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  • 2013 Prose Awards

    Chopin Theater 1543 W Division

    Every fall we recognize outstanding short fiction and non-fiction from across the State of Illinois and award $250 cash prizes to one outstanding writer in each category. Please join us...

    $5 – $7

  • TONIC: a soulful celebration

    Vincent Restaurant 1475 W Balmoral , Chicago

    You are cordially invited to TONIC: a soulful celebration! It's been a year of recognition and achievement for the Guild, from inaugurating Brooksday to receiving a major MacArthur Foundation grant....

    $25 – $50

  • Chicago Book Expo

    St. Augustine College 1345 W. Argyle

    The Guild will have a table at the Chicago Book Expo on Sunday, November 24 from 11am-5pm. The Chicago Book Expo has "Chicago’s best independent publishers and authors selling books,...

    FREE

  • Literary Rock & Roll: a life tribute to David Hernandez

    Metro 3730 N Clark St, Chicago

    David Hernandez in rehearsal. (Photo by Tanya Tucka) The Guild Literary Complex and Columbia College Creative Writing Department are pleased to celebrate the life of David Hernandez in this one-of-a-kind event in conjunction with Story Week 2014: “Street Sounds take music, lyrics and song a stimulating step further.” – Chicago Sun Times Chicago’s “unofficial Poet Laureate,”...

    Free

  • Gwendolyn Brooks Community Reading

    Woodson Library 9525 South Halsted

    Saturday, April 12, 2:00 p.m. Woodson Regional Library (Auditorium), 9525 South Halsted   In conjunction with Brooksday—the Guild's annual tribute to author Gwendolyn Brooks—we're pleased to present the Gwendolyn Brooks Community...

  • Safe, But Not Silent: How ICORN helps persecuted writers

    Chicago Temple Building– Pierce Hall 77 W Washington Street, Chicago, United States

    Wednesday, April 23 6:00 p.m. Chicago Temple Building, Pierce Hall Helge Lunde 77 W Washington Street FREE Safe, But Not Silent: How ICORN helps persecuted writers A public talk by...

    Free

  • Applied Words: Voices of Protest

    Facets Multi-Media 1517 W Fullerton Ave, Select a Country:

    Friday, April 25, 7:00 p.m. Facets Multimedia 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. (Note: The same program takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.)   Al-Sheikh, Maarouf Voices of Protest,...

  • Equanimity: Writing and Exile

    Victory Gardens Biograph Theater 2433 North Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

    Presented by Victory Gardens Moderated by John Rich, Executive Director of the Guild Literary Complex Being forced to leave one’s homeland can leave one with a sense of loss, trauma,...

  • TONIC

    Beauty Bar 1444 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

    The Guild’s “good for you” year-end party has returned! This year, after much celebration of our 25th anniversary, we look forward to the future. We plan to celebrate with music,...

    $30

  • Uncharted: a “25 Writers to Watch” kick-off

    Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United States

    As part of the Guild's 25th anniversary last year, we highlighted 25 Chicago area Writers to Watch. This year, we program all of them—starting now! "Uncharted" features readings by Eric...

  • Voices of Protest: Home Edition

    826CHI 1276 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

    In September 2014, the Guild Literary Complex sent five Chicago writers to the 2014 Kapittel International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech in Stavanger, Norway. NOW, for the first time since their return, the authors will give a special reading of creative work inspired by the trip and lead a community dialogue on free...

  • Applied Words: A Dose of Mind and Body

    International Museum of Surgical Science 1524 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL, United States

    For this Applied Words event, we ask our featured artists to give us a dose of health-connected stories of the body and/or mind. Tonight's line-up includes two "Writers to Watch," Rey Andújar and Megan Stielstra, along with special guests Andrew Huff and Samantha Irby. And to make the program more body related, we have partnered...

  • Poetry Reading: Saint Teresa of Jesús, The Birth of a Writer and a Poet

    Instituto Cervantes 31 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL, United States

    Saint Teresa of Jesús held a special, privileged place for books during her life. Not only did she consider books important for her work as a writer, but also as a reader. Saint Teresa mainly wrote prose and her most popular poems are those that reflect her mysticism. In this special event, Instituto Cervantes, contratiempo,...

  • The Alphabet of Distant Harbours

    The Chicago Cultural Center 78 E Washington St.

