Off-Site Events Schedule
Join AWP's literary community for the following off-site events, hosted throughout the Baltimore, Maryland area during our conference.
The organizers of these events have agreed to ensure that the off-site venues listed here are accessible according to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
These events are not produced, moderated, curated, or copyedited by AWP, and AWP is not responsible for their quality or accessibility services. We list these events as a courtesy to the literary field.
If you have any questions or concerns about specific off-site events, please contact the organizers of the event directly.
Interested in promoting your off-site event to AWP's conference attendees? Submit an off-site event listing now.
| Friday, Mar 06, 2026 |
Friday, Mar 06, 2026
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
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University Press Spotlight
Location: Checkerspot Brewing Company 1421 Ridgely St. Baltimore, MD 21230 (443) 388-9198
Cost: Free University Press Spotlight: A fiction and poetry reading spotlighting new collections from various University Presses including: Northwestern University Press, University of New Mexico Press, Missouri State/Moon City Press, and University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Cornerstone Press. Hussain Ahmad (NUP), Yasmina Din Madden (NUP), Grant Faulkner (UNM), Rachel Federer (NUP), Kim Magowan (MCP), Michelle Ross (MCP), and Kali Van Baale (UWSP) will read from their recently released collections. Join us at Checkerspot Brewing for food, drinks, and good writing. Emcee: Chrissy Kolaya (Dzank). Contact: Yasmina Din Madden Contact Email: yasmina.madden@drake.edu
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2026030618:0020:00 000 | FRI, MAR 6 |
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| Saturday, Mar 07, 2026 |
Saturday, Mar 07, 2026
8:00 PM - 10:00 AM EDT
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20 Years of PoemoftheWeek.com Anthology Joins Last Rites Reading Series for a Poetry Extravaganza You Can't Miss
Location: Peter’s Pour House, 111 Mercer St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Cost: Free Event URL: PoemoftheWeek.com WHAT: 20 Years of PoemoftheWeek.com: 100 Poems by 100 Poets joins forces with the Last Rites Reading Series for a poetry extravaganza you won't want to miss. WHERE: Peter's Pour House across the street from the convention center. WHO: Brian Turner, Paisley Rekdal, Monica Prince, Lauren Camp, Major Jackson, Ed Bok Lee, Campbell McGrath, Khalisa Rae, Lee Herrick, Melissa Studdard, Luke Johnson, Ryan Vine, Sara Kain Gutowsi, Randall James, Richard Boada, Anel Flores, Gerard Robledo, & Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum Health & Safety Information: NA Contact: Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum, Karen Carr, & Gerard Robledo Contact Email: andrew@poemoftheweek.com Organization: PoemoftheWeek.com & Last Rites
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2026030720:0010:00 000 | SAT, MAR 7 |
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| Thursday, Mar 05, 2026 |
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
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Poets for Science Reading and Gathering
Location: Maryland Science Center (601 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21230)
Cost: Free Hosted by the Wick Poetry Center, this event celebrates two Poets for Science publications, Light Enters the Grove: Exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Poetry and The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America's Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and other Natural Wonders. Contributors will share their work from the collections followed by a reception. The gathering marks the beginning of the yearlong programming honoring ten years of the Poets for Science project. Contact: Wick Poetry Center Contact Email: dhassle1@kent.edu
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2026030517:3019:30 000 | THU, MAR 5 |
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| Friday, Mar 06, 2026 |
Friday, Mar 06, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
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Read The Room: University of Central Florida MFA Student Reading
Location: Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Cost: Free Event URL: https://www.instagram.com/ucf_crw_mfa/ Join us for readings by MFA students from the University of Central Florida in the downstairs gallery of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Health & Safety Information: You're welcome to bring water and small snacks! Contact: UCF Graduate Writer's Association Contact Email: gwa@ucf.edu Organization: UCF Graduate Writer's Association
