Free virtual writing workshops and literary events to check out this January.
If your New Year’s resolution was something along the lines of: attend more events or be a better literary citizen, I have good news for you! Here are a handful of virtual events you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch/bed/bathtub without spending a dime. (Because you’re probably also resolving to spend less money this year, and I feel that.)
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Writing Club At Home: On Sunlight/Moonlight
January 10 (today!) @ 6pm EST
Co-hosted by the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and the Museum of Modern Art, this virtual series will offer a refuge for your writing. Set aside some time and get ready for a facilitated workshop, led by astrologer Alice Sparkly Kat, on sunlight, moonlight, and becoming. You’ll receive some prompts and have the opportunity to share some of your work with the global community. Register here.
Forms & Features: Abecedarian
January 17 @ 7pm EST
January 18 @ 3pm EST
January 19 @ 11am EST
An abecedarian is a poem organized by the sequence of the alphabet. Intrigued? Let Maggie Queeney walk you through it. This 2-hour class will explore the form and then encourage you to write your own. This Poetry Foundation workshop is offered at three different times, so you can register for the one that best fits your schedule.
You Are a Writer: Craft and Conscience
January 18 @ 8pm EST
Inspired by Kavita Das’ book, Craft and Conscience, this panel will cover writing about social justice issues. Who gets to write what? What should a writer do when their work meets resistance? How can we cultivate community in this space? This conversation features Kavita Das, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Mira Jacob, and Courtney Lilly. It’s free with registration.
Finding Your Focus: A Roundtable for Aspiring Book Collectors
January 23 @ 12pm EST
Have you ever wanted to start your own antiquarian book collection? This panel, featuring recent winners of the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize, seeks to demystify the process. Register here.
Speaking Texts: Recordings in/and Preservation, Accessibility, and Indigeneity
January 24 @ 1pm EST
There are a lot of stories that have been passed down, not through text but by word of mouth. Hosted by the Bibliographical Society of America, this panel will feature several scholars whose focus is bibliographical analysis of oral culture and textual transcription. Register here with an optional donation.
Materialities of Contemporary Latin American Publishing
January 25 @ 5:30pm EST
Hosted by the Center for Book Arts, this event seeks to explore how we might reimagine books as material objects in contemporary Latin America. What does reading, writing, and circulating books look like in an anti-capitalist society? Join these three scholars—Magalí Rabasa, Nora Benedict, and Élika Ortega—to find out. Register here with an optional donation.
Writing While at Risk: The Authorship and Urgency of Trans Stories
January 25 @ 8pm EST
Hosted by PEN America, join James Hannaham, Anaïs Duplan, and Stephanie Burt for a conversation about telling trans stories. As LGBTQ+ books are being banned from libraries and schools, how are trans writers navigating this moment? Register for the webinar here.
