Alabama Writers' Forum

Third Thursday Poetry Series to feature Poet Joe Wilkins
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | 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.

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

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.

Alabama State Poetry Society Online Open Mic
2025-11-24 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-12-22 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

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

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.)

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.

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!

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.

Scrooge! The Musical at Bean-Brown Theatre, Tuscaloosa
2025-12-11 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-17 14:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-18 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-20 14:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-21 14:00 - 16:30 | 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” 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
2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:30, 2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:30, 2025-12-14 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-17 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-17 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-18 19:30 - 22:30, 2025-12-19 19:30 - 22:30, 2025-12-20 14:00 - 17:00 and 1 more date | 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.

Writer's Fellowship on Martha's Vineyard
2025-12-22 08:00 - 2026-01-19 17:00 | The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, 215 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, MA, 02539, United States
Our 2026 Fellowships include full tuition & lodging to our Summer Writers’ Conference on Martha’s Vineyard, and we’d love to support your authors and poets! Our Emerging Writer Fellowships are open to all writers ages 18+ who have yet to publish a book/chapbook. And this year we also have full fellowships for Writers of Color, Queer Writers, Parent Writers, Teachers & Educators and a brand new fellowship for Full-time Caregivers. We are offering over $20,000 in Fellowships to attend, and the deadline for application is Jan 19th, 2026.
Alexander Weinstein
Director
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD INSTITUTE OF CREATIVE WRITING
954-242-2903 | mvicw.com

Geminga Contest 2026
2025-12-31 - 2026-01-31 | Online, NC
Authors and artists can submit to Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest, which honors the power of micro works in all genres/categories. Opens January 1, closes January 31. Entry fee: $5. Prize: $100 cash and publication. See guidelines and entry form, along with the journal’s other open calls, here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit.

Author Joe Cuhaj Book Signing
2026-01-10 13:00 - 15:00 | Page and Palette, 32 South Section St., Fairhope, AL, 36532, United States
Author Joe Cuhaj will be signing copies of his latest book, “Notable Women of Alabama,” Saturday, January 10th from 1 to 3pm at Page & Palette, 32 S. Section Street, Fairhope, AL.