    The Guild Complex continues a new reading platform to foreground Asian / American authors and themes. Curated by Dipika Mukherjee, this spring's program—The Alphabet of Distant Harbours—features Toni Nealie, Zhou...

  • The Wall of Respect and People’s Art Since 1967 Symposium Opening

    Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Wing 159 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL, United States

    The Guild Literary Complex joins the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and other partners in a symposium launch event tonight to honor and discuss the legacy of the...

  • Applied Words: On Belonging

    Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United States

    In a city—let alone a world—of vast geographies, identities, experience and more, how do we understand our place? Using personal stories, our guest authors will navigate the territory of belonging...

    $5

  • Wink and Whisper: the Guild’s 2015 benefit party

    Uptown Underground 4707 N Broadway, Chicago, IL, United States

    Click here to buy tickets! The Guild Complex is re-imagining the 1920s through music, song, comedy, and dance in our sixth annual benefit, Wink & Whisper: A 1920s LGBT Cabaret....

  • Palabra Pura: Inner Landscape Queens

    Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center 4048 West Armitage, Chicago, United States

    Please note this month's Palabra Pura is taking place at a special location: the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (4048 W Armitage Ave). Three fearless and unique feminine voices with...

    $5

  • Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Choir

    Preston Bradley Center 941 West Lawrence, Chicago, IL, United States

      Tickets available at door (advance sales have ended). Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir is a radical performance community based in New York City, and they are coming...

    $12

  • BrooksDay 2015 – By Any Art Necessary

    Logan Arts Center 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL, United States

    June 7, 2015 marks the Third Annual BrooksDay and promises to be an exciting continuation of The Guild Literary Complex’s signature event with nonstop readings and performances this year in...

  • Luis Rodriguez reading

    Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center 4048 West Armitage, Chicago, United States

    Founder of Tia Chucha Press and L.A. Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez returns to Chicago for a special reading event sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc.     This program takes...

    $5

  • 22nd Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards Program

    Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts 915 E 60th, Chicago, IL, United States

    Update: Congratulations to the winner, Javon J. Smith! After the first four rounds, the finalists were chosen by the live audience—no easy task—and included Aja Zakiya Hall, Cassandra McGovern, Javon...

    $8

  • 100,000 Poets for Change

    Outer Space Studio 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

    Experiment #89: Fight the Power SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th7pm / doors lock 7:30pm A special event with 100 Thousand Poets for Changehttp://www.100tpcmedia.org On September 26, 2015, many poets around the world will make their...

    $4

  • One State Conference & Capital Day

    Hoogland Center for the Arts 420 S. 6th St., Springfield, Illinois, United States

    Join us in Springfield for the largest gathering of the arts and culture community in Illinois! Featuring a keynote address from J. Ivy, sessions hosted by arts leaders from all...

    $30 – $225

  • Going the Distance: A Printers Row Reading with Ana Castillo + Reginald Gibbons

    Printers' Row Lit Fest - Feinberg Foundation Stage Chicago, Illinois

    Two writers—Ana Castillo, Doña Cleanwell Leaves Home and Reginald Gibbons, Sweetbitter—read from their latest work and talk about finding longevity in creative writing and the arts. Conversation moderated by Richard...

    Free

  • A Literary Mash Up at Printers Row Lit Fest

    Come to the Printers Row Lit Fest's Center Stage for a joint reading presented by the Guild Literary Complex, Hypertext, and RHINO Poetry, with two readers each from Chicago's three...

    Free

  • Guild Complex Holiday Mixer

    Epiphany Center for the Arts 201 South Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Join the Guild Complex for a holiday mixer on Thursday, December 14th (6-7:30pm) at the Epiphany Center for the Arts' Golden Hour! Featuring a special artist chat, live music by...

    Free

  • Artists Book House and StoryStudio present: The Future of Literary Stewardship

    Colvin House 5940 N Sheridan Rd., Chicago, Illinois

    Artists Book House And StoryStudio Chicago Invite You To A Special Panel: The Future Of Literary Stewardship. What is literary stewardship/literary community, and how is it currently practiced in Chicago? How do we as individuals,...

    Free

  • FLECHO Book Fair

    We are excited to announce, the Guild Complex will participate in FLECHO in Quibdo, Colombia! From March 20-24, members of the Guild Complex along with 4 talented and creative Afro-Latin...