Events by County

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ALAMANCE COUNTY
BURLINGTON
ALAMANCE WRITERS NIGHT AT THE BURLINGTON ARTISTS LEAGUE GALLERY
When: Second Saturday of the month 7:00-8:30 pm
Where: Burlington Artists League Gallery, Holly Hill Mall, 309 Huffman Mill Rd.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-266-6461
Join the North Carolina Writers' Network's Alamance County Representative and Burlington Writers' Club member Wayne Drumheller for lively readings, discussions, and book signings by some of the best writers and poets in Alamance County. Bring your best writing ideas to the gallery on the  second Saturday of each month.

GRAHAM
POETRY CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Last Monday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Member’s home
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Poetry critique group has formed and is seeking additional members. All levels welcome.

MEMOIR WRITING GROUP
When: Last Thursday of the month, 10:00 am
Where: Graham Presbyterian Church, 216 W. Harden St.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All levels welcome.

MEMOIR WRITING GROUP
When: Third Monday of the month, 10:00 am
Where: The Gathering Room at Twin Lakes Retirememt Community, 3701 Wade Coble Dr.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Open to all, not just residents. All levels welcome.

MEBANE
WRITING FOR CHILDREN CRITIQUE GROUP
When: First Mondays, 10:30 am
Where: Mebane Methodist Church, 200 S. Fourth St.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Seeking additional members. If a sufficient number desire an evening group, that can be arranged.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Third Mondays, 6:30 pm
Where: Alamance Community College Library, Alamance Community College
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Seeking additional members. If a sufficient number desire an evening group, that can be arranged.

ALEXANDER COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Alexander County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Alleghany County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ANSON COUNTY
WADESBORO
ANSON COUNTY WRITERS' CLUB
When: Fourth Sunday of the month, 3:00 pm
Where: Varies
Website: http://www.ansoncountywritersclub.org
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Anson County Writers' Club has been in existence since 1989. The Anson County Writers' Club fosters the art of writing in Anson County through support, awareness and recognition of all writers—from the beginner to the published author. This is accomplished through regular meetings, workshops, lectures and readings; through our annual contests in prose and poetry culminating in a public awards ceremony; and through our grant program.

ASHE COUNTY
WEST JEFFERSON
WORDKEEPERS
When: Third Saturday (Dec., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec.), 4:00 pm
Where: Ashe County Arts Council, 303 School Ave.
Contact: Christine Arvidson, 336-489-0066 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We start our readings at 4:00 pm. It's first come/first served on the reading bill, so let Chris know if you'd like to sign up for your 5-minute slot.

BEAUFORT COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Beaufort County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Brunswick County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY
ASHEVILLE
POETRIO
When: First Sunday of every month, 3:00 pm
Where: Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St.
Poetrio events are free and open to the public.

ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL
When: First Wednesday of the month, 6:00 pm
Where: Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact: Alli Marshall, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/NCWNAsheville
We meet to socialize and share writing tips. Each meeting features a writing prompt to generate creativity and discussion; open mics take place in April, July, and October. This is the regular Buncombe County regional meeting for the North Carolina Writers' Network.

THOMAS WOLFE BOOK CLUB
When: Second Thursday of the month, 5:30-7:00 pm (January - April)
Where: Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, 52 N. Market St.
Contact: Tom Muir, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.wolfememorial.comA monthly Thomas Wolfe Book Club, sponsored by The Wilma Dykeman Legacy. Each month, a different local educator will lead the club in discussion of a pre-selected short story written by Thomas Wolfe. Just read the selected short story, show up at the corresponding meeting, and be prepared for an informative and provocative conversation.

WRITERS AT HOME
When: Third Sunday of every month, 3:00 pm
Where: Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St.
Contact: Tommy Hays at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville's Great Smokies Writing Program series.

WRITERS' POTLUCK
When: Last Friday of every month, 6:00 pm
Where: The Writers' Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Rd.
Website: www.twwoa.org
Writers'Potluck is held on the last Friday of the month. Members and guests are invited—please bring a dish to share, and a short story or poem to read.

WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION
When: Mondays, October 29 - November 19, 6:30 pm
Where: Flatiron Writers Room, 5 Covington St.
Cost: $150 (members) / $175 (non-members)
Info/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-young-adult-fiction-wny-times-bestselling-author-beth-revis-tickets-48139981982
In this four-session workshop, New York Times bestselling YA author Beth Revis will dive deep into the essentials of story telling: characters, world, and plot. Students will walk away from the course with a clear idea of their character’s voice, methods to make their world stand out, and a plot structure for their entire novel. The final session will focus on what makes a YA book high concept and how to sell your YA book in today’s competitive market.

WNCMSYSTERIANS CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Biweekly, 6:00 pm
Where: Battery Park Book Exchange, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave. #101
Cost: Free
Website: www.WNCMysterians.org
Established 2009 for serious mystery, suspense, and thriller writers in Asheville and Western North Carolina. We meet biweekly to improve one another's writing. Check out our website for details and dates.

2018 GREAT SMOKIES WRITING PROGRAM
When: Various workshops
Where: Various locations in Asheville, Hendersonville, Black Mountain, and Burnsville
Info: www.unca.edu/gswp or call 828-251-6099
Some of the area’s best authors and instructors are featured in the new spring lineup of workshops from the University of North Carolina at Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program. Courses will help hone the skills of writers of poetry and prose, including memoir, novels, and creative nonfiction. Some classes are open to interested writers of all levels; some are restricted to more advanced writers. In all cases, class size is limited and early registration is suggested. See website for complete course listing.

BOOKMAKING WORKSHOPS
When: Various workshops
Where:  Asheville Bookworks, 428 1/2 Haywood Rd., West Asheville
Website: www.ashevillebookworks.com
Take a workshop on bookbinding, letterpress, marbling, journaling, or bookmaking.

BURKE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Burke County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CABARRUS COUNTY
KANNAPOLIS
CABARRUS-ROWAN WRITER'S NIGHT OUT / OPEN MIC
When: Fourth Thursday of the month, 6:30 pm 
Where: French Express Internet and Cyber Cafe, 2087 Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Blvd. (at Rt. 29, around the corner from Planet Fitness) / https://www.facebook.com/FrenchExpressNC
Contact: Alberto Perez, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is a great venue to meet and greet with others in your craft. Typically, we share news of upcoming events of interest to writers; we discuss the status of our various projects--and of course, we always have an open mic. Come early, get a cup of something good from the French Express, and sign up for a spot to read your poetry or short prose pieces. All are welcome. Keep up to date by following the blog at www.albertoperez.co/guild.html. Members have their short stories, poetry and other work listed for others to enjoy. This is the regular Cabarrus-Rowan Counties regional meeting of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

CAMDEN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Camden County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CARTERET COUNTY
BEAUFORT
BEAUFORT
 CRITIQUE
 GROUP
When: Alternate Thursdays (mostly), 4:00-6:00 pm (no July meeting)
Where: Provided upon registration
Contact: Dr. Susan Schmidt, 252-269-0032; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.susanschmidt.net
Recruits several writers who have a book in progress and have workshop experience. E-mail to register.

