Anastasia: The New Broadway Musical
2025-07-18 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-07-19 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-07-24 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-07-25 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-07-26 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-27 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Bean- Brown Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35405, United States
Based on the 1997 animated film of the same name, Anastasia premiered on Broadway in 2016. From the same writing team that brought you Ragtime, this magical show transports audiences from the twilight of the Russian Empire and the end of the Romanov dynasty, to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s. Anya, a brave young woman with amnesia, sets out to solve the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to discover whether she might truly be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Book by Terrence McNally; Music by Stephen Flaherty; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

Tim Lupinacci, Everybody Leads @ Alabama Booksmith
2025-07-22 16:00 - 17:00 | Alabama Booksmith, 2626 19th Pl S Homewood, AL, 35209, 2626 19th Pl S, Homewood, AL, 35209, United States
Come meet Tim Lupinacci as he signs copies of his brilliant approach to leadership on every level.
You may purchase signed first editions of EVERYBODY LEADS (29.95) to pick up at the event, at the store later, or have them carefully wrapped and mailed worldwide by Clicking Here.

Thursday, July 24 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers with Misbehaving at the Crossroads
2025-07-24 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
We’ve only waited years to welcome Honorée Fanonne Jeffers at The NewSouth Bookstore. On Thursday, July 24 at 5:30pm she visits with her new book, Misbehaving at the Crossroads. Ms. Jeffers will be in conversation with Montgomery’s own Dr. Jacqueline Allen Trimble. The New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-nominated author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois and The Age of Phillis makes her nonfiction debut with this personal and thought-provoking collection of essays that explores the journeys and possibilities of Black women throughout American history and in contemporary times. Necessary and sharply observed, and full of the insight and brilliance that has characterized her poetry and fiction, Misbehaving at the Crossroads illustrates the life of one extraordinary Black woman—and her extraordinary foremothers. Come be with us for this special event.

Alabama State Poetry Society Online Open Mic
2025-07-28 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-08-25 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

Staycation Book Club at Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers, July 29, 6:00 p.m.
2025-07-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Auburn Oil Booksellers, 169 East Magnolia Ave., Auburn, AL, 36830, United States
Staycation Book Club: Your Summer, Your Way!
Ready to dive into three amazing beach reads over the next three months? With our Staycation Book Club, you’re in control.
Traveling one month and can’t make it? No problem! You can purchase tickets one book at a time—no need to commit to all three. Whether you’re staycationing with us or VA-cationing elsewhere, we’ve got your summer reading covered!
To join a book club discussion and reserve your spot, simply purchase the book by clicking the link!

Join us on Monday, June 16th @ 6:00 pm to discuss Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
Join us on Tuesday, July 8th @ 6:00 pm to discuss It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Join us on Tuesday, July 29th @ 6:00 pm to discuss One Italian Summer by Rebecca Seale (Tickets below)

Staycation Book Club | July 29

Miranda James - Something Whiskered @ Alabama Booksmith
2025-07-31 16:00 - 17:00 | AL
Come meet Miranda James (Dean James) as he signs delightful new book, SOMETHING WHISKERED.

You may purchase signed first editions to pick up at the event, pick up at the store later, or carefully wrapped and mailed worldwide by Clicking Here.

Dana Williams to talk about "Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship"
2025-07-31 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Toni Morrison will be well remembered and her spirit keenly felt on the evening of Thursday, July 31 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore. That’s when we welcome Dana Williams, biographer and Professor of African American Literature at Howard University, for a talk about her new book, Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship. The book recounts in inspiring detail how Morrison, the first Black woman senior editor at Random House, forever transformed the publishing landscape by championing Black writers’ work. Morrison published some of the brightest Black minds — and they got to work making a revolution one book at a time. Toni at Random conjures a new, richer understanding of the life and legacy of Toni Morrison. Join us for this special program at The NewSouth Bookstore.

Open Call
2025-07-31 - 2025-08-31 | Online, NC
Sunspot Lit’s open calls for very longform fiction, CNF, poetry and graphic novels close this month. Accepting all genres and categories; seeking exceptional craft from every voice. Guidelines and deadlines here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit.

Tuesday, August 5 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: One Hour/One Poem, Discover the verse of Emerson with Dr. Susie Paul
2025-08-05 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 new 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, a poet herself, is a master educator with a deep love of poetry, who is thrilled to have an opportunity to teach these works. Dr. Paul has selected “The Snow-Storm” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, written in 1835, as the subject of her first session.

Thursday, August 7 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Salaam Green on "The Other Revival: Poems & Reckonings"
2025-08-07 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
We are fortunate to welcome Salaam Green to The NewSouth Bookstore. Her new book, The Other Revival: Poems & Reckonings, is an extraordinary collection of poems — deeply personal and historically rooted — which revolve around a house built in Harpersville, Alabama in 1841. Thirty-nine people enslaved by Samuel Wallace, owner of the property, constructed the house and worked the land. Green interviewed descendants of those enslaved people and descendants of their slave owners and takes us on a journey in verse, offering a glimpse into generational memory and sparking the possibility of new racial healing. Meet Salaam Green, in conversation with Jacqueline Allen Trimble, on Thursday, August 7 at 5:30pm. It’ll be a very special evening, indeed.

