We are thrilled to bring you the latest in literary events and writings that have caught our attention. These events encompass a range of free and ticketed registration and are not affiliated with AWP. All times are in ET.

• This year, the Georgia Writers Association launched the John Lewis Writing Grants and recently announced the recipients at Red Clay. Grant recipients were awarded for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction categories.

• Third Place Books welcomes author Melissa Guida-Richards, creator of the Adoptee Thoughts podcast, for a presentation on her new book, What White Parents Should Know about Transracial Adoption: An Adoptee's Perspective on Its History, Nuances, and Practices. She will be joined in conversation by Kalani Kapahua on Tuesday, November 23, at 9 p.m. Register in advance.

• Booker Prize-shortlisted and New York Times bestselling author Paul Auster makes a welcome return to Elliott Bay Book Company’s reading series, this time virtually, to discuss Burning Boy: The Life and Work of Stephen Crane (Henry Holt), his new biography of American literary icon and war reporter. He appears in conversation with Eric Lorberer on Monday, November 29, at 9 p.m. Claim your spot in advance.

• Tune in on November 30 for a special launch event for the new nonfiction collection from Lydia Davis—Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles—hosted by Community Bookstore, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Harvard Book Store, Seminary Co-op Bookstores, the Elliott Bay Book Company, and Green Apple Books. This event will take place at 7:00 p.m. Each ticket includes a copy of Essays Two, available to be shipped to addresses in the continental US.

• Third Place Books is pleased to welcome Martha Brockenbrough to celebrate the release of her new YA novel, Into the Bloodred Woods, on Tuesday, November 30, at 9 p.m. Martha will be joined in conversation by a cabal of Pacific Northwest YA writers—Lish McBride, Margaret Owen, and Kendare Blake! Register in advance.

• Join Elliott Bay Book Company on Tuesday, November 30, at 9:00 pm for a celebration of esteemed poet Raymond Antrobus’ new collection All the Names Given. Antrobus will appear in conversation with artist Teraca Florence. The event is presented in partnership with Deaf Spotlight and Seattle Arts & Lectures. Registration is required.

• Left Banks Books’s Great Novels of the 22nd Century book club will meet on Wednesday, December 1, at 8 p.m. to discuss The Sentient by Nadia Afifi. Register via the group’s Facebook page instructions.

• Random House invites you to join #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Brené Brown for a special, one-night-only event to launch Atlas of the Heart on Thursday, December 2, at 8 p.m. on Zoom. In Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, Brené takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. Each ticket includes admission to this exclusive event and a hardcover copy of Atlas of the Heart ($30 retail price), as well as sales tax, shipping, and handling.

• On Thursday, December 2, Kristen Millares Young and Keila Vall de la Ville will explore what it means to be a Latina woman writing in the US and how the intersection of their cultural and gender identities has informed their work in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. 9 p.m. Register in advance.

• Emergent Seed supports emerging artists in the greater DC Metro area with $150 and $500 grants for original Music and Writing and the opportunity to share their work with new audiences. Emergent Seed has the great opportunity to host two more performances at the Eaton Hotel's rooftop this year - on Sunday, November 28 and Sunday, December 19. We would love it if you could join us at this event. There will be music performances, food, drinks, and even an open mic jam session! It’s on a beautiful rooftop, will have great music/performances, and the event is free! Register to attend.

• Charis welcomes Kristin Henning in conversation with Dr. Bettina Love for a discussion of The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth, a brilliant analysis of the foundations of racist policing in America, on Wednesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. This event is co-hosted by the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. Register in advance.

• Join RHINO for a reading and conversation with Chloe Martinez, Ariana Benson + Jalen Eutsey on Friday, December 3, at 8 p.m. via Zoom. Registration required.

• Join Donna Sandstrom, founder and executive director of the Whale Trail, for a discussion her book, Orca Rescue, on Friday, December 3, at 9 p.m. Orca Rescue!: The True Story of an Orphaned Orca Named Springer, illustrated by Unama'ki (Cape Breton Island) based visual artist Sarah Burwash, tells the riveting story of how two countries and hundreds of people worked together to return a young orca to her family. Donna Sandstrom will share photos and inside stories based on her perspective as a community organizer on the project. Register in advance.

• Elliott Bay Book Company presents two readings from prodigious novelists on Saturday, December 4: Mombasa-based poet and prose writer Khadija Abdalla Bajaber will read from and discusses her novel, The House of Rust, at 1 p.m. (register in advance) and novelist Ay?egül Sava? will read from and discuss White on White virtually from Paris at 4 p.m. (register in advance).

• Acclaimed poet Ruben Quesada will host the Mercy Street Reading series on Sunday, December 5, at 7 p.m., featuring readings from Richard Scott, C.T. Salazar, Amanda Moore, Jacob Ramirez, Marjorie Maddox, Danielle Rose, and Kevin Latimer.

• Celebrating the launch of two new books, The Best of Me and A Carnival of Snackery, join bestselling author and NPR contributor David Sedaris for an evening featuring all-new stories, an audience Q&A, and a book signing. Live at Stifel Theatre on Sunday, December 5, at 8 p.m.

• Philadelphia Stories is seeking fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and artwork for their Winter 2022 issue that will be distributed at the AWP Conference, the biggest annual event for writers in the US, coming to Philadelphia on March 23–26. Find submission details on their website. Deadline: December 17, 2021.

• MASS MoCA’s artist residency, the Studios at MASS MoCA, has launched a new application cycle for their Summer/Fall 2022 residency season. Due to limited capacity resulting from 2020 COVID rescheduling, this year they are only accepting applications from artists who qualify for one of their limited, fully funded fellowships, including anyone eligible for their regular fellowship for Black or Indigenous artists and writers. Application deadline: January 8, 2022.