Past Events

A sold-out audience was on hand for the April 29 screening of The Apprentice. Artist Mary Livoni's short film, The Apprentice, based on Stuart Dybek's short story by the same name, received a rousing ovation. At the conclusion of the screening, Mary and Stuart discussed the film, and the artistic process that led to its creation. The…

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We celebrated Chicago's many wonderful indie bookstores by...buying books at some of them. We visited stores in Chicago, Aurora, St. Charles, Glen Ellyn, Oak Park, Berwyn, and Geneva. ChiLoveBooks did a phenomenal job promoting and tracking all of the happenings. Many people used the site's map to route out a bookstore crawl. There was at…

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Elise Paschen, one of Chicago’s most important writers, released her sixth poetry collection, Blood Wolf Moon, on April 10, 2025. The following night, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame helped celebrate her new release on the occasion of the Cliff Dwellers making her an honorary member. Rachel DeWoskin, Thea Goodman and Lisa Yun Lee formed a…

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On this day-long adventure through Chicago's South Side literary history, we witnessed more than 25 unique sites. On this five-hour tour of Chicago, we visited sites associated with events like The Great Chicago Fire and the Leopold & Loeb Murder Trial; places like “Millionaires Row” and Chess Records; institutions like the old…

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Registration just opened for a creative writing workshop will focus on stories set in Chicago. Students will create and develop their own manuscripts at the same time they explore the greatest Chicago literature. In the first third of each workshop, we'll discuss a published story, with an emphasis on craft features. In the second two parts of…

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A robust audience of more than 70 people showed up to our Zoom conversation with Glennette Tilley Turner on Saturday, February 22. Glennette discussed her new book, as well as her other work as an author, historian, and educator. The prolific and distinguished author is our foremost authority on the Illinois Underground Railroad. During…

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For the fifth straight year, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame hosted a cocktail fundraiser. We returned to the Colvin House, where we split time between the opulent art deco upstairs and decadent speakeasy downstairs. This year’s theme was based on Nelson Algren's classic novel, The Man with the Golden Arm, which won the first…

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On September 24, Alex Kotlowitz became the 17th recipient of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Fuller Award for his lifetime achievements. Ben Austen led a speaking lineup that included Stuart Dybek, Julie Justicz, Meribah Knight, Mary Rowland and Ricardo “Cobe” Williams. The Chopin Theatre ceremony…

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Come to the Hyde Park house where Edgar Lee Masters wrote the classic Spoon River Anthology. Three shows take place in a two-weekend festival celebrating this iconic work from the 1910s. Let the ghost of Edgar Lee Masters take you on an imagined journey to Spoon River, Illinois! Limited tickets are now on sale for each show.  Spoon River…

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Printers Row Lit Fest returns for its 39th year. Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will once again host a tent with partners After Hours, Chicago Poetry Center, Chicago Quarterly Review, Contratiempo, Guild Literary Complex, Rhino, and Stories Matter Foundation. The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will host an open mic for young writers at some point…

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