BEAUFORT WRITING WORKSHOP
When: Wednesdays, 4:00-6:00 pm (7 weeks starting in mid-January and mid-September)
Where: Provided upon registration
Contact: Dr. Susan Schmidt, 252-269-0032; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.susanschmidt.net
Writing assignments and dozens of playful exercises in poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction to jumpstart ideas and induce creativity in a fun and supportive community atmosphere.

MOREHEAD CITY
CARTERET WRITERS
When: Second Wednesday of the month (September-April), 11:15 am – 1:30 pm
Where: Floyd's 1921 Restaurant, 400 Bridges St.
Contact: Carol Hartsoe, 910-330-0578 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.carteretwriters.org
Monthly meetings include a speaker and time for conversation with fellow writers, some seasoned and some just beginning. Lunch is "Dutch treat," but the program is free. Anyone interested in writing is welcome. Do come and try out a meeting or two to see if it helps awaken your muse!

CRYSTAL COAST WRITER'S RETREAT
When: Friday, October 26, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Carteret Community College, Foundation Building, 3505 Arendell St.
Cost: Free
Info/Register: https://crystalcoastwritersretreat.splashthat.com
It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in a half-day symposium at Carteret Community College that will explore the role of writing and other literacy practices in building community. The event promises to bring together authors and writers and publishers and organizations in and around the area to discuss ways to build strong partnerships supporting community literacy education and new opportunities for literacy practices. Conversations at this event will lay the groundwork for future collaborations and future projects such as a community writing center network and county-wide community writing projects. Our featured speakers will be Aimee Mepham, Assistant Director of the Humanities Institute at Wake Forest University, and Dr. Ryan Shirey, Director of the Writing Center at WFU.

CASWELL COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Caswell County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CATAWBA COUNTY
HICKORY
HICKORY WRITING GROUP
When: Second Monday of the month, 6:00 pm
Where: Patrick Beaver Memorial Library - 2nd Floor, 375 3rd St. NE
Contact: Skip at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.hickorywritergroup.com
Hickory Writers’ Group is a collection of serious writers who desire critical feedback on their work, and who are willing to be supportive of other writers. Writers at all experience levels are welcome. Ages 18 and up. Our agenda includes providing you the tools to appropriately critique another writer’s work; having your work critiqued; and passing on information and tips that will be helpful to you as a writer. Even if you’ve not launched your writing efforts, or have dabbled in writing, the Hickory Writers’ Group might well be that springboard to seeing your work in print someday. Prospective members are encouraged to visit in order to determine if you would like to become a part of this growing group.

POETRY HICKORY
When: Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm
Where: Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse, 29 2nd St. NW, downtown
Contact: Scott Owens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.poetryhickory.com
Poetry Hickory is usually preceded by NCWN's Writers' Night Out at 5:30 pm. Hosted by Scott Owens and co-sponsored by Main Street Rag Publishing Company. We will begin with the featured writers, and they will be followed by a true Open Mic. Participants in the Open Mic must sign up by 7:00 pm. There can be as many as 10 Open Mic readers, and each of them can have up to 3 minutes.

THE ART OF POETRY
When: Third Saturday of the month (March, June, September, December), 2:00 pm
Where: Hickory Museum of Art, 243 3rd Ave. NE
Website: www.artofpoetry.net
Poets write ekphrastic poems based on the Museum’s current exhibits and submit by the first Saturday of event months. Selected poems are posted in the Museum and the poets read them during the event. Submit poems to Kelly DeMaegd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CHATHAM COUNTY
PITTSBORO
PITTSBORO WRITERS' MORNING OUT 
When: Second Saturday of the month, 1:00 pm
Where: Greek Kouzina, 964 East St.
Contact: Al Manning, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Carol Phillips, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All writers, any genre are invited to join our discussions of the craft, business and general enjoyment of writing. This is the regular rmeeting for the Chatham-Lee Counties region of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

POP-UP POETRY
When: Third Thursday of the month, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Center for the Arts, 18A E. Salisbury St.
Cost: Free
Join published and unpublished word lover's every month. CFTA is a space dedicated to seeing, hearing, creating and learning about all the arts.

NC POETRY SOCIETY POETRY SERIES
When: Fourth Sunday of every month, 2:00 pm (January to October)
Where: McIntyre’s Fine Books, Fearrington Village
Contact: Guy and C. Pleasants York at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Each month, McIntyre’s hosts published members of the NC Poetry Society for reading and discussing their work.

CENTRAL CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE – CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM
When: Various dates
Where: Central Carolina Community College
Website: www.cccc.edu/creativewriting
Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro offers ongoing  classes, Saturday workshops, and a certificate in creative writing. Now registering for the winter. See our website for details.

CHEROKEE COUNTY
BRASSTOWN
NETWORK-WEST POETRY AND PROSE GROUP READINGS
When: Third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm (unless otherwise indicated)
Where: John Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd.
Contact: Mary Ricketson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two readers from Network-West read each month.

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL WRITING CLASSES
When: Throughout the year
Where: John C. Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd.
Website: www.folkschool.org

MURPHY
NETWORK-WEST POETRY GROUP
When: First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm
Where: Holland McSwain Building - Conference Room, Tri-County Community College
Contact: Janice Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our group invites poets to bring typed copies of their poems, share them with the group, and get constructive feedback from the other poets. At each meeting we usually have between six and ten writers who come from Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, and Towns County in Georgia. Newcomers are welcomed to visit and eventually share their work if they wish. The success rate for publication in this group has been very high. The members have published their poems in well-known and respected literary journals, and several have published chapbooks and even full-length books.
 
NETWORK-WEST PROSE CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Second Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm 
Where: Tri-County Community College, Conference Room, McSwain Building
Contact: Bob Grove at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Positive constructive suggestions for writers' readings. E-mail Bob Grove for information.

CHOWAN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Chowan County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CLAY COUNTY
HAYESVILLE
COFFEE WITH THE POETS AND WRITERS
When: Third Wednesday of the month, 10:30 am (March through December)
Where:  Moss Memorial Library, 82 Anderson St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Glenda Beall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828-389-4441
Readers of poetry or prose from NCWN-West are featured. Community is invited to attend and participate in Open Mic.

CLEVELAND COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Cleveland County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CRAVEN COUNTY
NEW BERN
THE NEXUS POETS
When: First Tuesday of the month, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Trent River Coffee Company, 208 Craven St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Sam Love, 252-876-9456
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nexus-Poets/1433576556892128
Please join us in celebrating the amazing local talent this city has to offer! Each month will showcase two sets, begun by a featured poet followed by an open mic in round robin format. Get there early to sign up to perform/read and get one of the quickly filling seats to enjoy an evening with The Nexus Poets! Please check the Facebook page in case we have to shift the date.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
FAYETTEVILLE
WRITING CAN HELP
When: First and third Saturdays, 10:30 am
Where: Room 202, All American Veteran Center, Fayetteville Technical Community College
Contact: Jerry Bradley, facilitator, 910-574-5019 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
Website: www.writingcanhelp.webs.com
The purpose of this group is to inspire artistic expression and creation and to encourage release, hope, help, and healing through writing. The group includes but is not limited to military men and women, retirees, veterans, government civilians, battlefield contractors, first responders and their family members who have experienced or who are experiencing events resulting in mental (such as PTSD and TBI) or physical trauma and disabilities. The goal of this group is to encourage a peer environment in which participants can develop their artistic writing skills through instruction, review and feedback offered in an honest, positive and constructive (not destructive) manner. This will be done through workshops, discussions groups, critique groups, special projects and events. Remember, disabled does not mean unable. Jerry Bradley, facilitator.

