Here, as promised, is part two of the update – with a ton of events coming up to see you through the fall!
On the first Wednesday of every month, starting on September 3, Poets & Writers Nights will be happening at The 
Spread in Norwalk, CT, from 6-8pm. These events will include a social hour, a 10-minute feature reading and Q&A, a writing prompt, a brief time to write, and a little time to share! It is designed to bring together poets AND writers of other genres for social fun and creative synergy! The September event features fiction writer Chris Belden. Registration is free, but you must register to attend so they know how many to expect.
Join member Libby Waterford for a 7-week session beginning September 10 at the Westport Writers Workshop to work on your current fiction project, no matter the genre. The Upper Level Genre Fiction class is suitable for all genres, including neo-noir, sci-fi, contemporary romance, historical thrillers, and more. Wednesday nights, 6-8pm ET, in person at the Westport Writers’ Workshop or on Zoom.
It’s time for the 9th Annual Norwalk Public Library Author Celebration, and they’ll be hosting a one-day event with CT Book Festivals on Saturday, November 8. If you’re an author who would like to register for a (shared) table, email Luca DiMatteo at luca@
The Brooklyn Book Festival takes place from September 14-22, this year. Find out more here.
The San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival is open for submissions of unpublished work to their annual writing contest in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction/memoir. Entries are welcome in both English and Spanish. The submission deadline is September 15. One winner will be chosen from each category to win one “Works Package” for their annual San Miguel Literary Conference taking place from February 11-15, 2026. This package is worth $1,650 and includes full access to the conference, including parties and receptions, seven workshops, and one six-hour Intensive Workshop. Winners will also receive accommodation for the dates of the conference and have their entries published in the San Miguel Literary Journal. Limited to emerging writers who have not yet published 10,000 copies of any book. Submission guidelines here: The National Spanish Short Story and Poetry Contest is open to all, with no application fee. Additionally, the International Short Story Contest is open to emerging Spanish-speaking writers who do not reside in Mexico, are of legal age, and are interested in writing short stories up to 7,500 words predominantly in the Spanish language. Submit here.
I try to head over to Best Video Film and Cultural Center in Hamden, CT, on the third Thursday of each month, to hear wonderful writers reading. This fall, The Sleeping Giant Reading Series begins on September 18 with Sheila Dietz & Wally Lamm, and continues with Amy Bloom & Joan Wickersham (October 16), Jason Koo & Clifford Thompson (November 20), and Antoinette Brim-Bell & Jill McCorkle on December 18. Subscribe to the Sleeping Giant newsletter here to get updates and reminders once a month. There’s plenty of time to meet and mingle with the many writers to make up the audience.
Libby Waterford is also offering two one-time classes this fall at the Westport Writers’ Workshop: one on author newsletters on September 20, and another on writing a book in a month on October 18. Check out the details and sign up on the website.
I’ll be running three introductory memoir classes at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT, on November 1, 8, and 15. I’m planning a one-off class for people who’ve already taken the course to help them with ideas on how to edit and organize their writing. More to come soon.
Connecticut Book Festivals are looking for volunteers for the Connecticut Book Festival on November 22 at the West Hartford Conference Center, 50 South Main Street. They want “floater” helpers to assist festival committee members with various tasks throughout the day. These include greeting authors, directing them to their tables, and helping with setup and breakdown. It’s a great opportunity to experience the event in preparation for the year you look to apply to be a bookseller! If you are interested, please email Laura English-Boogaert at laura@lauraenglishvo.com.
MEMBER SUCCESSES:
Citadel Press recently published Christopher Shaw Myers’ memoir of his uncle, Robert Shaw: Robert Shaw: An Actor’s Life on the Set of JAWS and Beyond. While including chapters about his role in the film, it focuses largely on what made him the man he was, and the family he grew up in.
Alison McBain’s story “Divided” placed as an honorable mention in the 12th Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest. You can read it here.
Member Larry Terhaar’s next book will be published on September 9. Breath Play is the third crime novel in his Dan Burnett suspense series.
Wayne Lysobey, member of our WritersMic, will be included in Volume 2 of Storied Stuff – Show & Tell for Adults, coming out in October.
See you next month!