August Artwalk with Chris Abernathy at The Haunted Book Shop
2025-08-08 18:00 - 20:00 | The Haunted Book Shop, 9 S JOACHIM ST, MOBILE, AL, 36602-2707, United States
Join us during the August 8th Artwalk with author Chris Abernathy at The Haunted Book Shop. Dive into NCIS: National Cat Investigative Society, an exciting tale that spins the whimsical narrative of the world-renowned, enigmatic graffiti artist Barksy. Set against the backdrop of the quirky Parrot Eyes Inn, the plot thickens with the gripping discovery of two dead bodies—adding elements of danger and suspense to Barksy’s latest masterpiece.
About NCIS: National Cat Investigative Society: The world-famous but anonymous graffiti artist Barksy creates a new piece of art at the Parrot Eyes Inn but the excitement is dampened by the discovery of two dead bodies — one in the parking lot and one alone inside a locked hotel room. As if that’s not enough, Detective Whiskers is being stalked by a strange orange tabby cat who seems to know something about the deaths. Throw in a sexy Scotsman with an eye for Sheila and things in Paradise Cove have never been wilder. This book includes a cameo appearance from Mr. Bingley.
What?! A book featuring a cameo appearance by our famous book shop cat, Mr. Bingley? Count us in! Mr. Bingley definitely approves! See you at August Artwalk!

Bookstore Romance Day 2025 at the Haunted Book Shop
2025-08-09 11:00 - 20:00 | The Haunted Book Shop, 9 S JOACHIM ST, MOBILE, AL, 36602-2707, United States
Enjoy Bookstore Romance Day like never before with a Romance Shop-cation at The Haunted Book Shop! On August 9, 2025, guests will enjoy a romance author signing by Aurelia Yates, giveaways, an in-store This or That activity, festive décor, in-store promos, and a romance trope-themed cocktail menu for afternoon and evening shoppers from our friends-in-love at Alchemy Tavern!
Bookstore Romance Day celebrates the readers and writers who love love. From all the happily ever afters to the slow burns and spice, The Haunted Book Shop has all the romance novels you need. Romance titles will be 10% off all day, and, while supplies last, each romance purchase comes with a free gift!
Festivities start at 11am. Aurelia Yates joins the fun with her novel What Should Have Been from 1-3PM. After 3pm, enhance your shop-cation with a to-go cocktail from Alchemy Tavern. Make sure to blow your favorite feline, Mr. Bingley, a kiss, as he loves love as much as we do.
Join the celebration on August 9th and give yourself the gift of romance during your much deserved Romance Shop-cation!

Tuesday, August 12 at 5:30pm, at The NewSouth Bookstore: Alexis Okeowo joins us for a talk about Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama
2025-08-12 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
The book is called Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama. It’s a perspective-shifting work that is both an intimate memoir and a journalistic triumph by Alexis Okeowo, a New Yorker staff writer and PEN award winner. In the book, Okeowo investigates her life, other Alabamians’ lives, and the state’s lesser-known histories to understand why Alabama has been the stage for the most extreme results of the American experiment. A blend of memoir, history, and reportage which Yaa Gyasi calls “extraordinary,” the book is also timely and engrossing. It sheds light on the divided face of our nation even as it defines the complexities of this place many of us call home. We are so fortunate to host Alexis Okeowo at The NewSouth Bookstore on Tuesday, August 12 at 5:30pm. Don’t miss it.

Thursday, August 14 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Announcing a group read of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy with Lee Farrow
2025-08-14 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Dr. Lee Farrow has led some of our most popular bookstore events to date. We look forward to hosting her again for an evening of discussion about Anna Karenina, a timeless and beloved classic of the nineteenth century by Leo Tolstoy, a giant of Russian literature. Join us for a talk about Anna Karenina on Thursday, August 14 at 5:30pm. Purchase a copy of the book at the bookstore and dive in. First published in 1878, the book is an engrossing story of love, betrayal, marriage, and family set against the backdrop of Imperial Russian society. When William Faulkner was asked to name his three favorite novels, he replied: “Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, and Anna Karenina.” Come join us and discover the book’s enduring appeal.

Reading of BLESSINGS AND DISASTERS by Alexis Okeowo, 6:30 p.m. at Thank You Books
2025-08-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Thank You Books, 5502 Crestwood Blvd Unit B, Birmingham, AL, 35212, United States
Thank You Books presents author Alexis Okeowo, reading from her new book, Blessings and Disasters, Thursday 6:30 p.m.
5502B Crestwood Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35212
6:30PM CT – Event
Contact: Kristen Iskandrian, kristen@thankyoubookshop.com
Event linked here.