WRITERS' INK GUILD POETRY AND PROSE CRITIQUE GROUP MEETING
When: Third Tuesday of every month, 7:00 pm (except July and December)
Where: 2nd and Charles Book Store, 1920 Skibo Rd.
Contact: Jerry Bradley at 910-574-5019 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
You don't have to be a great writer or even a good writer to attend; you just have to be an enthusiastic writer. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

JAVA JAMS: FAYETTEVILLE’S PREMIERE POETRY OPEN MIC
When: Every Sunday from 7:30-10:30 pm
Where: The Coffee Scene, 3818 Morganton Rd., next to Carrabba’s restaurant
The talented regular participants of this long-running open mic event offer up an inspired reading of poems. Newcomers welcome to the venue to listen or share some words of their own!

DARE COUNTY
SOUTHERN SHORES
ALBEMARLE / OBX REGIONAL NCWN MEETING
When: Third Wednesday of the monrth, 12:00 pm
Where: Duck Woods Country Club, 50 S. Dogwood Tr.
Contact: Wade Hopkin, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Critiques and discussiona about the art and craft of writing. We welcome new attendees.

WANCHESE
VETERANS WRITING WORKSHOP
When: November 10-11
Where: UNC Coastal Studies Institute, 850 NC 345
Contact: 252-473-5558
Website: www.darearts.org
Dare County Arts Council is now accepting applications for the 6th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop. This two-day workshop is free for Veterans, active-duty military and their family members. Modeled after the DC-based Veterans Writing Project, a non-profit foundation that teaches combat Veterans to express their military experiences through literature, the goal of the Outer Banks Veterans Writing Project is to teach enrolled applicants the art of writing. Beginner and experienced writers are invited to participate in this special workshop that is being led by founder and director of the National Veterans Writing Project Ron Capps.

DAVIE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Davie County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

DUPLIN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Duplin County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

DURHAM COUNTY
DURHAM
MONDAY NIGHT WRITER'S GROUP
When: Mondays, 7:00 pm
Where: Private residence
Cost: $160 (every 8 weeks)
Register: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Monday Night Writer’s Group, led by published author John Manuel, is seeking writers actively involved in writing fiction and creative nonfiction. Hone your work through reading aloud in front of other writers. The group meets at John’s house in Durham, conveniently located minutes from Interstate 40.

NANOWRIMO PREPARATION WORKSHOPS
When: Saturday, October 20, 4:00 pm
Where: East Regional Public Library
Cost: Free
Contact: Phil Locey, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://events.durhamcountylibrary.org/events
For those interested in participating in National Novel Writing Month, East Regional will host a series of worke shops to help you prepare. Each session has its own theme, so please check the website for more information.

DURHAM WRITERS' SALON
When: Second Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: The Mothership Co-Working Space, 401 W. Geer St.
Website: http://wearethemothership.com/event/writers-salon
Contact: Allison Kirkland, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919-627-2374
Writing is a lonely endeavor! Come connect with a local writing community and reconnect with your creativity at our monthly writing salon. Each month is organized around a theme so we can discuss our writing progress, share our work and even get some writing done with prompt-based exercises.

FLASH FICTION GROUP
When: Tuesdays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm or Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Private home in Durham
Contact: Ron Jackson, 919-627-3914, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Work on a variety of voices, styles, and subjects; wrap your brain more easily around a story; tap your hidden lyrical language; work on all elements of craft; build story inventory fast. Each session will include some of reading work aloud, constructive critique, handouts, readings, and content generation through take-home and in-class prompts.

NONFICTION AUTHORS ASSOCIATION OF DURHAM AND CHAPEL HILL
When: Second Wednesday of the month, 6:15 pm
Where: Alternate locations
Cost: $10 (advance) / $15 (door)
Contact: Diana Needham
Website: http://www.meetup.com/Durham-Chapel-Hill-Chapter-Nonfiction-Authors-Association
A series of authors presentations followed by discussion. Topics include building an income stream as a writer, marketing your book, building a website, and more.

SHARING CREATIVITY POETRY CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: South Regional Library, 4505 South Alston Ave.
Contact: Bartholomew Barker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This monthly group  meets to review poems, provide constructive feedback and spend a creative evening together. You must send poems the Monday prior to the workshop. Sponsored by Living Poetry.

JAMBALAYA SOUL SLAM ACADEMY
When: Third Saturday of every month, 8:00 pm
Where: Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St.
Contact Information: www.bullcitypoetryslam.com or 919-683-1709
Cost: $7
Writing and performance workshop facilitated by national spoken word artists. Learn to take your poetry from the page to the stage in a relaxed peer environment.

"SUNDAY SCHOOL" HAIKU WORKSHOP
When: Sunday, October 28, 12:00 pm
Where: Barley Labs, 4015 University Dr.
Cost: $20
Info/Register: https://www.barleylabs.com/products/sunday-school-haiku-workshop
Join Crystal Simone Smith, published poet and creative writing and English professor, during our next Sunday School workshop where you will learn how to write haikus. Haiku is the earliest form of poetry dating back to the 17th century. In short, haiku is hard to do well. It is language most distilled, the art of saying something wonderful with few words. Haikuists are meditative, many writing haiku daily, being truly present in the world around them. Come learn the practice of haiku and write haiku about your dog, too!

FORSYTH
WINSTON-SALEM
OPEN MIC NIGHT
When: First Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 Spruce St. North
Come share your writing at our popular Open Mic event. Sign up to read at 6:45 pm. See complete rules at our website, www.wswriters.org. Hosted by the Winston-Salem Writers.

DADA'S FIRST FIRST GALLERY HOP AT BRIGHT LEAF BOOKSHOP
When: First Fridays, 8:00-8:45 pm
Where: Bright Leaf Bookshop, 227 W. Fifth St.
Cost: Free
This event, which WSW offers in partnership with Downtown Arts District Association and Bright Leaf Books, features a lively presentation of poetry and spoken word by Triad artists. Bright Leaf Books proprietor Sam Puliafito invites all lovers of poetry and books to visit his delightful shop on Fifth Street during DADA's monthly Gallery Hop, meet the poets, and enjoy a glass of wine.

FOUR ON FOURTH
When: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Bookmarks Bookstore, 634 W. 4th St. #110 (access parking in rear, off Holly Ave.)
Contact: Bart Ganzert, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.bookmarksnc.org
The Winston-Salem Writers is partnering with Bookmarks to host a monthly public reading event called “Four on Fourth”. The fourth Wednesday each month, four local authors will be featured at this live reading. Author’s books will be available for purchase. Come to enjoy and support your writerly tribe!

NEW! PRESS 53 13TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND BIRTHDAY PARTY
When: Thursday, October 18, 7:00 pm
Where: Alamance Repertory Theatre Company, 110 W. 7th St.
Cost: Free
We'll have cake, wine, other refreshments, and a few laughs. Help us celebrate 13 years of publishing great literature, and 90 years of traveling this planet for Shirley Deane, author of the memoir An Unreasonable Woman. Press 53 published its first book on October 10, 2005, and has now published more than 200 titles that have earned more than 70 awards. With authors in 35 states, this celebration will extend well beyond Winston-Salem.

