Don’t be scared, go and check out these Nebraska events! If you’re looking for something to do in October, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!
October 1, 2025 Visiting Author: River Selby in conversation with Timothy Schaffert “Hotshot: A Life on Fire” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm You don’t want to miss this visit from author River Selby. River will be in conversation with Timothy Schaffert presenting Hotshot: A Life on Fire! Learn more about this fascinating memoir about high stakes adventure, personal growth, and humanity below.
October 1, 2025 Omaha Reads: Bilingual Poetry Workshop Willa Cather Branch Library, 1905 S. 44th St. Omaha, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Join Angelica Perez of the Nebraska Writers Collective for a bilingual poetry workshop inspired by Solito by Javier Zamora. Angelica is bilingual and brings experience helping poets express their voices in the language that feels most authentic. This is a free event. Online registration is required.
October 2, 2025 The Crescent Moon Writers’ Night: Open Mic Carhenge, 2151 Co Rd 59. Alliance, 6:00 pm Matt Mason, Nebraska’s State Poet from 2019-2024, reads at Carhenge. Sponsored by the Alliance Creative District. This is a BYO-Chair event.
October 2, 2025 Vocal Fry Indigo Cottage Crafts, 2063 Creekside Dr. Papillion, 6:30 pm An open mic at an artsy space full of good vibes, and not just because of the coffee and liquor bar ;). Open to poets, authors, writers, musicians, anyone who has talent to share. Everyone is welcome. Free event. Jules Coral, MC.
October 3, 2025 Visiting Writers: Teo Shannon, Saddiq Dzukogi, and Alina Nguyen Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm Join and welcome talented writers Teo Shannon, Saddiq Dzukogi, and Alina Nguyen! Teo will be in conversation with Saddiq and Alina about his new book of poetry A Chronology of Blood: Poems. This debut collection of poetry casts an unflinching eye on the issues in the author’s life which includes themes of sexual abuse, gun violence, and conversion therapy. The poems in A Chronology of Blood embrace trauma survivors, the LGBTQ+ community, and lovers of poetry.
October 3, 2025 An Evening of Great Irish Writers: with Neil O’Shea Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N. Cotner Blvd. Lincoln, 6:00 – 7:30 pm This event features a stand up performance of extracts from the works of some of the great writers to come out of Ireland, including Swift, Wilde, Shaw, Yeats, Synge, Joyce and more. Neil O’Shea is an actor from Dublin who has appeared in theaters across Ireland and toured with the Irish Actors Theatre Company in Europe and the USA and has performed throughout Ireland, in Germany, Sweden, London, as well as in the USA. This event is FREE and open to the public.
October 3, 2025 First Friday Book Talk & Reading w/ Terena Elizabeth Bell Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Terena Elizabeth Bell is a fiction writer. Her debut short story collection, Tell Me What You See: Ten Stories, was named one of the “best books of the century (so far)” by New York Society Library and a Ms Magazine must-read.
October 5, 2025 Poetry Porch at Porchfest Gifford Park Porch Fest, 3511 Webster St. Omaha, 12:00 – 6:00 pm Porchfest OMA is a free community music festival held annually in the Gifford Park neighborhood. Join host Zedeka Poindexter for Poetry Porch.
October 7, 2025 Writing from the Fence Post ScatterJoy Acres, 4107 Waverly Rd. Murray, 5:30 – 7:30 pm A 5-week creative writing series on Tuesdays, starting September 9th thru October 7th. Week 5: Open Mic Night: Share your works on our stage, cheer on your fellow writers, sit back while enjoying snacks and drinks.
October 7, 2025 Mary K. Stillwell Poetry Reading & Discussion Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm One of Stillwell’s poetry collections explores the murder of two women, another celebrates the power of imagination. Her work covers a broad range of topics, from lyrical to narrative, and always captivating.
October 8, 2025 UNO Writer’s Workshop Fall 2025 Reading Series with Eileen Myles University of Nebraska Omaha,Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom, 6203 S University Dr Rd N. Omaha, 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eileen is a poet, novelist and art journalist as well as teacher whose practice of vernacular first-person writing across genres has literally changed the game. They are the author of 25 books, including Chelsea Girls and a selected poems, I Must Be Living Twice. Myles has shown their photographs at Bridget Donahue in New York and in Provincetown, MA at Schoolhouse Gallery and in various international public installations. In 2019 Myles wrote and directed a super-8 puppet road film, The Trip and their most recent books are Pathetic Literature, and a Working Life, poems. They live in New York and Marfa, Texas.
