Category Archives: Events

Literary Events Upcoming in April

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Bailee Juroshek

This is no joke, April is here! If you’re looking for something to do this April, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!

  • April 2nd, 2024 Poetry Reading with Ae Hee Lee, Siwar Masannat, and Kelly Weber
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
    Francie & Finch Bookshop hosts three poets for a Tuesday night reading.
  • April 2nd, 2024 All Writes Reserved – Omaha Preliminary Bouts
    Metropolitan Community College, S. Omaha Campus, 2909 Edward Babe Gomez Ave.
    Omaha, NE, 5:30 & 7:30 pm
    All Writes Reserved is an annual youth spoken word festival and competition featuring schools from all over Nebraska and the Great Plains.
  • April 2nd, 2024 Katie Schmid Poetry Reading and Discussion
    Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
    Katie is a UNL graduate who loves to use wild imagination and linguistic play to channel suffering into creative power. Listen as she discusses her writing process.
  • April 5th, 2024 First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Timothy Schaffert
    Zoom, 12:00 pm
    Join Nebraskan author Timothy Schaffert in the book talk and reading of “The Titanic Survivors’ Book Club”.
  • April 5, 2024 Observe National Nebraska Day: Book Signing with Gail Shaffer Blankenau
    National Willa Cather Center, 425 N Webster St.
    Red Cloud, NE, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
    Observe National Nebraska Day by learning more about the complex history of the state’s south central region. Author & historian Gail Shaffer Blankenau will talk about and have signings of her new book, “Journey to Freedom: Uncovering the Grayson Sisters’ Escape from Nebraska Territory.”
  • April 5, 2024 First Friday Book Launch: “The Nebraska Sandhills”
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
    Meet the editors and hear stories about the history, people, geography, geology, ecology, and conservation of the Nebraska Sandhills.
  • April 6, 2024 Write On! Writer’s Workshop with Heidi Hermanson
    AV Sorensen Community Center, 4808 Cass St.
    Omaha, NE, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
    Generate new writing, meet other writers, improve your skills, and learn new techniques! Taught by Heidi Hermanson, published author and recipient of the 2021 Nebraska Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship.
  • April 6, 2024 Book Release Celebration: Timothy Schaffert with “The Titanic Survivors Book Club”
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 4:30 – 6:00 pm
    Author Timothy Schaffert discusses seeking out the books that were on board the Titanic, and other bookish obsessions, with Pat Leach, former director of Lincoln City Libraries and host of the radio show and podcast “All About Books.”
  • April 7, 2024 A Visit with Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason
    Schoolhouse Art Gallery & Nature Center, 427 Main St.
    Brownville, NE, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
    Matt will read poems with the theme of “In the Woods: Poems about Trees and Nature”.
  • April 8, 2024 Meet the Author: Tosca Lee
    Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N Broad St.
    Fremont, NE, 7:00 pm
    Tosca Lee will talk about books, writing, and the stories behind the stories. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
  • April 9, 2024 Charlie Peck Book Launch Reading: “World’s Largest Ball of Paint”
    Bookworm Bookstore, 2501 S 90th St.
    Omaha, NE, 6:00 pm
    Nebraska poet Charlie Peck will read from and sign his debut poetry collection, “World’s Largest Ball of Paint”. Nebraska State Poet, Matt Mason, will join Peck to read and sign his work.
  • April 9, 2024 On Writing with Amy Haddad
    Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St.
    Omaha, NE, 6:00 pm
    Join us in the lobby, alongside our partner The Book Nook, and participate in an engaging live reading from Nebraska poet Amy Haddad. Peruse the curated offerings from the Book Nook, have a drink, and stay for the Q and A.
  • April 13, 2024 Writing Workshop & Reading with Matt Mason
    Espressions: Coffee & Community, 1117 M St.
    Aurora, NE,
    1:00 – 2:00 PM, Writing Workshop; 2:30 – 3:30 PM, Poetry Reading
    Matt will lead a writing workshop for those who register in advance, and then afterwards will do a free reading from five of his books at the front of the coffee shop.
  • April 16th & 18th, 2024 All Writes Reserved – Semifinals
    Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St.
    Omaha, NE, 5:30 & 7:30 pm
    All Writes Reserved is an annual youth spoken word festival and competition featuring schools from all over Nebraska and the Great Plains.
  • April 16, 2024 Imaginary Gardens Reading Series with Bonnie Johnson Bartee and Neil Harrison
    Mister Toad’s, 1002 Howard St.
    Omaha, NE, 7:00 pm
    Join Nebraska authors for literature and conversation. Hosted by Michael Skau.
  • April 18, 2024 Writers’ Workshop with Matt Mason
    Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Ave, Platte Room
    Kearney, NE, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
    Celebrate National Poetry Month with this writing workshop led by Nebraska State Poet, Matt Mason. Matt will inspire you to experience, love, and write poetry.
  • April 18, 2024 Poetry Reading by Nebraska State Poet, Matt Mason
    Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Ave, Platte Room
    Kearney, NE, 7:00 pm
    Enjoy an evening of poetry with Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason. He will read favorites from his books and more.
  • April 30th All Writes Reserved – Finals
    Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St.
    Omaha, NE, 7:00 pm
    All Writes Reserved is an annual youth spoken word festival and competition featuring schools from all over Nebraska and the Great Plains.