NEW! 4 on 4TH WITH LOCAL AUTHORS
When: Wednesday, October 24, 7:00 pm
Where: Bookmarks, 634 W. Fourth St. - #110
Join four local authors as they discuss their works! Joyce Compton Brown will speak about her Singing with Jarred Edges, Rebecca Davis will discuss her Amidst This Fading Light, Imariam Gomaa will speak about her Between the Shadow and the Soul, and Steve Lindahl will discuss his Under a Warped Cross.

THE WORD IS OUT: OPEN MIC
When: Last Tuesday of the Month, 7:00 pm
Where: Central Library, 616 W. Fifth St.
Co-sponsored by Forsyth County Public Library and the Winston-Salem Writers.

WORDS/AWAKE3! **NEW DATES!**
When: December 7-8
Cost: Free
Website: https://wordsawake.events.wfu.edu
Where: Byrum Hall, Admissions/Welcome Center, Wake Forest University
On Friday, September 14, 2018, Wake Forest is hosting an event celebrating the poetry of A. R. “Archie” Ammons. “About Ammons” will combine readings of favorite Ammons poems with a talk by Wake Forest alumnus Robert West (BA ’91), editor of the newly published and definitive Complete Poems of A. R. Ammons. “About Ammons” forms half of a celebratory weekend honoring Wake Forest writers and writing. Join us the next morning, Saturday, September 15, 2018, in the Benson Student Center for WordsAwake3!, the latest iteration of a program to honor Wake Foresters who have had outstanding careers as writers and champions of writing. Four alumni/ae – Linda Carter Brinson, Betsy Teter, Jo DeYoung Thomas, and Doug Waller – will be inducted into the Wake Forest Writers Hall of Fame.

THE HIGH ROAD FESTIVAL OF POETRY AND SHORT FICTION
When: March 22-24, 2019
Where: Embassy Suites, 460 North Cherry St.
Cost: Varies
Contact: Kevin Watson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-770-5353
Website: https://www.press53.com/gathering-of-poets
Since October 2005, Press 53 has been finding and sharing remarkable voices in poetry and short fiction, and now after eight years of hosting the Press 53 Gathering of Poets, we are extending an invitation to short fiction writers to join us for a weekend of learning, writing, and sharing. The day includes workshops and one-on-one critiques, as well as a large vendor room that is free and open to the public.

GATHERING OF POETS
When: Saturday, March 30, 2019
Where: Brookstown Inn, 200 Brookstown Ave.
Cost: $100
Info/Register: http://www.jacarpress.com/the-gathering
Three-time National Book Award finalist Marilyn Nelson will teach at this ninth-annual Gathering of Poets. Marilyn will be joining Li-Young Lee, Kaveh Akbar, Eduardo Corral, and Chloe Honum as faculty. In addition to being a 3-time National Book Award finalist, Marilyn Nelson is the author or translator of seventeen poetry books and the memoir How I Discovered Poetry. She is also the author of The Fields Of Praise: New And Selected Poems, which won the 1998 Poets’ Prize, Carver: A Life In Poems, which won the 2001 Boston Globe/Hornbook Award and the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, and Fortune’s Bones, which was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry. Nelson’s honors include two NEA creative writing fellowships, the 1990 Connecticut Arts Award, a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship, a fellowship from the J.S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Frost Medal, and two Pushcart Prizes. She was the Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut from 2001-2006.

FRANKLIN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Franklin County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

GASTON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Gaston County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

GUILFORD COUNTY
GREENSBORO
THE FRONT GATE WRITERS GROUP
When: Sundays, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Various coffee houses
Information/Register: 336-509-0660 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Writing to prompts and exercises, discussion of specific authors’ techniques, helpful suggestions, no harsh critiques.  A safe, productive way to generate and hone your writing. Reservations are necessary, and a small monthly fee applies. All levels are welcome, and one partial need-based scholarship is available.

NC WRITERS' NETWORK OPEN MIC
When: Second Monday of the month, 6:30-9:00 pm
Where: Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Carla Harper, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Writers: An open invitation to share your work out loud. All genres welcome. NCWN Guilford County members receive reminders about the open mic and a chance to sign up before the public via rep newsletter. Every month will have an optional theme. (Going with the theme is always nice, but not mandatory.) Each writer will have up to 7 minutes to read. Feel free to bring more than one piece in case we have time for a second round. Please time your reading beforehand. On-site sign-up is available between 6:30 and 6:50 pm on a first-come, first-served basis. If time allows--and once everyone on the list has read--the floor will be opened up to volunteer readers (i.e., those who did not plan on reading, but have become inspired to do so). This is the regular meeting of the Triad region of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

PLAYWRIGHTS FORUM MEETING
When: Second Wednesday of every month, 7:00 pm
Where: Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N. Davie St.
Contact: Todd Fisher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-373-2974
Cost: The meetings are free and open to the public. Membership is only $25 annually.
Actors and directors are encouraged to attend. Each meeting begins with introductions, then readings of the monthly assignments, followed by works by member playwrights. Members may submit plays to be considered for production four times a year.

MEMOIR GROUP
When: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7:30 pm
Where: Sternberger Artists' Center, 712 Summit Ave.
Contact: Coventry Kessler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-230-2231
Prospective members may attend two meetings before joining WGOT. We are eager to hear what you'd like to accomplish in writing memoir. Sponsored by the Writer's Group of the Triad.

THE SENIORS’ NOTEBOOK GROUP
When: Fourth Tuesday of every month, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: Contact June Wilson Read (below) for location
Contact: June Willson Read, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Writers over the age of fifty who wish to participate in a daytime group are invited to join the Senior's Notebook writers. Membership includes new writers as well as folks who have had some publications in various genres. We write, share current writing, discuss writer issues, and sometimes critique work.

STEPS IN WRITING A BOOK: FICTION AND NONFICTION
When: Sunday, October 21, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St.
Cost: Free
Murder We Write is here to help you, from "I want to write but I don't know where to begin" to "I'm close to my goal but not sure what's next."

HARNETT COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Harnett County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

HAYWOOD COUNTY
WAYNESVILLE
NEW! MOUNTAIN WRITERS MEETING
When: Second Tuesday of each month, 1:00 pm
Where: First United Church of Waynesville - Next Sunday School Room, 566 S. Haywood St.
Contact: Merry Elrick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.mountainwritersnc.com
Open to the public with programs for aspiring and published writers of all genres.

HENDERSON COUNTY
FLETCHER
WRITERS GUILD OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
When: Second Thursday of every month, 1:30-3:30 pm
Where: Fletcher Public Library, 120 Library Rd.
Contact: John Waterman, 828-296-9983 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All writers are invited to join us for a lively discussion about our current projects related to publishing and marketing our work. Learn tricks and techniques from published authors and aspiring writers. Reveal your own convictions.

HENDERSONVILLE
BLUE RIDGE WRITERS' SUPPORT GROUP
When: First and third Mondays, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: County Parks and Recreation Athletics and Activity Center, 708 S. Grove St.
Contact: Tom Hooker, 828-691-0118
The Blue Ridge Writers’ Support Group is open to anyone seriously interested in being published. The current facilitator is Tom Hooker.