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2026030617:3019:30 000 | FRI, MAR 6 |
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| Saturday, Mar 07, 2026 |
Saturday, Mar 07, 2026
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT
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Five Writers and Their Objects: Bloomsbury's Object Lessons Series Reading
Location: Greedy Reads Bookstore Remington 320 W 29th St, Baltimore, MD 21211
Cost: Free Join five readers from Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series as they read from their recently-released books: Anjali Enjeti (Ballot), Eileen G’Sell (Lipstick), Mollie Hawkins (Saxophone), Nicole Lobdell (X-ray), and Simona Supekar (Stock Photo). Q&A after the reading. Health & Safety Information: Wearing a mask is highly encouraged. Contact: Eileen G'Sell Contact Email: epgsell@wustl.edu
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2026030719:0022:00 000 | SAT, MAR 7 |
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| Saturday, Mar 07, 2026 |
Saturday, Mar 07, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
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Critical Poetics of Suicide for Queer and Trans People of Color
Location: Charm City Books 426 Franklin St Baltimore, MD 21201
Cost: Free As QTBIPOC, not only are our narratives of suicidality ostracized in some circles, they have a tendency to be fetishized in others. As an underserved hyphenated community, our poetry is critical in reminding ourselves to stay alive for ourselves. Join us at 5:30 pm Saturday, March 7th in a panel and reading discussion about the critical poetics of suicide for queer and trans people of color featuring Diannely Antigua, Em Dash, Joan Kwon Glass, MT Vallarta, and Maya Williams. Contact: Diannely Antigua, Em Dash, Joan Kwon Glass, MT Vallarta, and Maya Williams Contact Email: mayawilliams16@gmail.com Organization: Charm City Books
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2026030717:3019:00 000 | SAT, MAR 7 |
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| Thursday, Mar 05, 2026 |
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
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Offsite Translator Meetup with ALTA
Location: Crossbar Der Biergarten, 18 E Cross St, Baltimore, MD 21230
Cost: Free Join ALTA for an informal translator meetup at Crossbar Der Biergarten, 0.6 miles from the Baltimore Convention Center. Food and drink available for purchase. Contact: American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Contact Email: info@literarytranslators.org Organization: American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Organization URL: https://literarytranslators.org/event/alta-at-awp26/
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2026030517:0019:00 000 | THU, MAR 5 |
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| Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026 |
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
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Forged from Inkwells: An Evening of Memoir and Conversation
Location: Motor House In the West Bay Room 120 W. North Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201
Cost: Free Stories rise from the inkwells of our lives, creating a quiet dialogue between author and reader. But what happens when that dialogue steps off the page? Let’s find out together. Join us for readings by Lucy Sante, Hyeseung Song, Maggie Anderson, and Maria Ortiz, and stay for a conversation where authors and readers come together as both, through questions and shared curiosity. Contact: Maria Ortiz Contact Email: mortiz16@gmail.com
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2026030418:0020:00 000 | WED, MAR 4 |
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| Friday, Mar 06, 2026 |
Friday, Mar 06, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
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A Very Gay Literary Hour - Live @ Vinyl+Pages
Location: Vinyl+Pages,301 Light Street, Baltimore Harbor Place, Baltimore MD 21202
Cost: Free Event URL: https://AVeryGayLiteraryHour.eventbrite.com Join us for a night of queer brilliance as voices in poetry and prose take the stage. Hosted by Nicole Tallman, with JackLeg Press and Anhinga Press!. Poetry and prose are better when they’re very gay, very live, and very you. Featuring Brett Hanley, Jen Harris, Ben Kline, Rita Mookerjee, Caridad Moro-Gronlier, Julie Marie Wade. Plus Dustin Brookshire, Alex Carrigan, Michael Todd Cohen, Adrian Dallas Frandle, Erika Gill, Summer Hart, Joseph Lezza, Alison Lubar, Lex Orgera, Bleah Patterson, Tyler Allen Penny, Sue Scavo, Terese Svoboda, Karla Van Vliet, Terri Witek, + more! Health & Safety Information: Guests can bring their own alcoholic drinks. Tea and non-alcoholic beverages are sold onsite. Contact: Nicole Tallman, JackLeg Press, Anhinga Press Contact Email: ntallman@jacklegpress.org Organization: Nicole Tallman + JackLeg Press Organization URL: https://AVeryGayLiteraryHour.eventbrite.com
