Past Events

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame Fit/Lit returns for the fall and early winter, and the new session is open to all ages. After a successful inaugural session (and requests from the adults to be included) we decided to expand the program.

What It Is: A community of Chicago book lovers reading Chicago literature and plotting excursions based upon local writers and their books. The idea is to read about and see more of Chicago to deepen our appreciation of our city’s history (literary and otherwise) while reaping the health benefits of some good walks (or bike rides).

How it…

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In this Summer of Covid, we find ourselves struggling to maintain a healthy body and mind while also entertaining ourselves. Parents, especially, want to engage their children with activities outside the television screen. Our new online summer program, Chicago Fit/Lit combines physical fitness (walking or biking), reading (Chicago books) and writing (responses to literary experiences). Video narratives are also an option. The idea is, one week you read The Wizard of Oz, take a trip to Oz Park to see the statue of the Tin Man, and then tell (through writing or video) a little about what you experienced. Share…

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A staged reading of CLHOF founder Don Evans's story "Bah!" will be featured at the Nineteenth Century Club's regular Monday enrichment series. "Bah!" is one of 12 stories in his short story collection, An Off-Whte Christmas, which was just released as an audio and e-book. Kevin Theis, Savanna Rae, and Bryan Wakefield, all affilated with the Oak Park Festival Theatre, provided voice to the story on audio and will peform at the luncheon. Reservations are required for the lunch, which precedes the performance. Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, as a co-sponsoring…

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A party to show our gratitude for all the support we've received throughout the year, from volunteers, to partners, to board members, to authors and scholars. There will be food, drink, and a plenty of conversation. At the party, we'll recap our 2019 accomplishments and unveil our 2020 calendar.

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Our Great Chicago Books Club on Sunday, Sept. 29, will feature Renée Rosen's Windy City Blues the author’s historical novel exploring Chicago’s legendary Chess Records.

The event will be held in a private Evanston home; we'll provide the location if you inquire or register. The first half of the evening is a cocktail party; the second half will be a discussion of Renée’s career, Windy City Blues, and her other titles, including her most recent, Park Avenue Summer.

Registration fee is $60. The money raised supports the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame's other programming, including…

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The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will induct its newest class of three writers on Thursday, Oct. 24 at Cliff-Dwellers, this event will be held at Cliff Dwellers. Though this is a private club, the event is open to the public. Reservations are required. Cost of dinner is $35; to reserve a seat for the program only costs $10. There is a cash bar beginning at 4:30 p.m.; dinner is served at 6:15 p.m.; the ceremony starts promptly at 7:15 p.m. Reservations can also be made by phone at 312-922-8080.

The new class inclues three of our finest historical authors:…

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Sterling Plumpp will receive the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Fuller Award for lifetime achievement at a ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Poetry Foundation. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is highly recommended.

On hand to pay tribute will be a distinguished lineup of speakers and performers, including Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tyehimba Jess, Ronne Hartfield, Duriel E. Harris, Abdul Alkalimat, Reginald Gibbons, Ginger Mance, and Billy Branch. During Sterling’s long and distinguished poetry career, he has written about African American ancestry, racism,…

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Ernest Hemingway, native of Oak Park and inaugural inductee into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, recounted in A Moveable Feast his legendary travels and acquaintances as a struggling young author in 1920s Paris. June Sawers adapted the memoir, along with excerpts from his letters, to capture the essence of Hemingway’s experience in Paris while also including elements from his Oak Park upbringing. Now I Lay Me Down: Hemingway in Paris features a colorful, historic cast of characters that our performers will wonderfully interpret in the joyous Hamburger Mary's Oak Park Show Lounge, just down the…

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This fundraiser will feature a large assortment of used books, including a large number of collectible copies. Among the Chicago authors who've signed books for this sale: Peter Anderson, Carol Anshaw, Elizabeth Berg, Rosellen Brown, Michael Burke, Daniel Burns, Susanna Calkins, Elizabeth Crane, Albert DeGenova, Rita Dragonette, Stuart Dybek, Jonathan Eig, Donald G. Evans, Charles Finch, James Finn Garner, Robert Goldsborough, Kevin Guilfoile, Jane Hamilton, Michael Harvey, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Charles Johnson, Rick Kogan, Alex Kotlowitz,

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Our Great Chicago Books Club on Sunday, July 28, will feature Audrey Niffeneggers’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, the author’s debut novel and a long-standing bestseller. The Newberry Library, which is the start of our Gold Coast Literary Tour, features prominently in the story.

The evening begins with cocktails at five p.m., followed by a sit-down dinner from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dessert will be served during the book discussion, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

Registration is limited to twelve for the whole program, and an additional five for discussion/dessert only. The cost for the full program is $200,…

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