We are excited about upcoming WNBA events! We have events for members only and some that are open to non-members as well.
The WNBA provides regular programming at the national level and through our chapters. During the coronavirus pandemic, all events are virtual.
If you are a member, you can join our Bookwoman Book Club, which reads books from the Great Group Reads lists. See what we’re reading in the next few months!
Details for WNBA-National events, such as Zoom links and passwords, are sent out through our Bookwoman Event emails and are posted in our Facebook groups (Bookwoman Book Club and WNBA Talks Books) or on our WNBA Facebook page.
Login information for Chapter events will be sent out by the chapters.
Not all events hosted by Chapters are posted here. Check your Chapter’s website or newsletter for chapter-only events.
We hope you’ll join us!
Join Us for WNBA Events
October 13
Illuminating the Marginalized: A Historical Fiction Panel
12:00 pm PT
Free and Open to All
On Zoom
Co-hosted by WNBA-San Francisco & the Mechanics’ Institute Library
Join us and Mechanics’ Institute Library for a compelling panel discussion with four noted historical fiction authors who give voice to the long-silent, marginalized peoples lost in the shadowy past.
Learn how the writers create fresh, authentic tales that mesmerize readers, engage curiosity, and offer in-depth historical understanding never gained in school. These narratives transform readers’ hearts and minds about the unsung peoples of history.
Each author will share their wisdom, tips, and techniques for conjuring historical persons and their struggles. Writers may adapt these approaches to any genre that seeks to spark interest in the marginalized of the past, present, or future.
Featuring the following panel members:
- Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte (WNBA-SF)
- Diana Giovinazzo (WNBA-LA)
- Connie Matsumoto (WNBA-DC)
- Mary Volmer (WNBA-SF)
- Gini Grossenbacher (WNBA-SF)
October 15
Southern Festival of Books: Coffee with Authors
9:30 am CT
Free and Open to All, registration is requested
In Person
Hosted by WNBA-Nashville
The 34th Annual Southern Festival of Books is just around the corner! The festival will take over Nashville October 14–16, and you can attend our popular Coffee with Authors on October 15.
The festival is free, and there will be more than 60 publishers and booksellers as well as performances and food trucks!
You can join us in the auditorium of the Nashville Downtown Public Library for a fantastic panel discussion featuring:
- Jennifer Close, Marrying the Ketchups
- Taylor Harris, This Boy We Made
- Annie Hartnett, Unlikely Animals
- Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Moderated by Mary Laura Philpott, Bomb Shelter.
Location: Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219
October 19
Freedom to Read: the impact of book censorship and banning
6:00 pm ET
Free for WNBA Members, donations welcome
In Person
Hosted by WNBA-South Florida
How do book bans affect our society, democracy, and education?
Learn from a panel of experts as they discuss these important issues from the perspective of librarians, authors, and educators.
Speakers:
- Isabella Rowan, Delray Beach Public Library
- Hayley St.John-Ayer, No. Broward Regional Library/Broward College
- Pat Schuman, Neal Schuman Publishing and former president, American Library Association
For more infomation, email southflorida@wnba-book.org.
October 20
Literary Society
7:00 pm CT
Free and Open to All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-Nashville
Come join us for a discussion about books! We’ll discuss latest reads and recommendations.
Email nashville@wnba-books.org for the Zoom link.
October 25
Bookwoman Book Club Discussion: Blame by Michelle Huneven
7:00 pm ET
Free for All WNBA Members*
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-National
Come talk about the book!
*The Zoom link is sent the day of to all members of the Bookwoman Book Club, which is open to all WNBA members. To join the BBC, email Julie at communications@wnba-books.org, and tell her which chapter you belong to.
About the Book:
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; 2010 Great Group Reads
Patsy MacLemoore, a twenty-eight-year-old history professor with a brand-new Ph.D. and a wild streak, wakes up in jail — yet again — after another epic alcoholic blackout. This time, though, a mother and daughter are dead, run over in Patsy’s driveway. Patsy will the next decades of her life atoning for this unpardonable act. She goes to prison, sobers up, marries a much older man she meets in AA, and makes ongoing amends to her victims’ family. Then, another piece of news turns up, casting her crime, and her life, in a different and unexpected light.
Brilliant, morally complex, and often funny, Blame is a breathtaking story of contrition and what it takes to rebuild a life from the bottom up.
October 26
Writing Workshop Getting Media Attention to Drive Book Sales and Your Career!
12:00 pm PT
Free and Open for All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-San Francisco
Have fun, sell more books, and grow a garden of great publicity for your book and your career!
Publicity is the most powerful and cost-effective tool around to attract and retain readers for your book. It can help you make your mark in the marketplace and multiply your profits.
Based on her international bestseller, Guerrilla Publicity, Jill Lublin shares simple strategies to help you go from unknown to newsworthy. By sharing her proven secrets to understanding what the media wants, you will be provided with short-term, doable tactics that boost visibility for you and your brand. These tips will drive buyers to your book and profits to your pockets!
Jill is an international speaker on the topics of radical influence, publicity, networking, kindness, and referrals. She is the author of four bestselling books. Jill is a master strategist on how to position your business for more profitability and visibility in the marketplace. She is CEO of a strategic consulting firm and has over 25 years of experience working with over 100,000 people plus national and international media. Not only does Jill teach a virtual Publicity Crash Course, she consults and speaks all over the world. She also helps authors to create book deals with major publishers and agents, as well as obtain foreign rights deals.
