Fall into the school season with literary events through the state! If you’re looking for something to do in September, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!
- September 1, 2026 Mark Sanders Poetry Reading & Discussion
Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Mark Sanders’ poetry explores the grit of the Great Plains with the tenderness of memory and the human heart. Join us for an evening of poems that reflect on home, time, and the ways we grow into our best selves.
- September 3, 2026 Visiting Author: Van Jensen “Godfall”
Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Join us as we welcome back to Francie & Finch Bookshop author Van Jensen! We will be celebrating the hardcover publication of his novel Godfall, and will hear about the upcoming sequel, Godrise, set to release in January 2027!
- September 4, 2026 First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Marjorie Saiser
Zoom, 12:00 pm
Marjorie Saiser’s eighth book, The Track the Whales Make, deals with some ways love goes right and love goes wrong. Saiser earned her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her work has received the WILLA Award and the High Plains Book Award.
- September 5, 2026 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Omaha Workshops Fall 2026
Nebraska Wildlife Rehab’s Baldwin Center, Conference Room, 9777 M St.
Omaha, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
In partnership with the Nebraska Writing Project and the Veterans Administration, Humanities Nebraska launched a new writing program in 2014 designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by Jen Stastny and Cindy Cronn, with guest speaker Rachel Bash.
- September 5, 2026 Nebraska Homegrown Series from Jewel Rodgers
Chadron Open Art, 223 Main St.
Chadron, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Organized by Nebraska State Poet Jewel Rodgers, Homegrown is a traveling community arts series where everyone is welcome to listen, connect, or share original work. Enjoy a popcorn-style community reading, performances by Jewel and other notable poets, and an open share featuring poetry, stories, music, visual art, and more. Prefer to just listen? Come as you are. Snacks and light refreshments provided. Free and open to all. Readings by: Jewel Rodgers, Stephanie E. Glass, Robert McEwen, and John L. Harmon. Hosted by Love is for All – Chadron, a chapter of Panhandle Equality.
- September 7, 2026 Sower Books 2nd Birthday Celebration
Sower Books, 914 N 70th St.
Lincoln, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sower Books are turning 2 & cannot wait to celebrate with you! There will be an Author event at 1:00 pm, snacks, Sales, fairy gardens, giveaways, & more! We hope you come celebrate with us & thank you endlessly for your support!
- September 7, 2026 Author Event with Ryan T. Pozzi
Sower Books, 914 N 70th St.
Lincoln, 1:00 – 2:20 pm
Ryan brings a dynamic, engaging performance featuring smart humor, interactive crowd elements, and polished musical examples that elevate every moment. The Mess That Made Them: How History’s Greatest Artists Failed, Floundered, and Made Something Brilliant Anyway starts with a simple question: what happens when things fall apart, and what do we really mean when we talk about genius?
- September 11, 2026 Omaha Reads: Shelby Van Pelt Author Visit
Omaha Central Library, 7205 Dodge St.
Omaha, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with Shelby Van Pelt, author of the 2026 Omaha Reads book, Remarkably Bright Creatures, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Copies of Remarkably Bright Creatures, will be available for purchase and signing.
- September 12, 2026 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Lincoln Workshops Fall 2026
Pius X High School, 6000 A St. (West entrance 8)
Omaha, 9:00 – 11:00 am
In partnership with the Nebraska Writing Project and the Veterans Administration, Humanities Nebraska launched a new writing program in 2014 designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by Tom Seib and Stephen Swinehart, with guest speaker Liz Kay.
- September 12, 2026 Poetry Workshop: Paying Homage to Families
Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St.
Omaha, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Since the next day is Grandparents’ Day, we will be celebrating everything to do with families! Bring your gratitude, your funny stories, your tearful memories. Let’s get these down on paper, ready to share. Let’s discuss how to turn a story into a poem, a joke into verse. Bring a notebook and writing utensil. Led by Julie S. Paschold.
- September 12, 2026 Author Event with Hope Marie Baker
Sower Books, 914 N 70th St.
Lincoln, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
420 Moms! A must read PTA Drama! We are bragging a bit because hope is one of us and many of you know her! Hope Marie Baker is an author, wife, mom, animal lover, and firm believer that iced coffee has no bedtime. She writes horror, thrillers, and comedy with plenty of dark humor and just the right amount of chaos.
- September 13, 2026 Weaving Your Story: Cecilia Vargas and Visiting Author Illustrator Gina Wei
Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
Lincoln, 12:00 – 3:00 pm
Join us for this family fun event! Working with beloved organizations Echo Collective and Linked 2 Literacy, Francie and Finch Bookshop will be hosting special Welcoming Week activities. Create your own woven bookmark with Cecilia Vargas, all supplies will be provided. Joining the fun will be author and illustrator Gina Wei at 2:00 to talk about her new children’s book The Lion Dancer (available for purchase at the event).
- September 16, 2026 Writing in English: A Community Writing Group for Multilingual Adults
Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N Cotner Blvd.
