book Shop, 9 S JOACHIM ST, MOBILE, AL, 36602-2707, United States
Join us at The Haunted Book Shop on November 6, 2025, at 5:30pm for an evening with thriller author William Webster. Rockets’ Red Glare, Webster’s debut terrorism thriller has been referred to as “thriller writing at its most creative and suspenseful.”
Webster will be in conversation with fellow adventure thriller author Jodie Cain Smith. They will discuss Webster’s writing process, his ability to create action scenes that make readers hold their breath and turn the pages, and how his own professional experiences in the political arena influence his writing. A book signing will follow the in-conversation and audience Q&A.

One Hour/One Poem: Discover the verse of Emily Dickinson
2025-11-04 17:30 - 18:30 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Make a date with a poem and Dr. Susie Paul. In an exciting program hosted by The NewSouth Bookstore, titled One Hour/One Poem, Dr. Paul will teach one great nineteenth-century poem in each of four monthly sessions of an hour or less. The program will be a deep dive into the work of four significant American writers, all giants of the poetic form: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson. Paul is a master educator with a deep love of poetry, who is thrilled to have an opportunity to teach these works. She has selected “After great pain, a formal feeling comes” by Emily Dickinson, written in 1862, as the subject of her fourth session.

Poetry in the Park with Poet Laureate Ashley Jones
2025-11-01 11:00 - 12:30 | Center Point Public Library, 533 Sunhill Road, Center Point, AL, 35215, United States
Join Center Point Public Library for Poetry at the Park with Poet Laureate of Alabama Ashley Jones. Listen to Ms. Jones read from her collection of poetry, get signed copies of her latest book, and meet our state’s Poet Laureate!
Bring the entire family, lawn chairs, and blankets as we enjoy poetry under the blue skies!
Light hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Please register via QR link in image.

A Halloween Special with Karren Pell and the Old Alabama Revue
2025-10-30 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Karren Pell and the Old Alabama Revue return to The NewSouth Bookstore for Halloween. They’ll conjure up a fiendishly fun program of spooktacular songs — original tunes and old favorites you love. Join us at The NewSouth Bookstore on Thursday, October 30 at 5:30pm. Halloween costumes optional but encouraged. There will be devilishly good snacks and drinks served and music to raise the spirits. There’s not a ghost of a chance this won’t be fun!

The Haunted Book Shop Halloween Challenge!
2025-10-25 11:00 - 2025-10-31 20:00 | The Haunted Book Shop, 9 S JOACHIM ST, MOBILE, AL, 36602-2707, United States
At The Haunted Book Shop, we love Halloween! This year we want to celebrate spooky season with you during The Haunted Book Shop Halloween Challenge from October 25-31, 2025. This BRAND NEW activity challenges Halloween revelers to dash around downtown Mobile in search of ten locations connected to ten books that haunt us.
Participants of the Halloween challenge will be entered into the grand prize drawing to win the BIG SPOOKY SEASON BOOK BUNDLE. But beware, the challenge starts on October 25th and ends on October 31!
The Halloween Challenge Rules:
Pick up your Halloween Challenge Clue Sheet and The Haunted Book Shop Halloween Challenge official placard from The Haunted Book Shop from October 25-31.
Give your name and contact information to a Haunted Book Shop associate for the BIG spooky book bundle PRIZE drawing.
Search for each location (answers to the 10 clues) around downtown Mobile.
When you arrive at each location, take a photo. (Gaining entry to the location or building is not required. Exterior shots are great!)
Include the Haunted Book Shop placard in your picture.
Once you take the ten pictures (or however many clues you complete), post the pictures in ONE post to either Instagram or Facebook AND tag The Haunted Book Shop on the post.
Include #thehauntedbookshopmobilehalloweenchallenge2025 in your post.
Posts must be made by MIDNIGHT, October 31st to be entered into the prize drawing. (Post will be matched to contact information provided to The Haunted Book Shop.)
A completed entry (social media post with tag and hashtag) will earn 1 entry into the BIG, spooky book bundle drawing.
Bonus entries opportunities: One bonus entry is given if the photos include a participant in costume. One bonus entry is given if participant signs up for the challenge on Eventbrite (search for The Haunted Book Shop Mobile Halloween Challenge on Eventbrite). One bonus entry is given if participant’s social media post includes 10 correct answers!
That’s right! You can earn up to FOUR chances to win!
So, are you brave enough to dare The Haunted Book Shop Halloween Challenge? Mr. Bingley, the world’s coolest bookstore cat, and all the haints of The Haunted Book Shop believe you’re ready for a Halloween adventure!

Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Event in Auburn
2025-10-23 17:00 - 19:30 | Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, 901 S. College St., Auburn, AL, 36849, United States
The annual Auburn Witness Prize program in the Third Thursday Literary Series, will be October 23 at the Jule Collins Smith Museum on South College Street in Auburn. The event is scheduled for 5 – 7 p.m.

Nicole Sealey, this year’s Witness Prize judge, and Hana Widerman, the Witness Prize winner, will both read from their work.

Nicole Sealey Hana Widerman

The Witness Prize reading is sponsored by the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Supporters of the Third Thursday Literary Series include The Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Department of English and Southern Humanities Review in the Auburn College of Liberal Arts, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

5:00 – A tour of Radical Naturalism: Lyric Birdscapes, a current museum exhibit combining Audubon prints and poetry
6:00 – Book signing by Sealey; auditorium seating opens
6:30 – Poetry reading begins
Events are free, and surely there will be plenty of auditorium seating, but if you want to be sure of a spot, you may RSVP to https://jcsm.auburn.edu/event/auburn-witness-poetry-prize/

"Notable Women of Alabama" Presentation
2025-10-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Ave., Fairhope, AL, 36532, United States
Author Joe Cuhaj will discuss his new book, Notable Women of Alabama, that profiles 50 women who made a difference in Alabama, the nation, and the world, at the Fairhope Public Library, October 23, 2025, at 4 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. There will be a Q&A and a book signing following the presentation.

Jeanie Thompson and Larry Mitchell: poetry and music inspired by the life of Helen Keller
2025-10-21 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Master poet Jeanie Thompson teams up with Grammy Award-winning talent Larry Mitchell for special music project based on her award-winning collection of verse titled The Myth of Water. In the new work, The Myth of Water: Go Into Your Life, eight poems recast into songs tell the amazing story of author/activist Helen Keller and her native Alabama. This is a pairing of poetry and song to stir the soul, one which captures the love, loss, and longing of Keller’s experience. Larry Mitchell’s original compositions worked to Thompson’s verse is a magical combination. Come enjoy a tuneful evening of joy and reflection with Thompson and Mitchell at The NewSouth Bookstore on Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30pm.

The NewSouth Bookstore Harvest Festival
2025-10-18 15:00 - 18:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
The NewSouth Bookstore celebrates fall with its October 18 Harvest Festival from 3-6 p.m. Join us for candy, games, scares, and fun! In partnership with the City of Montgomery and Main Street Montgomery.

Poet Garrett Ashley returns for a reading from his new work, "A Field Guide to North American Trees"
2025-10-14 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Garrett Ashley returns to The NewSouth Bookstore for a reading from his newest collection of poems, A Field Guide to North American Trees. In this captivating new work, each poem is named after a tree, most of them native to the Southeast. Collectively, they form a rich landscape where roots, rings, and branches become a way of understanding our human connection. The book positively invites us to see ourselves within the world around us. Join us for this special event with Garrett Ashley on Tuesday, October 14 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore.