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.

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Upcoming Events in March

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Bailee Juroshek

Spring is right around the corner! If you’re looking for something to do this March, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!

  • March 2nd, 2024 Book Launch with Allen J. Beermann – “Allen J. Beermann: Nebraska’s Ambassador to the World”
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 10:00 – 11:30 am
    Former Nebraska Secretary of State Allen J. Beermann tells of adventures from Brushy Bend to Beijing in his new book “Allen J. Beermann: Nebraska’s Ambassador to the World.”
  • March 2nd, 2024 Write on Writers’ Workshop with Heidi Hermanson
    AV Sorensen Community Center, 4808 Cass St.
    Omaha, NE, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
    Taught by Heidi Hermanson, Nebraska author and recipient of the 2021 Nebraska Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship. Improve your skills, meet other writers, and learn new techniques!
  • March 5, 2024 Barbara Schmitz Poetry Reading & Discussion
    Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
    Barbara has touched many lives through her long and lustrous literary career in Nebraska. Now, she shares her poetry and her wisdom.
  • March 9, 2024 Hook, Line, & Sinker: Using Spoken Word Techniques to Capture & Hold an Audience with Caleb Rainey
    Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am
    What writing techniques does a performance poet use to hook their audience? A workshop to discuss the bait you need to hook your audience, and your reader, in the first line.
  • March 9, 2024 Poetry Out Loud State Finals
    Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R St.
    Lincoln, NE, 1:00 – 3:30 pm
    Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide poetry recitation contest where high school students memorize poems they choose from a list of classic and modern poems and bring them to life by how they deliver them. Seven schools have chosen a representative and the winner will represent Nebraska at the National Finals
  • March 9, 2024 Book Launch with Alison Pearce Stevens – “Animal Climate Heros”
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
    Nebraska Book Award winner Alison Pearce Stevens will be signing books, talking about her new book, and sharing her love of natural science with guests.
  • March 16, 2024 National Slam Poetry Competition Qualifying Event
    Larksong, 1600 N Cotner Blvd.
    Lincoln, NE, 3:00 pm
    The Nebraska Poetry Society is hosting the Qualifying Slam for residents for the chance to compete at the BlackBerry Peach National Slam Poetry Competition!
  • March 16, 2024 Visting Author – Chris Harding Thornton – “Little Underworld”
    Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St.
    Lincoln, NE, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
    Written by seventh-generation Nebraskan Chris Harding Thornton, “Little Underworld” is a darkly funny historical fiction that takes place in Omaha, Nebraska. She will be discussing her new book with Nebraskan author Timothy Schaffert.
  • March 17, 2024 Poetry Workshop with Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason
    Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center, 9325 Alda Rd. S
    Wood River, NE, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
    Matt will share his new poem commissioned by Crane Trust, as well as other bird-themed poems. He will also guide a writing exercise for participants to write their own poems.

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.

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January 2024 Literary Events

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Kayla Henzel

Happy New Year! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what literary events are happening near you and across Nebraska this coming month.

The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change.

Some events, workshops, or conferences may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Literary Events in December

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

December is on its way! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what literary events are happening near you and across Nebraska this coming month.

The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change.

Some events, workshops, or conferences may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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November 2023 Literary Events

Posted on October 27, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

November is right around the corner!

Find out what literary events are happening near you and across the state by checking out the NCB Calendar!

The date, time, and location of these events are subject to change. In addition, some events may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Young Readers Invited to Write to Favorite Authors

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 29, 2023

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Young Readers Invited to Write to Favorite Authors

Young readers in grades 4-12 are invited to write a personal letter to an author for the Nebraska Letters about Literature (LAL) contest, a state reading and writing promotion program. The letter can be to any author (living or dead) from any genre-fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic-explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s view of the world. Submissions must be completed online October 1- December 31, 2023. Nebraska Letters About Literature is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from Lincoln City Libraries, Francie & Finch Bookshop, Humanities Nebraska, and Chapters Bookstore in Seward.

The Nebraska Center for the Book’s panel of judges will select a winner and an honorable mention per competition level (Level I for grades 4-6, Level II for grades 7-8, and Level III for grades 9-12) to be honored in a proclamation-signing ceremony at the state capitol during National Library Week in April 2024. Their winning letters will be placed in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln. Nebraska winners and honorable mentions will receive state prizes.