WRITER'S SALON
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 6:30 pm
Where: Olive or Twist Restaurant, 121 Barwell St.
Cost: Free
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/LionessPressLLC
Join us for a lively discussion on all things publishing, get inspired with like-minded people. The aim of this salon is to foster a creative community for all writers in Hendersonville and surrounding areas.

OPEN MIC NIGHT
When: Third Monday of the month, 5:15:-7:45 pm
Where: Henderson County Public Library, 301 N. Washington St.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or if no e-mail call Katie Winkler, 828-808-0899
The North Carolina Writers' Network invites writers to share their work at Open Mic Night. Poets, fiction writers, playwrights, essayists, memoirists, etc. are welcomed. To read: sign up between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. Readings are from 6:00-7:30 pm and are timed, beginning when reader starts speaking: prose is five minutes and poetry is three minutes.

LOST PLAYWRIGHTS MEETING
When: Last (or next-to-last) Saturday of the month, 2:00 pm
Where: Henderson County Library auditorium, 301 N. Washington St.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Playwrights read scenes from their works. Persons interested in creative writing or theatre are invited to attend.

IREDELL COUNTY
MOORESVILLE
SOUTH IREDELL SCRIBBLERS
When: The first Saturday of the month, 1:00 pm
Where: St. James Episcopal Church, 851 Shinnville Rd.
Contact: Mike Shinn, 704-677-2662 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The South Iredell Scribblers is a writers’ critique group. All genres and all levels of experience are welcome.

STATESVILLE
IREDELL COUNT WRITERS GROUP
When: First Tuesday of the month, 11:00 am
Where: Iredell County Public Library, 201 N. Tradd St. - Conference Rm.
Contact: Billie-Fae Gerard Gill, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published and unpublished writers are welcome to participate. Outside speakers and regular learning opportunities available. Work will be critqued upon request. Currently averaging twelve writers per meeting.

JACKSON COUNTY
SYLVA
COFFEE WITH THE POET
When: Third Thursday of each month, 10:30 am
Where: City Lights Bookstore, 3 E. Jackson St.
Contact: 828-586-9499

JOHNSTON COUNTY
SELMA
CORNERSTONE WRITERS
When: Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 am
Where: Kosmic Kittens Cat Lounge, 101 S. Raiford St.
Cost: Free, open to the public
Contact: Cindy Brookshire, 919-202-5990 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Christian-oriented, this is an accountability group. Set your writing goals and report on them each week. Facilitated by Susanne Pote. Free. Stay around to drink coffee and write in the lounge (Dr. Vick’s former laboratory) or spread out to write in Vic Park, the Gazebo, Selma Public Library or historic Union Depot. 

JOHNSTON COUNTY WRITERS GROUP
When: Second Thursday of every month, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Where: Selma Public Library, 301 N. Pollock St.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Contact: Cindy Brookshire, 919-202-5990 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Retired educator Gary Ridout facilitates this group. Monthly meetings alternate between guest speakers, craft talks and critique sessions.

SMITHFIELD
WRITE-INS AT GRAPES & GROUNDS
When: Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 pm
Where: Grapes & Grounds, 135 S. Third St. (www.grapesandgrounds1.com)
Contact: Cindy Brookshire, 919-202-5990 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Socialize, write, or critique over coffee with members of The Johnston County Writers Group. Wi-fi and street parking are available at this cozy coffee shop in historic downtown Smithfield (owners/baristas Patrick and Teresa Yauch sell wine, too).

LEE COUNTY
SANFORD
FIRST THURSDAYS TAKE 5 POETRY & PROSE OPEN MIC
When: First Thursday of the month, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Karma Boutique and Coffee Bar, 131 Wicker St.
Cost: Free
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/KarmaandCoffee/events
Enjoy the sharing of original poetry and prose in blocks lasting up to five minutes each from 6:00-8:00 pm-ish on the First Thursday of every month! Open mic sign-up begins at 5:30 pm. Works containing adult language or mature themes may be shared after 6:15 pm. Writers age 15 and under are encouraged to present their original works from 6:00-6:15 pm. You deserve to Take 5! Come share your work or just come ENJOY! 

LENOIR COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Lenoir County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

LINCOLN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Lincoln County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MACON COUNTY
HIGHLANDS
THE HIGHLANDS WRITERS GROUP
When:  Thursdays, 1:30-4:00 pm
Where: Hudson Library, 554 Main St.
Contact: Linda Anderson, 828-526-1935 or 954-465-3235
First hour: creative writing fun.  Second half: writers read their work in progress for critique.

MADISON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Madison County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MCDOWELL COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in McDowell County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY
CHARLOTTE
NEW! NCWN 2018 FALL CONFERENCE
When: November 2-4
Where: Hilton Charlotte University Place, 8629 JM Keynes Dr.
Cost: Varies
Contact: Ed Southern, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: https://ncwriters.org/index.php/programs-and-services/conferences/9786-fc18
The North Carolina Writers' Network 2018 Fall Conference features workshops and master classes in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and the stage and screen, as well as lectures and panels on editing, publishing, the perfect pitch, and more. The faculty includes poets Morri Creech, Julie Funderburk, and Maureen Ryan Griffin; fiction writers Bryn Chancellor, Randall Kenan, and Susan Rivers; creative nonfiction writers Georgann Eubanks, Judy Goldman, and Cynthia Lewis; and stage and screen writers Ian Finley, Robert Inman, and Paula Martinac. Randall Kenan will deliver the keynote. Some scholarships available.

WEDNESDAYS @LIT
When: Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Charlotte Lit, 1817 Central Ave. -- Ste. 302
Cost: Free (members) / $20 (non-members)
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.charlottelit.org/wednesdays
Join Charlotte Lit members for inspiring and educational community gatherings. Events rotate through four formats: Lit Writes (write-ins), Lit Chats (facilitated conversations), Lit Reads (member readings), and Lit Shops (workshops).

THE CHARLOTTE POETRY COLLECTIVE
When: Second Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: C3 Lab, 2525 Distribution St.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://m.facebook.com/TheCharlottePoetryCollective
A new, free critique group!

WRITER'S WORKSHOP
When: Second Saturday of the month, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: CML Library - Beatties Ford Road Regional, 2412 Beatties Ford Rd.
Cost: Free
Thanks to writer Evangeline Billy, the Beattie's Ford Road Branch Library now offer a Writer’s Workshop. No fees or dues. Open to scripters of all genres, an arena to hone skills, get critiques, and be among other script creators. Read your written and spoken word to an audience, learn how to critique, update punctuation skills, prepare, plan, complete your works, and create new ones. The Beatties Ford Writers Workshop is all about that ink.

CHARLOTTE WRITERS' CLUB THIRD TUESDAYS
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd. - Rm. 104
Website: www.charlottewritersclub.org/home
Charlotte Writers' Club 3rd Tuesday monthly meeting. Guests welcome. Since 1922 Charlotte Writers' Club, "Celebrating the Written Word."

