Each month, Literary Arts staff will round up news, events, and more happening in Portland, and beyond. Let us know in the form below the blog if you have any events or news to share.
EVENTS
Winter Wool & Paper Shop (Two Rivers & Weird Sisters)
Monday, November 3-December 31, 10:00 a.m. | Two Rivers Bookstore, 8836 N Lombard St., Portland OR 97203 | FREE
Shop a holiday selection of curated gift items, made right here in St. Johns, North Portland and beyond!
Chrysanthemum Festival (Lan Su Chinese Garden)
Friday, November 7-November 23, 10:00 a.m. | Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St., Portland, OR 97209 | Various prices
Step into autumn’s splendor as Lan Su Chinese Garden transforms with the colors and textures of chrysanthemums, honoring the flower’s central role in China’s Double Ninth Festival. Stroll among 100+ brilliant potted mums, cascading displays along the waterfall, and sweeping floral sculptures that transform the garden into a living gallery.
Chrysanthemum Festival (Lan Su Chinese Garden)
Friday, November 7-November 23, 10:00 a.m. | Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St., Portland, OR 97209 | Various prices
Step into autumn’s splendor as Lan Su Chinese Garden transforms with the colors and textures of chrysanthemums, honoring the flower’s central role in China’s Double Ninth Festival. Stroll among 100+ brilliant potted mums, cascading displays along the waterfall, and sweeping floral sculptures that transform the garden into a living gallery.
An evening with Atlas & Friends (The Old Church)
Thursday, November 20, 6:30 p.m. | The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97201 | FREE
The Old Church Concert Hall will host Atlas & Friends for a night of music & storytelling centered around grief, joy & community. This intimate concert and reflection space is curated by Portland-based artist Atlas, a trans femme singer-songwriter, activist, and performance artist. Through original songs written in the wake of her mother’s passing, Atlas invites audiences into a raw and healing evening exploring the ways grief transforms us.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Resonate: A BIPOC Writing Circle (Write Around Portland)
2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month | 4:00–5:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Led by a Write Around Portland facilitator of color, Resonate consists of writing, sharing, and giving strengths-based feedback to each other. No preparation or experience in writing is required! Resonate is a great way to unlock your creativity, build or maintain a writing practice, and get some writing done! REGISTER HERE.
Quill Prose Award (Red Hen Press)
Submission deadline: November 30 | Fee: $10
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a story or essay collection, a novel, a memoir, or a hybrid work of prose by a queer writer. Andrew Lam will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 150 pages with a $10 entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
100-Word Writing Contest (Tadpole Press)
Submission deadline: November 30 | Fee: $15
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Tadpole Press website and in Tadpole Press Literary Magazine is given biannually for a work of flash poetry or prose. Angeline Boulley will judge. Submit a work of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction of no more than 100 words with a $15 entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
The Moth Poetry Prize 2025 (The Moth)
Submission deadline: December 31 | Fee: $19
The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for individual unpublished poems. The prize is open to anyone over 16, and each year attracts thousands of entries from new and established poets from over 50 countries worldwide.
Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction (LitMag)
Submission deadline: December 31 | Fee: $20
Award winners receive a prize of $2,500, publication in LitMag, and agency review for exceptional short fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words.
FOR KIDS & TEENS
BOLD Children’s Storytime (BOLD Coffee & Books)
Saturdays, ongoing, 10:00 a.m. | BOLD Coffee & Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St., Portland OR, 97205 | FREE
Whether an author is there to read their book or the staff is reading a favorite, BOLD will feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity. Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too! The shop carries juice, snacks, and other items for kids, and adults can enjoy a delicious coffee or tea drink while your child is entertained.
Read to Clive the Therapy Dog! (Green Bean Books)
Sunday, November 23, 1:00 p.m. | Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St., Portland OR 97211 | FREE
Meet our new Read to a Dog team, Anna and therapy dog Clive! Clive loves all kinds of books and helping kids build confidence in their reading skills. Sign up for a 15-minute reading session from 1-2pm. Perfect for beginning readers who love dogs!
Holiday Express (Oregon Rail Heritage Center)
Friday, November 28, ongoing, times vary | Oregon Rail Heritage Center, 2250 SE Water Ave., Portland OR, 97214 | $25+
Experience the magic of the season at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. The most highly anticipated event of the year is just around the corner — the beloved Holiday Express. Climb aboard with Santa Claus and his elves for a festive ride behind the historic 1912 Polson #2 steam locomotive. Relax in the warm, decorated cars as you travel along the Willamette River, then step into the cozy enginehouse for cocoa, treats, and holiday cheer.
IN THE NEWS
Oregon writers Karen Russell and Omar El Akkad among 2025 National Book Award finalists (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Malala Yousafzai will bring new memoir to Portland next month (OregonLive)
Portland Poetry Confluence brings poets working on the margins to center stage (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Everybody Has a Story: We’d like you to tell us a story (The Columbian)
RECOMMENDED READING
2025 Picture Books by Indigenous Authors & Illustrators | (Multnomah County Library)
Horror Anthologies for Teens | (Multnomah County Library)
2025 Oregon Challenged Books & Graphic Novels | (Multnomah County Library)
Librarian Picks | (Multnomah County Library)
Staff Picks | (The Literary Arts Bookstore)
Oregon Battle of the Books | (The Literary Arts Bookstore)
Powell’s Picks of the Month | (Powell’s)
Community News Submissions
Let us know if you have any events, news to share, or opportunities for writers for the In the Community blog and we will consider adding it to the next blog post!