October 10, 2025 Vocal Fry St Mark’s on the Campus, 1309 R St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 8:00 pm Guests may study, write, read, relax, sit, talk, and generally socialize with friends over coffee, tea, and other beverages from opening at 5:30 pm until 6:00 pm when video/audio recordings of John G. Neihardt will feature for the annual October “Dead Poet’s Reading”. Nancy Gillis, longtime Executive Director of the Neihardt Center, design the presentation and provide context and answer questions. If time remains, Open Mic will will follow until closing.
October 12, 2025 Visiting Author: Rebecca Lexa “The Everyday Naturalist: How to Identify Animals, Plants, and Fungi Wherever You Go” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 3:00 – 4:30 pm Fellow nature lovers, book lovers, and all of those who love to pick up new hobbies, come meet author and naturalist Rebecca Lexa as she talks about “Five Reasons to Be an Everyday Naturalist”, highlighting some great benefits of learning to identify the living beings around you. We will have copies of her book for you to purchase and she will sign when the talk is over.
October 14, 2025 One Author Kearney: Writers’ Workshop with Karen Russell Kearney Public Library, Platte Room, 2020 1st Ave. Kearney, 12:00 – 2:00 pm Join author Karen Russell for a writing workshop certain to grow your writing life. She is the author of six books of fiction, including The Antidote, as well as NYT bestsellers Vampires in the Lemon Grove and Swamplandia!, one of the NYT’s ten best books of the year and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has taught literature and creative writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the University of California-Irvine, Williams College, Columbia University, and Bryn Mawr College, and was the Endowed Chair of Texas State’s MFA program.
October 14, 2025 One Author Kearney: Karen Russell The World Theatre, 2318 Central Ave. Kearney, 7:00 – 8:00 pm The Kearney Public Library Foundation and the library proudly present an evening of conversation and readings with Karen Russell! A book signing will follow the presentation. This is a free, ticketed event. She is the author of six books of fiction, including The Antidote, as well as NYT bestsellers Vampires in the Lemon Grove and Swamplandia!, one of the NYT’s ten best books of the year and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She’s received both MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, the NYPL’s Young Lions Award, the Bard Fiction Prize, the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” award, and was selected for Granta’s Best Young American Novelists and The New Yorker’s “20 under 40” list (she is now decisively over 40). She’s also won two National Magazine Awards for Fiction, the Shirley Jackson Award, the 2023 Bottari Lattes Grinzane prize, and the 2024 Mary McCarthy Award, among other honors. She taught literature and creative writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, UC-Irvine, Williams College, Columbia University, and Bryn Mawr College. She serves on the board of Street Books.
October 16, 2025 Writers in Conversation: Third Thursdays @ Larksong with Ava Winter and Alina Nguyen Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N. Cotner Blvd. Lincoln, 6:00 – 7:00 pm Each month Writers in Conversation invites two writers at differing stages of their writing career to share their work and engage one another in conversation about the craft of creative writing. The conversation is then opened to the entire audience for a lively discussion of all things literary. The evening is sure to both please and educate, not to mention inspire!
October 16, 2025 Virtual Author Series: Joanna Biggs, Richard Scott Larson, and Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum Zoom, 7:00 – 8:00 pm Help us welcome three writers from our first Willa Cather Residency for Writers cohort as they share recent publications! Joanna Biggs, Richard Scott Larson, and Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum will all read excerpts from their books as they reflect on their unique writers in residence experiences. This event is free with online registration.
October 16, 2025 Vocal Fry Flatiron Building, 1722 St Marys Ave. Omaha, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Prepare to be moved, inspired, and electrified at the only spoken word event in Nebraska dedicated solely to the art of expression. This isn’t just another open mic night—it’s a celebration of storytelling and raw emotion, where voices from all walks of life take center stage. Hosted in the intimate and immersive setting where every performance feels personal. Whether you’re a longtime lover of spoken word or a curious newcomer, this event guarantees an unforgettable night of connection and creativity. Tonight Featuring Nathan B. Wise, with Sam Nichols and Allen Stevenson as MCs.
October 18, 2025 Humor in Poetry with Melissa Fite Johnson Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am Think poetry has to be serious all the time? Think again. In this workshop, we’ll laugh, play, and explore how humor can crack open truth, deepen emotion, and spark joy—even in the heaviest topics. Come write poems that might just make someone snort-laugh.
October 23, 2025 Writers’ Workshop with Tyler Michael Jacobs Kearney Public Library, Platte Room, 2020 1st Ave. Kearney, 12:00 – 2:00 pm Join poet Tyler Michael Jacobs for a poetry writing workshop. He is the author of The Weight of Drought forthcoming from Stephen F. Austin State University Press and Building Brownville. His words have appeared or are forthcoming in Passages North, Variant Literature, Plainsongs, Pidgeonholes, Sierra Nevada Review, and elsewhere. His poems have also been featured on Nebraska Public Media’s Friday LIVE! He received his MFA from Bowling Green State University. There is a $15 fee for this workshop with lunch included.