Teachers, librarians, and parents can download the contest guidelines, free teaching materials, information on the online entry system, and past winning letters on the Nebraska Center for the Book website. An informational NCompass Live webinar will air on October 11th, discussing this year’s contest, the submission process, and judging criteria. For more information contact Nebraska Center for the Book.

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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases .

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October Literary Events

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

October is on its way! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what literary events are happening near you and across Nebraska this coming month.

The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change.

Some events, workshops, or conferences may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Shortlist for 2024 One Book One Nebraska Announced

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 21, 2023

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Shortlist for 2024 One Book One Nebraska Announced

What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2024? We will all find out on October 14th at the Celebration of Nebraska Books. A collection of essays by a Nebraska authors, a memoir, a novel set in the Sand Hills, and a Midwest thriller—all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great Plains—are the finalists for the 2024 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are:

  • The Big Empty: Contemporary Nebraska Nonfiction Writers edited by Ladette Randolph and Nina Shevchuk-Murray, Bison Books, 2007.
  • Dancing with the Octopus: A Memoir by Debora Harding, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.
  • The Echo Maker by Richard Powers, Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Picador, 2006.
  • The Line Between by Tosca Lee, Howard Books, 2019.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and 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 2024 selection.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 14th, will also honor winners of the 2023 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The Mildred Bennett Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The Jane Geske Award recognizes an organization known for exceptional contributions to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.

Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 14th, at the Nebraska City Campus Union’s Regency Suite in downtown Lincoln, where the choice for the 2024 One Book One Nebraska will be announced. This year’s One Book One Nebraska selection will be featured in a key note presentation by Professor Rick Cypert on Mignon Eberhart and her novel The Mystery of Hunting’s End (Bison Books, 1998.) See http://onebook.nebraska.gov or https://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska for more information about ongoing 2023 One Book One Nebraska activities.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books will include readings by the winners of the 2023 Nebraska Book Awards,with book signings by the authors after the event. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission. Humanities Nebraska provides support for the One Book One Nebraska keynote presentation.

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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.    

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Celebrate Nebraska’s 2023 Book Award Winners

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 15, 2023

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2023 Book Award Winners

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2023 Book Award winners with author readings and an awards presentation ceremony at the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Celebration of Nebraska Books. Held at the UNL City Campus Union on October 14th, winners of the 2023 Nebraska Book Awards will be honored and the celebration will include readings by some of the winning authors, designers and illustrators of books with a Nebraska connection published in 2022. And the winners are:

Children’s Design: Eat Your Woolly Mammoths! By James Solheim. Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Children’s Nonfiction: Eat Your Woolly Mammoths! By James Solheim. Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Young Adult: Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell. Publisher: Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

Design: Feeding the Fire by Twyla Hansen. Publisher: Wayne State College Press.

Illustration: The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show by Casey Day Rislov, illustrated by Zachary Pullen. Publisher: Mountain Stars Press.

Fiction: Private Way by Ladette Randolph. Publisher: University of Nebraska Press.

Nonfiction Autobiography: Monkey on the Other Side of the Window: The True Story of the Northeast Nebraska Zoo in Royal, Nebraska by Dick Haskin. Publisher: Morris Publishing.

Nonfiction Biography: The Women Who Built Omaha: A Bold and Remarkable History by Eileen Wirth. Publisher: Bison Books.

Nonfiction Fellowship: From Your Friend, Carey Dean: Letters from Nebraska’s Death Row by Lisa Knopp. Publisher: Cascade Books.

Nonfiction History: Standing Bear’s Quest for Freedom: The First Civil Rights Victory for Native Americans by Lawrence A. Dwyer. Publisher: Bison Books.

Nonfiction Nebraska as Place: Nourishing Waters, Comforting Sky: Thirty-Five Years at a Sandhills Oasis by Stephen R. Jones. Publisher: Bison Books.

Nonfiction Solidarity: Dirt Persuasion: Civic Environmental Populism and the Heartland’s Pipeline Fight by Derek Moscato. Publisher: University of Nebraska Press.

Poetry: A Crazy Little Thing by Lucy Adkins. Publisher: Wayne State College Press.

Poetry Honor: Cord Blood by Bonnie Johnson-Bartee. Publisher: Sandhills Press.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 14th, will also honor winners of the 2023 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The Mildred Bennett Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The Jane Geske Award is presented to a Nebraska organization for exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, libraries, or literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.

The 2023 One Book One Nebraska selection, The Mystery of Hunting’s End by Mignon Eberhart (Bison Books, 1998) will be featured in a keynote presentation. The introduction of the 2024 One Book One Nebraska book choice will conclude the festivities.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for One Book One Nebraska. 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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.    

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Literary Events in September

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

A new month is right around the corner! If you’re looking for something to do in the coming month, check out the NCB Calendar! See what literary events are 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.

Posted in Events, General | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment