Guild Literary Complex

BrooksDay

BrooksDay is the Guild Literary Complex’s annual celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks, held every year on June 7th, the anniversary of her birth.

Since 2013, BrooksDay has been a marquee event in the Guild’s yearly calendar with many literary, cultural, and civic leaders from Chicago—and beyond—taking the stage to celebrate and honor Gwendolyn Brooks, former poet laureate of Illinois and the first African American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize.

BrooksDay honors her legacy as an artist and an iconic figure of generosity and civic conscience in Chicago and the nation.

Learn more about Gwendolyn Brooks from the Poetry Foundation here.

BROOKSDAY 2023

June 7, 2023 marked the 10th anniversary of BrooksDay, which we celebrated along with the Poetry Foundation’s launch of One Poem, One Chicago.

Learn more about the festivities, check out pictures, and revisit Brooks’ poetry here!

PAST BROOKSDAY EVENTS

07 June 2025
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
National Public Housing Museum,
919 South Ada Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Join us for an unforgettable celebration on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 2pm as we honor the incredible legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks and the generations of Black female poets who […]

Free
07 June 2016
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Chicago Cultural Center,
78 East Washington Street
Chicago, 60602 United States

Welcome to the 4th Annual BrooksDay, a day long celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks Tuesday, June 7, 2016, Time: 10:00 am until 6:00 pm Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St., […]

03 May 2016
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Museum of Contemporary Art,
220 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, 60611 United States

The 4th Annual BrooksDay is right around the corner, and to pique your interest the Guild Literary Complex in conjunction with the Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a preview […]