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
Celebrating 8 Years of the Book Pub (Rose City Book Pub)
Tuesday, November 3rd | Rose City Book Pub, 1329 Northeast Fremont Street, Portland, OR | FREE
Come in to spin the wheel for prizes all day long! Every spin’s a win! And maybe other activities and celebrations.
An Evening with Wandering Aengus Press (Broadway Books)
Wednesday, November 4th, 6:00 p.m. | Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR | FREE
We are thrilled to celebrate Wandering Aengus Press with editor-in-chief Jill McCabe Johnson, and authors Chrys Buckley, John Fadely, Veronica Kornberg, and A. Molotkov. Wandering Aengus Press and its imprint, Trail to Table Press, are dedicated to publishing works to enrich lives and make the world a better place, because why not do as much good as we can in the world with what little time we have? Established in 2017, they publish literary works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Dessa with the Oregon Symphony (Oregon Symphony)
Saturday, November 7th, 7:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland, OR | TICKETS
Singer, rapper, and author Dessa will join the Oregon Symphony for an evening of soaring ballads, writerly pop songs, and rap anthems. The concert also will include a series of new monologues, crafted in Dessa’s signature style—true stories told with intellectual rigor, tenderness, candor, and wit. Don’t miss this landmark performance, presented in collaboration with Literary Arts as an extension of the Portland Book Festival.
Queer Writers Community (Westside Queer Resource Center)
Sunday, November 8th, 12:30 p.m. | Brookwood Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR | FREE
Are you an aspiring teen or adult author? A fabulous fanfic fabricator? A curious chronicle crafter? Come put your pen to parchment on the second Sundays of the month! Whether you already have a project you’re working on or need some inspiration, come join other queer writers from your community to compose, collaborate, and share your work! The group will meet at the Brookwood Library, upstairs in the Board Room.
Laura Stanfill in conversation with Michelle Ruiz Keil (Powell’s City of Books)
Tuesday, November 10, 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., Portland, OR | FREE
A bootlegger’s daughter falls into a world of Tin Pan Alley music and mystery in Laura Stanfill’s unapologetic exploration of friendships, motherhood, and the way women care for each other. Stanfill will be joined in conversation by Michelle Ruiz Keil, author of Summer in the City of Roses — with musical accompaniment by McLean Cannon.
Bird Journaling Basics: Starting a Bird Journal (Bird Alliance of Oregon)
Saturday, November 14, 10:30 a.m. | Heron Hall, 5151 NW Cornell Road, Portland, OR | TICKETS
In this class you’ll learn to keep a bird journal with drawings, watercolor, and some writing. We’ll use bird specimens, and photos, to interpret with more confidence and joy. There will be lots of ideas and support. Beginners are welcome.
Holiday Book Chat 2026 (Broadway Books)
Sunday, November 15th, 4:00 p.m. | Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR | $15
One of our most entertaining events of the year! Join the Broadway Books team as they share the best books of the season for giving and receiving. Each $15 ticket comes with a voucher for $15 to use towards your purchases that night, snacks and beverages, and the chance to win many fun door prizes. Join us as we get this holiday season started!
High School Musicals: A Book Talk and Performance (Portland State University)
Monday, November 16th, 7:00 p.m. | Lincoln Recital Hall (LH75), 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR | FREE
Join scholars Dr. Lindsey Mantoan, author of It’s All Happening: How Musical Theater Does High School (Oxford, 2026), and Dr. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, author of Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist (Simon & Schuster, 2025) for a free conversation about high school on the musical theater stage. This evening will feature performances by PSU students from some favorite high school musicals–come to sing, chat, and cheer along! Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Slamlandia (Literary Arts)
Thursday, November 19th, 7:00 p.m. | Literary Arts, 716 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR | FREE
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month at Literary Arts, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry, witness others, and participate in community.
Wicker x Grand Gesture Books (Grand Gesture Books)
Sunday, November 22nd, 7:00 p.m. | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St, Portland, OR | $15
Grab your baskets and join us for a screening of Wicker, hosted by our friends at Grand Gesture Books.
Books with Pals Book Club (Books with Pictures)
Thursday, November 26th, 5:30 p.m. | Books with Pictures, 1401 SE Division St, Portland, OR | FREE
Are you looking for a Portland Book Club event where you can meet cool people, have smart conversations, and still look at pretty pictures? Well you’re in luck! Books with Pals is our monthly Graphic Novel Book club, hosted by our very own Elizabeth. Each month we pick a graphic novel, share it as much as possible, and then meet up to discuss! You know, normal book club activities. On occasion we even have Special guests- join us to meet your favorite authors and artists and discuss these books with their very creators! Get a deeper insight, a new perspective, or just come to gush about how much you loved it.
Indies First Day (Broadway Books)
Saturday, November 28th | Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR | $15
Please join us for Indies First Day, an annual event held on Small Business Saturday celebrating independent bookstores. We’ll have many special surprises and fun giveaways, so stop by and get your holiday shopping done early, all while supporting your favorite local indie bookstore.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
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.