NEW! RECONNECT WITH YOUR CREATIVE SELF
When: October 19-20
Where: TBA
Cost: $215-$265
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 704-458-3293
Info/Register: https://www.charlottelit.org/event/at-the-borders-of-boldness-reconnecting-with-our-creative-selves-retreat
By popular demand, Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Dr. Dennis Slattery returns to Charlotte to lead us on our creative quests to the “borders of boldness.” We’ll spend an evening and a full day together at a beautiful, peaceful retreat site in south Charlotte. All meals and most supplies provided. All you have to do is show up with an intention to unwind, reconnect to the source of inspiration inside you, and re-create your creative self. Use the code "boldness" for 25% off.

PUBLISHING AND MARKETING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
When: Saturday, October 20, 10:00 am
Where: Providence United Methodist Church - Rm. 104, 2810 Providence Rd.
Cost: $30 (members) / $40 (non-members)
Info/Register: https://charlottewritersclub.org/workshops
So you’ve finished a book. Or maybe you haven’t yet, but you have an idea and you’d really like to flesh it out. Wherever you are in your writing process, you eventually want to get your book into a lot of readers’ hands. In a competitive, ever changing market, having a solid marketing plan is just as important as writing a solid book. Learn how to market your books—and your brand—this will make all the difference in the world. Led by Jessica Peterson.

SCREENWRITING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY GOOD WRITERS
When: Saturday, October 20, 12:00-4:45 pm
Where: SNAP Photography, 4740 Old Pineville Rd.
Cost: $99
Info/Register: https://www.meetup.com/Charlotte-Independent-Filmmaking-Meetup/events/254272058
Rodney Stringfellow, a professor at UNCC is an excellent teacher. We're putting together this day of teaching for people who already know how to write. Now, its time for you to put those skills and gifts into writing a screenplay, or adapting your stories into screenplays.

HOW TO CREATE COMPELLING NONFICTION
When: Saturday, October 27, 10:00 am
Where: Providence United Methodist Church - Rm. 104, 2810 Providence Rd.
Cost: $30 (members) / $40 (non-members)
Info/Register: https://charlottewritersclub.org/workshops
Nothing can be short of satisfying when you’ve written a compelling and memorable nonfiction piece whether it is a travel article, flash memoir, a book review, a personal essay, or a feature story for a lifestyle magazine. And to get later paid for your efforts! Join experienced magazine and book editor Alice Osborn as she reveals the four secrets for making your nonfiction shine for your readers and fans: 1) consider your audience 2) focus your lens 3) careful and precise research 4) authenticity. Alice will also talk about editing, revising, and marketing your work so you can actually get paid as a writer with editors emailing you more assignments. We welcome all writers at all levels of experience.

CHARLOTTELIT WORKSHOPS
When: Various dates
Where: CharlotteLit, 1817 Central Ave. #302
Cost: Various costs
Info/Register: http://www.charlottelit.org/calendar/
CharlotteLit offers ongoing workshops lead by some of the area's best writers and teachers that focus on various aspects of the writing craft. See website for full course listing.

DAVIDSON
THE POWER AND NECESSITY OF EMPATHY IN FICTION WRITING
When: Saturday, November 10, 9:00 am
Where: Friends Meeting House, 625 South St.
Cost: $30 (members) / $40 (non-members)
Contact: Caroline Kenna, 704-728-2554, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: https://charlottewritersclub.org/workshops
Acclaimed South Carolina author Michel Stone will explore the role empathy plays in fiction writing. Workshop participants will then be given time to write to prompts she hopes will spark longer pieces of writing for participants after the class. Stone is a writer, speaker and community volunteer. She is the 2018 recipient of the Patricia Winn Award for Southern Literature. Her work in Border Child (Nan A Talese/Doubleday 2017) and The Iguana Tree (Hub City Press 2012) has been compared to the writings of John Steinbeck. Both novels have been optioned for films. Learn more about our presenter online: www.michelstone.com.

DAVIDSON
NEW! FICTION WORKSHOP
When: Saturday, November 10, 9:00 am
Where: Davidson Friends Meetinghouse, 625 South St.
Cost: $30
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: www.charlottewritersclub.org/workshops
In this workshop we will discuss empathy and its role in fiction writing. Works of lasting, memorable fiction tap into the human condition. In order for a writer's work to do that, the writer must be able to view the world through a variety of lenses. Attendees will participate in several writing exercises during the session. Maybe some of these prompts will spark longer pieces of writing after participants leave the class. Instructor Michel Stone is the author of The Iguana Tree and Border Child and winner of the Patricia Winn Award for Southern Literature.

HUNTERSVILLE
WATERBEAN POETRY NIGHT AT THE MIC
When: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Waterbean Coffee, 9705 Sam Furr Rd. - Unit A
Cost: Free
Contact: Leslie M. Rupracht, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Co-hosted by Pinesong editor, and former Iodine Poetry Journal editor Leslie M. Rupracht. We have a featured poet/writer do a reading, followed by open mic. (Sign up for open mic by 7:15.) Waterbean Coffee at Northcross Shopping Center is a fantastic venue offering a variety of coffee, tea, desserts, beer, and wine by the bottle.

DAVIDSON
DAVIDSON COLLEGE LITERARY ARTS SERIES
When: Various dates in Fall
Where: Various locations, Davidson College
Cost: Free
Website: https://www.davidson.edu/the-arts/literary-arts
Contact: Kathy Barton, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 704-894-2254
The English Department annually sponsors and co-sponsors significant contemporary writers and scholars, often winners of Pulitzer Prizes, MacArthur "genius grants," National Book Awards and various other honors. All writers brought to campus work with students personally. As follows:

• Tuesday, October 16, 7:00 pm, Tyler Tallman Hall, Sloan Music Building, Brenda Flanagan "Nina Simone & the Civil Rights Movement" and Amanda Ottaway "The Rebounders: A Division I Basketball Journey" as part of Davidson Reads
• Tuesday, October 30, 11:00 am, Alvarez Student Union - 900 Room, Jaki Shelton Green, NC Poet Laureate, will read. A conversation about community building, activism, and poetry follows at 7:30 pm in Tyler Tallman Hall of the Sloan Music Building

MITCHELL COUNTY
SPRUCE PINE
MAYLAND WRITERS’ GROUP
When: Last Monday of each month, 6:00 pm
Where: Spruce Pine Public Library, 142 Walnut Ave.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 828-467-4208
Members bring in material to critique. Prose and poetry are welcome.

MOORE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Moore County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

NASH COUNTY
ROCKY MOUNT
NCWN DOWN EAST WRITERS OF NASH-PITT-WILSON COUNTIES
When: Third Saturday of the month, 1:00-2:00 pm
Where: The Bel Air Artisans Center, 115 S. Church St.
Contact: Celestine  Davis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 252-526-7353
The NCWN Down East Writers of Nash-Pitt-Wilson Counties will host opportunities for writers of all genres to stir up their creative juices with stimulating writing prompts, quality feedback, and occasional open-mic style readings with special guests. Sponsored by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY
CAROLINA BEACH
NEW BEGINNINGS WRITING SESSIONS
When: Tuesdays, 1:00-2:30 pm
Where: Salty Dog Yoga, 915 a N. Lake Park Blvd.
Cost: $25 each or $250 for 12
Contact: Virginia Holman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.saltydogyogasurf.com
Have you always wanted to write, but hesitate when faced with the blank page? Do you have pages of journals, stories, and poems, but never share them with others because you don’t believe you are a “real writer”? Do you feel “stuck” in your creative process? Are you worried that it’s too late to for you to “be a writer”? Are you bored with your current writing and want a jump-start in 2018? This ongoing class for women writers aims to refresh your creative process and help you tell the stories you most want to tell. We will utilize in class exercises and work together to gather the necessary components of an ongoing creative practice: safety, playfulness, reflection, and compassion. By the end of this class, you will have identified key images and themes in your writing, recovered a sense of abundance, and created pathways for new work. Absolutely no writing experience is necessary. Just come with an open heart and a willingness to explore on the page. This class provides a nurturing space to create and grow. Bring a notebook or journal of your choosing and a pen/pencil.

