free (and almost free) readings

Not a day goes by in New York City without a free poetry reading or a book signing by a famous or not yet famous author. Please see below the schedule of free literary events in New York City and choose one (or more) to your liking.

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Click on an event to see more details.

Sun, May 19 2:00PM	Poetry Reading free	River as Poet's Muse: A Nature Talk with Poet Jonathan Curley New York City, NY; NYC
Sun, May 19 3:00PM	Poetry Reading free	Brooklyn Bridge 130th Anniversary Poetry Reading New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, May 20 7:00PM	Reading free	Mixed Bag: Story Time for Grown-Ups New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, May 20 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Laura Antoniou reads from her novel The Killer Wore Leather New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 21 12:30PM	Book Signing free	Winningest NBA coach Phil Jackson signs copies of his book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 21 5:00PM	Book Reading Free; RSVP recommended	Penelope Niven will read from her book Thornton Wilder: A Life New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 21 7:00PM	Poetry Reading free	Poetry in the Park New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 21 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Tom Clavin reads from his book The DiMaggios: Three Brothers, Their Passion for Baseball, Their Pursuit of the American Dream New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 21 7:00PM	Book Signing free	Khaled Hosseini signs copies of his book And the Mountains Echoed New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Fred Guterl discusses his book The Fate of The Species: Why The Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction And How We Can Stop It New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 4:00PM	Book Reading free	Elsie Augustave reads from her book The Roving Tree New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 6:00PM	Book Reading free	Mark Doty & Darren Waterston discuss their book A Swarm, a Flock, a Host New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Paul Theroux reads from his book The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 7:00PM	Book Reading free	George Packer reads from his book The Unwinding New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Bennett Sims discusses his novel A Questionable Shape New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 22 8:00PM	Reading No cover	Reading: How I Learned to Lie, Cheat or Steal New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, May 28 6:30PM	Book Reading free	Jack Hitt discusses her book Bunch of Amateurs: A Search For the American Character New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 29 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Ben Mezrich discusses his book Straight Flush New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 29 12:30PM	Book Reading $5	Robert Hagstrom discusses his book Investing: The Last Liberal Art New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 29 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Mitchell Zuckoff reads from his book Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 29 7:00PM	Book Reading Free tickets required; donation requested	Mark Cohen discusses his book Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, May 29 8:00PM	Book Reading free	Brian Sweany reads from his book Exotic Music of the Belly Dancer New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, May 30 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Dan Savage discusses his book American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and Politics New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, May 30 6:00PM	Book Reading Free; RSVP recommended	Jonathan Kalb discusses his book Great Lengths: Seven Works of Marathon Theatre New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, May 30 6:00PM	Book Reading free	Jane Aronson reads from her book Carried in Our Hearts: Creating Families Across Continents New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, May 30 7:00PM	Book Reading Free; RSVP required	Elliott Holt discusses her novel You Are One of Them with Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, May 30 7:00PM	Book Reading Free; reservations recommended	Terry Tempest Williams reads from her book When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice New York City, NY; NYC
Fri, May 31 7:00PM	Book Reading Free; reservations recommended	Karen Green reads from her book Bough Down New York City, NY; NYC
Fri, May 31 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Jeremy Scahill reads from his book Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield New York City, NY; NYC
Sun, Jun 2 3:00PM	Poetry Reading free	Marathon Reading of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” New York City, NY; NYC
Tue, Jun 4 7:00PM	Book Reading Free; RSVP required	Roxana Robinson reads from her novel Sparta New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 5 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Lionel Shriver discusses his book Big Brother New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 5 1:00PM	Reading free	Mixed Bag: Story Time for Grown-Ups New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 5 6:30PM	Reading free	Kafka's Last Laugh New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 5 7:00PM	Book Reading free	Lauren Weisberger discusses her book Revenge Wears Prada New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, Jun 6 7:00PM	Book Reading Free; RSVP required	Bill Cheng reads from his novel Southern Cross the Dog New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, Jun 10 6:30PM	Book Reading free	Jane Gross discusses her book A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents – and Ourselves New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, Jun 10 7:00PM	Reading free	Mixed Bag: Story Time for Grown-Ups New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 12 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Philippe Petit discusses his book Why Knot?: How to Tie More Than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots! New York City, NY; NYC
Thu, Jun 13 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Marc Maron discusses his book Attempting Normal New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 19 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Jami Attenberg discusses her book The Middlesteins New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 19 1:00PM	Reading free	Mixed Bag: Story Time for Grown-Ups New York City, NY; NYC
Fri, Jun 21 5:30PM	Book Reading free	Leslea Newman discusses her book October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, Jun 24 6:30PM	Book Reading free	Alfred Pommer & Eleanor Winter discuss their book Exploring New York's Soho New York City, NY; NYC
Mon, Jun 24 7:00PM	Reading free	Mixed Bag: Story Time for Grown-Ups New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jun 26 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Ellin Stein discusses her book That's Not Funny, That's Sick: The National Lampoon and the Comedy Insurgents Who Captured the Mainstream New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jul 10 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Aisha Tyler discusses her book Self-Inflicted Wounds: How I Learned to Embrace the Epic Fail New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jul 17 12:30PM	Book Signing free	Dwight Gooden, former Mets and Yankees pitcher, discusses his memoir Doc New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jul 24 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Colum McCann discusses his book TransAtlantic New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Jul 31 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Writers Lily Koppel and Emma Straub discuss their new books New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Aug 7 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Chuck Klosterman discusses his book I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) New York City, NY; NYC
Wed, Aug 14 12:30PM	Book Reading free	Former MTV VJ Kennedy discusses her book The Kennedy Chronicles: The Golden Age of MTV Through Rose-Colored Glasses New York City, NY; NYC