Poems in Pieces: Building Something Weird from What We Love (Fishtrap)
Tuesdays, November 3–24th, 6:00 p.m. | ONLINE | REGISTRATION
An online poetry workshop with Nellie Bridge. This generative workshop takes our favorite poems as starting points. By looking closely at these poems and borrowing pieces of their structure, we will create multiple blueprints for our use—and reuse—in drafting new and sometimes strange poems. We will write together, discover together, and share together new poems from our favorite parts of the ones we love. All ages and levels of experience are welcome.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Up Up Books)
Sundays, November 1–December 6th, 11:00 a.m. | Up Up Books, 1452 Northeast 28th Avenue, Portland, OR | TICKETS
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron’s Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It’s her Artist’s Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we’ll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what’s coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Fall Gratitude! Freewrite In-Person Writing Circle at Dovetail Cellars (Write Around Portland)
Wednesday, November 18th, 6:00 p.m. | Dovetail Cellars, 404 E Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA | TICKETS
Make room for gratitude in this spectacularly seasonal all-levels writing circle. Enjoy guided prompts and strengths-based feedback in the relaxed atmosphere of Dovetail Cellars. Charcuterie, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks will be available for purchase! Tickets are on a sliding scale with limited Free Spots offered.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Novel Excerpt Contest (The Masters Review)
Deadline: November 8
Award: $3000
Writing a novel is tough work, and we want to encourage everyone who’s undertaking this arduous journey to share their most exciting excerpts. The winning excerpt will be awarded $3,000; online publication; and an hour-long consultation with Marin Takikawa, a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency. Submitted excerpts must be under 6,000 words. Submitted work must be previously unpublished. This includes personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published excerpts will be automatically disqualified. $20 entry fee. Learn more here.
Fall 2026 Story Contest (Narrative Magazine)
Deadline: November 13
Award: $2500
Our fall contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest. $27 submission fee. Learn more here.
Fall 2026 Contests (F(r)iction)
Deadline: November 13
Award: $1600
Short stories: 1,001 – 7,500 words
Poetry: up to three pages per poem
Flash fiction: up to 1,000 words per piece
Please visit our guidelines page to properly format your work for submission. $10–15 entry fees. Learn more here.
Reedsy Novel Sprint 2026 (Reedsy)
Deadline: November 30
Award: $5000
Novel Sprint gives you a month of structure, momentum, and community to help you make serious progress on your book. Join thousands of writers for live workshops, writing sprints, and a shared goal: 50,000 words in November. At the end of the month, those who have written at least 50,000 words in Studio can submit their first chapters to our Reedsy Novel Sprint Contest. No entry fee. Learn more here.
LitMag’s Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction (2026) (LitMag)
Deadline: November 30
Award: $1250
First Prize: $1,250 + publication in LitMag + agency review by Sarah Fuentes of UTA, Molly Glick of CAA, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman, and Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates. Entries must be short stories between 500 and 1,500 words. Only previously unpublished short stories are eligible. Writers may submit multiple stories, each of which requires a separate submission. $18 contest fee. Learn more here.
FOR KIDS & TEENS
Children’s Storytime (Bold Coffee & Books)
Saturdays from 11:00–11:30 a.m. | Bold Coffee & Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97205 | FREE
Whether an author is here to read their book or our staff is reading a favorite, we’ll feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity. Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too!
Rainbow Family Storytime (Bold Coffee & Books)
Saturdays from 11:00–11:30 a.m. | Albina Library, 205 NE Russell Street, Portland, OR, 97212 | FREE
Children from birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult) enjoy books highlighting LGBTQ+ families, along with songs, rhymes and movement activities building language, literacy, and community in an identity-supporting environment. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Kids’ Storytime (Powell’s City of Books)
Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. | Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside St. Portland, OR, 97209 | FREE
Join us every Saturday for kids’ storytime.
Wildwood at OMSI’s Empirical Theater (OMSI)
Tuesday, November 3–Thursday, November 5 | OMSI, 945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR | $7–9
Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world. A girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother unfolds into a spectacular, high-stakes adventure through a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries — where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance. In an era of automation, LAIKA delivers its most ambitious and globally accessible film yet — a bold fusion of human-crafted artistry and cinematic storytelling from the makers of Coraline.
Matilda JR. (Krayon Kids Musical Theatre Company)
Weekends November 13th–November 22nd | Barclay Theater, 817 12th St., Oregon City, OR, 97212 | $10–15
Join Krayon Kids Musical Theatre Company for Matilda JR., the inspiring and hilarious story of an extraordinary girl with a brilliant mind, vivid imagination, and the courage to change her story. With the help of the kindhearted Miss Honey, Matilda inspires her classmates to stand up to the fearsome Miss Trunchbull and discover the power they have when they stand together. Packed with heart, humor, and high-energy music, Matilda JR. celebrates courage, friendship, and making things right!
Moomin Story Time for Kids (Nordic Northwest)
Wednesday, November 18, 10:00 a.m. | Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, OR | FREE
Step into the whimsical world of the Moomins with the Portland Finnish School! Enjoy a delightful bilingual story time experience in both English and Finnish, perfect for families and young readers alike.
ZooLights Sensory-Friendly (Oregon Zoo)
Monday, November 16, 4:30 p.m. | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road Portland, OR | $13-22
Sensory-Friendly night allows guests with different sensory processing needs and their families to enjoy the wonder of ZooLights. Guests can pause in available cool-down spaces, music is quieter and participation is limited to minimize crowds. Bags equipped with noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads are available to any guests with sensory needs. Ask staff at the zoo entrance to check out a sensory kit for free. Before attending, download the free KultureCity app to learn about available resources and how to access them and view a social story to prepare for your trip.
RECOMMENDED READING
Staff Picks | (The Literary Arts Bookstore)
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month 2026 | (Multnomah County Library)
Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience in Poetry and Essays | (Multnomah County Library)
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!