WILMINGTON
DISCUSSION AND DISCOVERY
When: Wednesdays, 6:00 pm
Where: Athenian Bookstore & Lounge, 2231 Wrightsville Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact: Lori Wilson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Discover women and femme identified writers! Come to our weekly book club and free write where no advance reading is necessary. Every week we will read excerpts from thought provoking essays, stories, and poems to expand our wheelhouse and continue our exploration of diversity. We will be selecting excerpts from books carried in-house and delving into discussions on themes and perspectives that we may have grasped from immersing ourselves in these texts. Don't worry, no prior reading required! With titles changing weekly and free writing during our discussions, Discussion & Diversity is not something you'll want to miss out on!

OPEN MIC POETRY NIGHT
When: Second Friday of the month, 6:30 pm
Where: Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.
Join poets for a lively night of readings, open mics, and community building. Bring your own poems or those of your favorite poet to read orj just enjoy the atmosphere. Hosted by Jean Jones and John Evans.

PORT CITY PLAYWRIGHTS' PROJECT
When: Two Saturdays a month, 11:00 am
Where: New Hanover County Public Library System (TBD)
Contact: Susan M. Steadman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://portcityplaywrights.wordpress.com/
The Port City Playwrights' Project, a community of writers for stage and screen, will meet to critique scripts. Newcomers are always welcome. This community of writers for stage and screen hosts always lively discussions and will focus on plays in development for a 2019 script-in-hand production.

ATHENTIAN AT LARGE
When: Sundays, 3:00 pm
Where: Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact: Lori Wilson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919-961-5071
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1794744290830597
Athenian Press & Workshops is reintroducing it's At Large series for the 2018 year. Every Sunday, we will hold a town-hall style community meeting in which woman and femme creators (artists, writers, arts entrepreneurs, etc.) are invited to discuss current events. The At Large series provides an opportunity to connect with fellow creators and survivors of marginalization, and it offers a forum to use writing as healing. Each week, the Athenian team invites its guest to participate in a writing prompt at the end of the meeting. The meeting is followed by Athenian Yoga with Heather Gordy, who curates a practice that allows guests to decompress, explore creativity, and reflect upon the discussion (although both events can occur independently if guests cannot attend both). Join our team to explore, create, and takeover!

ATHENIAN YOGA WITH HEATHER GORDY
When: Sundays, 4:00 pm
Where: Athenian Bookstore & Lounge, 2231 Wrightsville Ave.
Cost: Free
Join the Athenian team for our weekly yoga practice with certified yoga instructor Heather Gordy. Heather will be offering all level yoga classes specifically designed to help build internal strength, empowerment, confidence, and self-love. Each week she will guide you through asanas to help open the heart, encourage balance through everyday life, and find healing of the body and mind. These classes will be held after our “Athenian At Large” meetings and will serve as a time where you can find release of tension in the body and pull from your own inner strength to feel self-love and compassion. Please join us as we dive into the practice of yoga to form connection and help in supporting each other as we grow together.

ONSLOW COUNTY
TOPSAIL WRITERS
HOLLY RIDGE
When: Second and Fourth Saturdays of the month
Where: 4 C's Java, 1601 E. Ocean Hwy.
Cost: Free
Contact: Edward Wills, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 910-382-0293
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Topsail-Writers
Are you an author, blogger, or writer of any sort? Do you want to become one? If so, you are invited to join your peers at Topsail Writers. The group is made of published authors, students, and those beginning to explore writing careers. Meetings typically last for two hours with the first hour reserved for a discussion of a writing-related topic and the second for communal writing time. Participants are encouraged to bring a computer.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Northampton County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ORANGE COUNTY
CARRBORO
COURAGE COCKTAIL RADIO SHOW
When: Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00 pm
Where: On air at WCOM 103.5 in Carrboro
Fear stops many of us from growing. By talking about fear in a friendly, supportive environment, this radio show will give ourselves permission to get more comfortable exploring new ideas and learning how some individuals work with fear to achieve a lifetime goal. Fear has the power to stop us from getting the help we need. The show will be covering a broad variety of subjects such as health crises, re-entering the work force after a break in employment, or reconnecting to our creative instincts after years of neglect. The show streams live on the internet and is archived on podcasts at iBiblio at UNC.

JUMPSTART YOUR WRITING: A WEEKLY PROMPT WRITING CLASS FOR WOMEN
When: Thursdays, 6:00-8:30 pm OR Fridays, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Where: The studio of Nancy Peacock
Cost: $110 per month
Website:  www.NancyPeacockBooks.com

WRITING GROUP FOR WOMEN
When: Mondays (10:30 am - 1:00 pm) or Thursdays (10:30 am - 1:00 pm)
Where: The studio of Nancy Peacock
Cost: $145 per month (includes a written critique of each submitted work)
Website: www.NancyPeacockBooks.com
This group is for women who are working in or who wish to work in fiction and/or memoir. Personal essays, short stories, or longer sustained works are welcome. Nancy Peacock is a published author whose first novel was chosen as a New York Times Notable.

THE RELATIONSHIP MUSEUM
When: Thursday, October 18, 6:00 pm
Where: Art Therapy Institute, 200 N. Greensboro St. - Suite D6
Cost: $40
Contact: Zelda Lockhart, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: http://www.ncati.org/professional-training
In this fun, engaging, yet insightful writing and art expression workshop participants will write 2 short scenes and create a diorama museum piece inspired by the relationships they have and the relationships they want in the future. You'll take this art home as a personalized written and visual expression of the types of human connections you find to be healthy, supportive, and reflective of who you are. Led by Dr. Zelda Lockhart.

WEST END POETRY FESTIVAL
When: Saturday, October 20
Where: Various locations in Carrboro and Chapel Hill
Cost: Free
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.westendpoetryfestival.org
The West End Poetry Festival will celebrate its 13th anniversary with poetry readings from poet laureates William Davis, Jaki Shelton Green, and Carrboro's own Gary Phillips. There will be a panel on "Intersections," the theme of this year's festival, and readings from significant Arab Women poets.

CHAPEL HILL
CHAPEL HILL FRIDAY NOON POETS
When: Friday's, 12:30-1:30 pm
Where: Amity United Methodist Church, 825 Estes Dr.
Contact: Dave Manning, 919-462-3695
Informal meetings every Friday. Read your poetry or poems of others. Free parking, side entrance. All are welcome!