Lincoln, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Writing in English is for adults whose first language is not English and who would like more opportunities to practice writing in English. Each session is led by an experienced facilitator and begins with a short reading that introduces a topic or theme. The facilitator then offers a series of writing prompts, ideas and suggestions to help you get started. We’ll spend a short time writing together, then we’ll share our thoughts about how each individual approached the writing experience. As we talk together, we’ll explore the different ways a single idea can be expressed in English. Those who wish to may read their work aloud, but sharing new writing is always your choice. This program is made possible by a grant from the Sherwood Foundation. Meets on the First and Third Wednesday of each month.
- September 16, 2026 Panel Discussion – “The Lives of Immigrants and Refugees: Tales of Migration, Hope, Grief, and Finding Home in Nebraska”
Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Join us as we hear stories from the new book from University of Nebraska Press, The Lives of Immigrants and Refugees: Tales of Migration, Hope, Grief, and Finding Home in Nebraska. The Lives of Immigrants and Refugees offers thirty-one essays by immigrants and refugees who now call Lincoln, Nebraska, home. These individuals have found support, belonging, and opportunity through the collaborative work of Lincoln’s New Americans Task Force members and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Welcoming and Belonging Strategic Plan. The stories in this book are brilliant, harrowing, poetic, and revelatory. They’re also stories of survival, resilience, creativity, and a staggering amount of work: learning a new language, navigating a challenging immigration system, being perceived as a foreigner, struggling to grasp strange new customs and traditions, working one’s way out of extreme poverty, working through trauma and grief. Those of us who have had the good fortune of not being displaced have much to learn by listening.
- September 17, 2026 Poetry Pause at Joslyn Castle
Joslyn Castle & Gardens, 3902 Davenport St.
Omaha, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Close out the Poetry Pause season with four local poets: Kiara Nicole Letcher, Tyler Michael Jacobs, Anna Schmeer, and Nicole Stander. Join us during the Art Walk for a free evening of poems, conversation, and audience questions.
- September 17, 2026 Writers in Conversation – Third Thursday with Alison Pearce Stevens and Carla Ketner
Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N Cotner Blvd.
Lincoln, 6:00 - 7:30 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. Join for discussion between writers Alison Pearce Stevens and Carla Ketner.
- September 17, 2026 Poetry reading by Mike Stinson, Heidi Hermanson, and Greg Kosmicki at Postscript
Postscript, 1439 Silver St.
Ashland, 7:00 pm
Kosmicki is the founder of The Backwaters Press, author of 15 books and chapbooks of poetry. Stinson is a retired psychotherapist, who has two published chapbooks, Extra Innings, as well as Much Needed Rain from WSC Press in 2026. Hermanson was a recipient of the Nebraska Individual Art Fellowship and her third book, Compass, is forthcoming.
- September 17, 2026 Virtual Author Series: Richard Norton Smith
Zoom, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
We are honored to welcome renowned author and historian Richard Norton Smith for a conversation about Willa Cather, My Mortal Enemy, and Cather’s enduring place in American literature. You won’t want to miss this engaging discussion! Richard Norton Smith is an author, historian, biographer, and former director of five presidential libraries, including the Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and the Gerald R. Ford; the founding executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; and founding director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas.
- September 18, 2026 Book Launch: Luis Othoniel Rosa “El Gato En El Remolino/Animal Spiral”
Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
Lincoln, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Join us for a book launch you don’t want to miss! Author Luis Othoniel Rosa will be presenting his book El Gato En El Remolino, and the English language version, translated by Katie Marya, Animal Spiral.
- September 19, 2026 Ready for the Marvelous with Kemi Alabi
Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Break from the expected and write toward the marvelous. Through surrealist poems and playful prompts, this generative workshop helps poets tap the unconscious, challenge repression, and unlock bolder, more imaginative work.
- September 19, 2026 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Omaha Workshops Fall 2026
Nebraska Wildlife Rehab’s Baldwin Center, Conference Room, 9777 M St.
Omaha, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
In partnership with the Nebraska Writing Project and the Veterans Administration, Humanities Nebraska launched a new writing program in 2014 designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by Jen Stastny and Cindy Cronn, with guest speaker Vanessa Kalil.
- September 22, 2026 One Author Kearney: Writers’ Workshop with Patti Callahan Henry
Kearney Public Library, Platte Room, 2020 1st Ave.
Kearney, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Join author Patti Callahan Henry for a writing workshop certain to grow your writing life. She is the author of seventeen novels, including her newest, The Story She Left Behind. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have been recognized as a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, Amazon Editor Pick, Goodreads Book of the Year finalist, People Magazine Choice, and Book of the Month selection. Registration is $20.
- September 22, 2026 One Author Kearney: Writers’ Workshop with Patti Callahan Henry
Kearney Public Library, Platte Room, 2020 1st Ave.