October 27
Transformative Women
7:30 pm ET
Free for WNBA members (with discount code*)
$10 for non-members
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-NYC
Meet the authors of two compelling nonfiction books and learn the true stories of impressive women who were ahead of their times in in many ways.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, these women changed the idea of what women’s work is and advocated for women’s freedoms and rights, just like the women who founded the WNBA did at about the same time.
Participants:
- Betsy Prioleau, Diamonds and Deadlines: a Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age
- Roz Reisner, moderator
*Please email president@wnba-nyc.org for the registration link and/or to get the discount code. Please share which chapter you are a member of for code.
November 2
Open Mic Night with Hank Phillipi Ryan
7:00 pm ET
Free and Open for All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-Boston
Join us for our Third Annual Open Mic that will be hosted by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
The event is open to the public, and members of the WNBA are invited to read at the “virtual microphone.” Before registering as a reader, make sure to join or renew. Read an excerpt from your original work or from a favorite author. Reading spots are limited, so please sign up soon!
Guidelines for sharing at the mic:
- You will be notified by email if you have secured a spot at the mic
- Readings must be three minutes or less
- Four days before the event, you will be asked to submit the excerpt you will share
Hank Phillippi Ryan, the USA Today bestselling author of 13 psychological thrillers, and winner of the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, four Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. She’s the only author to have won the Agatha in four categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Non-Fiction.
Hank’s newest is Her Perfect Life, a chilling psychological standalone about fame, family, and revenge. It is now nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. Her next is The House Guest, coming February 2023.
FYI, last year, Linda Rosen, WNBA-South Florida member, interviewed Hank and her co-host about First Chapter Fun.
November 3
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month and the Publications of A Light to Do Shellwork: A Virtual Poetry Reading
4:00 pm PT
Free and Open to All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-SF
Reading poetry is wonderful, but hearing poetry read aloud brings the work to life in a different way.
Come celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by listening to Georgiana Valoyce-Sanchez, Deborah A. Miranda, and Linda Hogan, three poets of Native American heritage, read their work and celebrate the publication of the poetry collection A Light to Do Shellwork By: Poems by Georgiana Valoyce–Sanchez.
A Light to Do Shellwork By: Poems is available for pre-order before its November 14 release date.
November 3
Nashville November Meeting
5:30 pm CT
Free and Open to All
In Person
Hosted by WNBA-Nashville
Join us for our upcoming meeting, which will feature a presentation by a local author.
All people in the Nashville area are welcome to join us. Please note that each person is responsible for their own dinner costs.
Location: Dalts American Grill, 38 White Bridge Road, Nashville, TN 37205
November 4
WNBA Focuses
12:00 pm ET
Free for All WNBA Members
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-National
Join our monthly accountability group! The group meets the first Friday of the month to share goals, wins, information, and ideas. This group aims to support members as they focus on and work toward their professional goals.
This group is open to all WNBA members no matter what your profession is. And if you don’t know what your goals are yet, we might be able to help you figure them out!
November 15
Getting Your Foot in the Door: Publishing in Literary Magazines
6:30 pm ET
Free and Open to All
On Crowdcast
Hosted by WNBA-DC
Want to submit your work to magazines but don’t know how?
In this workshop led by Meg Eden Kuyatt, you’ll learn what literary magazines are and what editors are looking for in submissions, do a “translation” exercise, and get tips on how to get the most out of a lit mag and for approaching writing a cover letter and contributor bio, as well as how to handle rejections.
The skills you learn in this session can easily apply to other publication realms, including writing to agents and editors of small book presses.
All participants will receive digital access to sample literary magazines.
November 16
WNBA Connects
6:00 pm ET
Free and Open to All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-National
Come and talk to other people in our community! Catch up with acquaintances, meet new people, talk about books, and learn more about WNBA.
No elevator pitches needed, just come tell us about yourself.
November 19
Nashville Book Club: The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
10:00 am CT
Free and Open to All
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-Nashville
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by reading this 2021 Great Group Reads selection and discussing it with fellow booklovers.
To register for the discussion, please email nashville@wnba-books.org. You will be sent the link to the Zoom discussion.
About the Book:
2021 Great Group Reads
A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakota family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.
November 29
Bookwoman Book Club Discussion: A Girlhood: Letter to My Transgender Daughter by Carolyn Hays
7:00 pm ET
Free for All WNBA Members*
On Zoom
Hosted by WNBA-National
Celebrate National Transgender Awareness Month by reading this fantastic book!
*The Zoom link is sent the day of to all members of the Bookwoman Book Club, which is open to all WNBA members. To join the BBC, email Julie at communications@wnba-books.org, and tell her which chapter you belong to.
About the Book:
2022 Great Group Reads
A parent’s love letter to a daughter who has always known exactly who she is.
One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the Hays family’s door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this knock, this threat, that began the family’s journey out of the Bible Belt but never far from the hate and fear resting at the nation’s core.
Self-aware and intimate, A Girlhood asks us all to love better, not just for the sake of Hays’s child but for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice just as they begin to understand themselves.
A Girlhood is a call to action, an ode to community, a plea for empathy, a hope for a better future.
A Girlhood is a love letter to a child who has always known exactly who she is—and who is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.
Attend
If you’d like to attend a WNBA event, please follow the direction found in each event.
If you aren’t a WNBA member, but you would like to attend some of our members-only events, you can join at any time!
We have chapters across the country, and our Network membership is perfect for anyone who does not live near one of our chapter cities.
Participate
If you’d like to be part of a panel or author talk or give a webinar or workshop, please simply email Julie at communications [at] wnba-books.org.
Check Back Soon for More WNBA Events
New events are coming, so check back soon. All event details are sent via our Bookwoman event emails, so make sure you are signed up.
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