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2026030617:0019:00 000 | FRI, MAR 6 |
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| Friday, Mar 06, 2026 |
Friday, Mar 06, 2026
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
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(Nearly) Fifty Years of Plainsongs: An Evening of Poetry, Music, and Literary Shenanigans
Location: Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Cost: Free Event URL: https://www.corpuscallosumpress.com/events As Plainsongs nears its 50th anniversary, the Nebraska-based poetry journal invites all past and present contributors/readers (as well as all potential future contributors/readers [i.e., you and the horse you rode in on]) to join the editorial staff for an evening of poetry, conversation, song, and general revelry. Song? That's right: song. In addition to our scheduled readings, attendees will be encouraged to step up to the mike and share some of their own creative work (as well as a song). We won't force you to read (or sing). Or will we? (No, we won't.) We hope you'll join us! Contact: Eric Tucker Contact Email: etucker@corpuscallosumpress.com Organization: Corpus Callosum Press Organization URL: https://www.corpuscallosumpress.com/
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2026030619:0021:00 000 | FRI, MAR 6 |
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| Friday, Mar 06, 2026 |
Friday, Mar 06, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
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Randolph MFA Faculty & Alumni Reading w/ MC Danez Smith
Location: Bird in Hand Coffee & Books 11 E 33rd St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Cost: FREE Join us for readings by Randolph MFA faculty and recent alumni authors Danez Smith, Brittany Rogers, John Vercher, Chet'la Sebree, Yaccaira Salvatierra, Phillip B. Williams, & Marguerite Sheffer Contact: Chris Gaumer, Gary Dop Contact Email: mfa@randolphcollege.edu Organization: Randolph MFA Organization URL: https://www.randolphcollege.edu/mfa-cw/
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2026030618:0019:00 000 | FRI, MAR 6 |
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| Thursday, Mar 05, 2026 |
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
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Flash the Court Reading
Location: The Harbor Room The Towers at Harbor Court 10 East Lee Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Cost: Free Event URL: https://flashthecourt.com/ Fans of flash, this off-site event is for you! Recent contributors of Flash the Court will share their remarkable work: some playful, some serious—but all prime examples of the flash form. Founding Editor Court Harler will moderate the event. Local author and literary citizen extraordinaire, Amy L. Bernstein, will generously host a wine and cheese reception afterward, where writers can relax and network overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Please join us for a fantastic evening of flash and fellowship only a short walk away from the Convention Center. Court and Amy will see you there! Health & Safety Information: n/a Contact: Court Harler Contact Email: flashthecourt@gmail.com Organization: Amy L. Bernstein Organization URL: https://amywrites.live/
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2026030518:0019:30 000 | THU, MAR 5 |
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| Thursday, Mar 05, 2026 |
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT
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The Fine Art of Literary Submission and Rejection: Secrets of the Editors
Location: The Harbor Room The Towers at Harbor Court 10 East Lee St. Baltimore MD 21202
Cost: FREE A diverse panel of literary magazine editors share insights on the considerations that inform the editorial decision-making process. Attendees will learn that literary merit is only one component of a complex balancing act involving a number of behind-the-scenes deliberations. The panel includes an experienced author’s perspective on submission strategies. Join us for a vivid, frank discussion on the inner workings of submission and rejection. You'll gain new insights into how and where to submit--and how your submission is evaluated from an editorial perspective. Refreshments will be served. Health & Safety Information: N/A Contact: Amy L. Bernstein Contact Email: amy@amywrites.live
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2026030516:0017:30 000 | THU, MAR 5 |
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