3rd Friday at The NewSouth Bookstore!
2025-08-15 16:00 - 20:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Explore the downtown district after 4pm for special menus and drinks, special events and discounts. The NewSouth Bookstore will participate, of course. Sawyer White, a talented young guitarist with a rich repertoire, will be outside The NewSouth Bookstore, on our patio, playing for your pleasure. Relax to his music and join us inside for a complimentary glass of wine and to browse our store. All book purchases after 4pm on August 15 will be discounted 10%. Support your local downtown retailers and enjoy the offerings at The NewSouth Bookstore along with Lorraine’s Bake Shop, Plant Bae, Ravello, Red Bluff, Central, the Trilogy Hotel, and others. More than two dozen downtown hotels, restaurants, and retailers are participating in all.

Thursday, August 19 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Scott Spillman with Making Sense of Slavery
2025-08-19 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
We are thrilled to host historian Scott Spillman with his new book, Making Sense of Slavery, on Thursday, August 19 at 5:30 pm, at The NewSouth Bookstore. Making Sense of Slavery is an essential history of the study of slavery in America, from the Revolutionary era to the 1619 Project, showing how these intellectual debates have shaped American public life. It’s a breathtaking survey of nearly two centuries of scholarship, rich in insights and surprises. The Washington Independent Review of Books calls the book “accessible, important, and engaging” — a much needed work to fill in the gaps of our understanding. Don’t miss this exciting program with Scott Spillman coming up soon!

Thursday, August 21 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Caleb Gayle to talk about Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
2025-08-21 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle is our special guest in August with his new book, Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State. In this paradigm-shifting work of American history, Gayle recounts the extraordinary tale of Edward McCabe, a Black man who championed the audacious idea to create a state within the Union governed by and for Black people — and the racism, politics, and greed that thwarted him. The book is a wild ride through American history, which Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, calls “an unforgettable account of a forgotten hero.” Hope you can be with us at The NewSouth Bookstore on Thursday, August 21 at 5:30pm.

It’s Local Authors Day at The NewSouth Bookstore on Saturday, August 23, from 12pm-4pm.
2025-08-23 12:00 - 16:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
The NewSouth Bookstore invites you to our second annual Local Authors Day, held right in the bookstore. The event showcases the amazing writing talent in our greater metro Montgomery region. Meet authors writing fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, self-help and inspirational titles, and more. It’ll be festive and fun!

Jay Busbee - Iron in the Blood: How the Alabama vs. Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South @ Alabama Booksmith
2025-08-26 17:00 - 18:00 | AL
Come meet one of America’s most respected sportswriters, Jay Busbee as he signs copies of his authoratative & delightful book about the nation’s greatest football rivalry.
You may purchase signed first editions of IRON I N THE BLOOD (33.00) to pick up at the event, at the store later, or have them carefully wrapped and mailed worldwide by Clicking Here.

Tuesday, August 26 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Ralph Ellis with The Accident Report
2025-08-26 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Author/journalist Ralph Ellis joins us at The NewSouth Bookstore for what will surely be a most enjoyable program tied to his new novel, titled The Accident Report. The story is set in 1974 in North Carolina. It stars Ronald Truluck, a rookie reporter who is inspired by Watergate and hopes to uncover a scandal to make his bones as a reporter. It won’t be easy. The paper he works for, The Millerton Eagle, runs pet-of-the-week pictures on the front page, not corruption stories. And Ronald is a stoner who’s loosey-goosey with the facts. With a little help from his friends, he finally lands the story—but with results nobody expected. Come listen to Ellis spin a yarn or two about his new book and how he came to write it. (Hint: He’s been a working journalist.) Tuesday, August 26 at 5:30pm.

Third Thursday Reading at Pebble Hill in Auburn, 6 p.m.
2025-08-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36849-5637, United States
The first Third Thursday reading of the 2025-26 season will be August 28 at Pebble Hill in Auburn and will feature three local writers: Justin Gardiner, Steve Harrison, and Ash Parsons. Reception and book sales begin at 6 p.m. Readings begin at 6:30 p.m.

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 readings are free and open to the public.

DEL SHORES FOUNDATION WRITERS SEARCH FINAL DEADLINE
2025-08-31 12:00 - 17:00 | AL
CALL FOR UNPRODUCED SCRIPTS BY LGBTQ+ SOUTHERN WRITERS
The fourth Del Shores Foundation Writers Search, inspired by the career of SORDID LIVES playwright and screenwriter Del Shores, is now open for submissions from unproduced playwrights and screenwriters who identify as LGBTQ+ and currently live in the South.
CASH AWARDS are given to the semifinalists, finalists and winners and PRODUCTION GRANTS accompany the winning scripts to move their work toward production.
USE WAIVER CODE “DSFAL” for FREE SUBMISSION. Final submission deadline 8/31/25.
For more information and submissions visit https://www.delshoresfoundation.org/

Open Call at Sunspot Lit.
2025-09-02 - 2025-09-30 | Online, NC
Final quarterly calls closing in September for longform works up to 7,500 words, shorter works, flash, poetry, graphic novels and art at Sunspot Lit. Staggered closing dates and guidelines here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit.