October 23, 2025 Tosca Lee at Tecumseh Public Library Tecumseh Public Library, 170 Branch St. Tecumseh, 6:00 pm Join Tosca Lee in Tecumseh at the library where ahe will be dishing on One Book One Nebraska 2025 pick The Long March Home, writing, and writing life in Nebraska! Open to the public, books will be available.
October 23, 2025 Poetry Reading with Tyler Michael Jacobs Kearney Public Library, Platte Room, 2020 1st Ave. Kearney, 7:00 – 8:00 pm Enjoy an evening of poetry with Tyler Michael Jacobs. He is the author of The Weight of Drought forthcoming from Stephen F. Austin State University Press and Building Brownville. His words have appeared or are forthcoming in Passages North, Variant Literature, Plainsongs, Pidgeonholes, Sierra Nevada Review, and elsewhere. His poems have also been featured on Nebraska Public Media’s Friday LIVE! He received his MFA from Bowling Green State University.
October 24, 2025 Lydia Kang in conversation with Tosca Lee: “K-JANE” Sower Books, 914 N 70th St. Lincoln, 6:00 pm Join and watch Lydia Kang in conversation with Tosca Lee at Sower Books to discuss her brand new release, K-JANE, a new young adult novel all about growing up Korean in Nebraska! Join for what will be a fun evening talking about the book and about the Korean-Nebraskan experience!
October 26, 2025 The Halloween Mischief Poetry Reading/Harvest of Words Saint Cecilia’s Cathedral Parish Center, 39th and Burt St. Omaha, 7:00 – 8:00 pm This open mic invites you to bring poems on the theme of Halloween or any other to finish the year. Poets welcome, listeners welcome. Open mic with refreshments and some music.
October 30, 2025 NEWISH Poetry Slam North Omaha Music and Arts – NOMA, 2510 N 24th St. Omaha, 7:00 – 10:00 pm NEWISH is presented by the Nebraska Writers Collective and hosted by Zedeka Poindexter at NOMA. We invite you to take risks, say what hasn’t been said. This is a curated space & environment for you to express yourself and grow amongst your community. Enjoy the poetry slam with live music! Registration is $10, and the grand prize is $100.
Check out the NCB Calendar to stay up to date on upcoming literary events happening near you!
*The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Some of this month’s events, workshops, or conferences may require registration or charge a fee.
Feel free to contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured.
Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 1 at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion of reading in all its forms. Its annual Nebraska Letters About Literature contest allows students in 4th through 12th grade to write to authors (living or deceased) about their favorite book or poem about how his or her book affected their lives.
This session will provide helpful information for teachers and librarians interested in the competition. It will also cover the submission process and be an excellent opportunity to ask questions about the entire competition process. Teachers will be interested in this program that will help enhance and extend their classroom instruction.
Presenters: Tessa Timperley, Communications Coordinator, and Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Oct. 29 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2025
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
Nov. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
NOTE:This episode of NCompass Live will be presented online using Zoom. Login instructions will be sent to registered attendees after registration has closed. The Registration End date is listed on each session page, but usually closes on the Monday night before the date of the session.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tessa Timperley 402-471-3434 800-307-2665
Shortlist for 2026 One Book One Nebraska Announced
What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2026? We will all find out on November 15th at the Nebraska Celebration of Books (N.COB) literary festival. A mesmerizing dust bowl epic filled with magical realism, a photographic journey across Nebraska, a beautifully written novel about second chances — all stories with ties to Nebraska—are the finalists for the 2026 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are:
The Antidote: A Novel by Karen Russell, Knopf, 2025.
Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky by Joel Sartore, Bison Books, 2006.
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, Knopf, 2016.
The One Book One Nebraska reading program is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and the Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the Book committee selected the three finalists from a list of nineteen titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the Book board members will vote on the 2026 selection.
Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Nebraska Celebration of Books (N.COB) Literary Festival where the choice for the 2026 One Book One Nebraska will be announced. Held on Saturday, November 15th, from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, on the second floor of the UNL City Campus Union and Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, this event aims to celebrate Nebraska’s literary heritage and contemporary authors. The festival will honor the 2025 One Book One Nebraska with an author talk by Tosca Lee, in addition it will feature 2025 Nebraska Book Award winning authors, Nebraska State Poets Jewel Rodgers and Matt Mason, a writing workshop hosted by Larksong Writers Place, book vendors, and presentation of the Mildred Bennett Award and Jane Geske Awards. Visit https://bookfestival.nebraska.gov/ for more information about the N.COB festival programming and authors.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Nebraska Library Commission.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