FLYLEAF BOOKS SECOND THURSDAY READING SERIES
When: Second Thursday of the month, 7:00-8:30 pm
Where: Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Contact: Stan Absher, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This monthly reading series is co-hosted by Stan Absher and Pam Baggett and sponsored by Flyleaf  Books. An informal get-together before the reading will begin around 6:00 at the Root Cellar, next door to Flyleaf. Please join the group for an hour of conversation. Featured readers will each read for approximately twenty minutes and, after a short break for the readers to sign books, there will be an open poetry mic. Please sign up to read no later than 7:00 pm.

PROMPT WRITING WITH NANCY PEACOCK
When: Second Saturday of the month, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Prompt Writing: Serious writing begins with playful writing. Please join this unique ongoing group of supportive adult writers and play your way into the possibilities of the written word. Based on the work of Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones), Wild Mind Prompt Writing: Serious writing begins with playful writing. Please join this unique ongoing group of supportive adult writers and play your way into the possibilities of the written word.

WRITING ABOUT VIOLENCE & GHAZAL COSMOPOLITAN
When: Sunday, October 21, 1:00 pm
Where: Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Dr.
Register: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two back-to-back 75-minute workshops. Writing About Violence by Ruth Awad: When we look out at the world today, it is natural that we will inevitably write about violence and trauma. How do we handle these subjects without being a misery tourist, without adding to the violence by glamorizing or beautifying it? How can we write about violence without inadvertently contributing to it? Ghazal Cosmopolitan by Shadab Zeest Hasmi: Born in the Bedouin campsites of sixth-century Arabia, the ghazal might be the perfect poetic form to contain the homesick longing, cultural clashes, and surprise harmonies of today’s global community. Shadab Zeest Hashmi first encountered the form as a child in Pakistan, listening to popular Pakistani singers sing ghazals in Urdu on her parents’ LPs. Urdu, a mix of courtly Persian and folksy Hindavi, adopted the ghazal form early on. “The ghazal,” she writes, “not only allows contraries to cohabit, but in the best compositions, it makes a demand to frame polarity in the same space.” from Reed College magazine.

THE 7 BASIC PLOTS WRITING GROUP
When: Email for schedule
Where: TBD
Info/Register: : 919-886-8164 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"7 Basic Plots" seeks writers who want to have fun improving their craft and gain "reader feed-back" on their writing. Monthly or bi-monthly meetings are open to a flexible schedule. Most genres welcome. Supportive environment.

HILLSBOROUGH
WRITERS' WORKSHOP WITH DAVID PAYNE
When: Thursdays,  6:00-7:30 pm (Group 1); Thursdays, 8:00-9:30 pm (Group 2)
Where: Location provided upon registration
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.davidpaynebook.com
David Payne teaches two ongoing Thursday night writing workshops in Hillsborough. A member of the Founding Faculty in the Queens University of Charlotte MFA Writing Program, David has also taught and served as writer-in-residence at Bennington, Duke, Hollins, and elsewhere. He is the author of five novels—including Early from the Dance, Ruin Creek, and Back to Wando Passo. His memoir, Barefoot to Avalon, was published by Grove Atlantic Press in August, 2015. David is currently at work on a screenplay of Barefoot to Avalon for Oscar-nominated director, Giulio Ricciarelli. David’s Thursday evening classes—MFA-level workshops limited to six members per section—is open to committed fiction and nonfiction writers.

NEW! REAL LIFE GHOST STORIES
When: Friday, October 26, 7:00 pm
Where: The Burwell School Historic Site, 319 N. Churton St.
The Friends of the Orange County Public Library and the Burwell School Historic Site present True & Terrifying Tales. There will be four readers and an MC. The event will be held outdoors, so please bring a chair or blanket. An alcohol-free event.

BEHIND THE SCENES: CONSTRUCTING THE NARRATIVE
When: Saturday, November 10, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Where: 300 W. Tryon St.
Cost: $20 (includes lunch)
Info/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elizabeth-keckly-symposium-tickets-49155508449?aff=ehomecard
Join distinguished and honored scholars and writers from across the country as they examine the context and creation of Elizabeth Keckly's memorable 1868 memoir, Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. This slim memoir remains today both a compelling slave narrative, into the day to day economies and lives of the slaveholding South, and an invaluable insight into the private life of the Lincoln White House. Join us in Hillsborough for this very special event, sponsored by the Burwell School Historic Site.

PENDER COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Pender County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

PERQUIMANS COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Perquimans County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

PITT COUNTY
GREENVILLE
NCWN DOWN EAST WRITERS OF NASH-PITT-WILSON COUNTIES
When: Third Saturday of the month, 10 :00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: The Great Harvest Bread Company, 2803 Evans St.
Contact: Celestine Davis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The NCWN Down East Writers of Nash-Pitt-Wilson Counties will host opportunities for writers of all genres to stir up their creative juices with stimulating writing prompts, quality feedback, and occasional open-mic style readings with special guests. This is the regulary meeting of the Nash-Pitt-Wilson counties region of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

NORTH CAROLINA LITERARY AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION MEETING
When: Friday, October 26
Where: Greenville Hilton, 207 Greenville Blvd. SW
Cost: $45
Contact: Parker Backstrom, 919-807-7280
Website: http://www.litandhist.ncdcr.gov/programs.aspx
The annual meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association. This year's topic is "John Lawson: Shipbuilding, and a Sunken Prize." With the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies.

POLK COUNTY
TRYON
LANIER LIBRARY MYSTERY FESTIVAL
When: Saturday, October 20, 1:00-4:00 pm
Where: The Lanier Library, 72 Chestnut St.
Cost: $35
Register: 1-828-859-9535 or at circulation desk
Edgar Award-winning playwright and author (and actor and director and composer) Phillip DePoy will lead the Lanier Library’s Mystery Writers Workshop. The author of 20 novels and 43 plays says dialogue is “an essential element of both novels and plays and lots of fun to write, workshop and read aloud.” Workshop is limited to 15 so reserve your spot!

RANDOLPH  COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Randolph County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ROBESON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Robeson County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ROWAN COUNTY
KANNAPOLIS
CABARRUS-ROWAN WRITER'S NIGHT OUT / OPEN MIC
When: Fourth Thursday of the month, 6:30 pm 
Where: French Express Internet and Cyber Cafe, 2087 Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Blvd. (at Rt. 29, around the corner from Planet Fitness) / https://www.facebook.com/FrenchExpressNC
Contact: Chuck Thurston, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is a great venue to meet and greet with others in your craft. Typically, we share news of upcoming events of interest to writers; we discuss the status of our various projects--and of course, we always have an open mic. Come early, get a cup of something good from the French Express, and sign up for a spot to read your poetry or short prose pieces. All are welcome. Keep up to date by following the blog at www.albertoperez.co/guild.html. Members have their short stories, poetry and other work listed for others to enjoy. This is the regular Cabarrus-Rowan Counties regional meeting of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Rutherford County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

SCOTLAND COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Scotland County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

STANLY COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Stanly County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

SURRY COUNTY
ELKIN
CREATIVE WRITING CLUB FOR ADULTS
When: Various Thursdays, throughout the year
Where: Elkin Public Library, 111 N. Front St. OR Foothills Arts Council, 129 Church St.
Contact: Kasey, 336-835-5586 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Join our creative writing community! The group will meet to share ideas, receive feedback, and encourage one another in the writing process. We will meet biweekly for two hours each session.

SWAIN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Swain County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.