Kearney, 7:00 pm
The Kearney Public Library Foundation and the library proudly present an evening with Patti Callahan Henry! A book signing will follow the presentation. This is a free, ticketed event. Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author of seventeen novels, including her newest release, The Story She Left Behind. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages and have been recognized as a Barnes and Noble Book Club Pick, Amazon Editor Pick, Goodreads Book of the Year finalist, People Magazine Choice, and Book of the Month Selection.
- September 23, 2026 Kurt Andersen Author Visit
Omaha Central Library, 7205 Dodge St.
Omaha, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Join Omaha native Kurt Andersen for a conversation with Jeff Koterba about his fifth novel, The Breakup. A bestselling author, journalist, screenwriter, and playwright, Andersen has contributed to The Atlantic and The New York Times, served as a staff writer and critic at The New Yorker and Time, hosted the Peabody Award-winning public radio show Studio 360, edited New York magazine, and co-founded the influential satirical publication Spy magazine. Jeff Koterba is a creativity coach, cartoonist, musician, and author. He was the editorial cartoonist for the Omaha World-Herald from 1989 until September 2020 and his work is syndicated nationwide to over 850 newspapers by Cagle Cartoons. Copies of Kurt’s books will be available for purchase and signing. This is a free event for adults.
- September 23, 2026 UNO Fall 2026 Writer’s Workshop Reading Series: Prageeta Sharma
Samual Bak Museum, 2289 S 67th St.
Omaha, 7:30 pm
Prageeta Sharma is the author of six collections of poetry, most recently, Onement Won (Wave, 2025) and Grief Sequence (Wave, 2019), which was a finalist for the 2020 Four Quartets Prize. A visionary leader in the literary arts, she is the founder of “Thinking Its Presence: Race, Creative Writing, and Literary Studies,” an interdisciplinary national conference that reshaped institutional conversations around race and creative practice. Her debut collection, The Opening Question (2004), won the Fence Modern Poets Prize, and she is a recipient of a 2025 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowship and a 2010 Howard Foundation Award. She is currently the Henry G. Lee ’37 professor of English at Pomona College, where she received the 2023 Wig Distinguished Professor Award for excellence in teaching and mentorship.
- September 25, 2026 Visiting Author: Chet Hardin “The Vampire’s Cult”
Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Join us as we welcome journalist and author Chet Hardin. Published in August 2026, Hardin’s new book The Vampire’s Cult exposes the twisted world of Aubrey Trail, an aging con man who presented himself as an all-powerful being, and Bailey Boswell, the woman who called herself his “queen.” Henry J. Cordes, author of Pathological: The Murderous Rage of Dr. Anthony Garcia, tells Hardin’s readers, “If you thought the 2017 murder of Sydney Loofe was bizarre, you don’t know the half of it until you’ve read Chet Hardin’s amazing account of the disappearance and murder that captivated Nebraska. Deeply reported and well-written, it offers amazing jailhouse insight into how the minds of Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell became so strangely and tragically twisted. A great addition to the legacy of true crime on the Great Plains.”
- September 26, 2026 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Lincoln Workshops Fall 2026
Pius X High School, 6000 A St. (West entrance 8)
Omaha, 9:00 – 11:00 am
In partnership with the Nebraska Writing Project and the Veterans Administration, Humanities Nebraska launched a new writing program in 2014 designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by Tom Seib and Stephen Swinehart, with guest speaker Sarah McKinstry-Brown.
- September 26, 2026 Writing with Larksong: Bridging the Miles
Zoom, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Writing with Larksong: Bridging the Miles is a live online writing series for people who would like to write in the company of others and get to know writers from communities across Nebraska and beyond. Each month, a different published writer will join us to read from their work and talk about some aspect of writing or the creative process. The guest writer will offer prompts and ideas, and we’ll spend time writing together. You’ll leave each session with new writing of your own. We’ll also make time for conversation, including small breakout groups where participants can meet and get to know other writers. This month’s session will be led by Nebraska author Karen Gettert Shoemaker, author of The Meaning of Names.
- September 30, 2026 UNO Fall 2026 Writer’s Workshop Reading Series: Tisa Bryant
Criss Library, 6401 S University Dr Rd N.
Omaha, 7:30 pm
Tisa Bryant is the author of Residual, a nonfiction assemblage of the interiors of grief, the home as archive, and the mystery of mothers, published in 2026 from Nightboat Books. Her first book, Unexplained Presence, a collection of hybrid essays on the mythologies of Black presences in film, literature and visual art, was reissued by Wave Books in 2024. She is co-editor of the three-volume, cross-referenced literary journal, The Encyclopedia Project, and collaborated with Ernest Hardy on The Black Book, a series of visual mixtapes and love letters to Black people and Black culture, presented at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, is an editor of hybrid writing for Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, and editor for The Deep West Assembly, a monograph of recent works by filmmaker Cauleen Smith. Her writing has appeared in exhibition catalogs for the Studio Museum in Harlem, for artists Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Laylah Ali, Suné Woods and Jaime Cortez, and in various anthologies and publications. She is Associate Professor of English in the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
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.
