free things to do in New York City
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More
Are you looking for literary events like book readings, book signings, poetry readings? Then you came to the right place. Start using these unique New York City opportunities today!
Are you looking for literary events like book readings, book signings, poetry readings? Then you came to the right place. Start using these unique New York City opportunities today!
Join the Club!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
14 free poetry readings, book signings, author readings in New York City (NYC) Fri, 12/12/2025 - and on...
Not a day goes by in New York City (NYC) without a free poetry reading or a book signing or a book reading by a famous or not yet famous author. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!
Author Reading | Author & Crafter Discusses Her New Book, With Her Hands, & Make Holiday Ornaments
"A sweeping investigation of the role of textile work in women’s lives... women’s history." -Kirkus Reviews Celebrate Nicole Nehrig's new book, With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories, and make felt ornaments to gift a loved one or to hang on your own tree-- led by the author herself! Nicole Nehrig is a clinical and research psychologist and a passionate knitter and textile crafter living in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a PhD in clinical psychology. The talk will be followed by a book signing. Books signed at the bookstore events must be purchased from this bookstore. Tickets include craft supplies. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Cost of a $5 general admission ticket can be applied towards your purchase.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sun, Dec 14
1:30 pm
$5, tickets required
1:30 pm
$5, tickets required
Reading | New Books by Theatre Artsists with Discussion (In Person AND Online!)
Celebrate new publications by theatre artists Karen Malpede and Penny Arcade: Malpede's Last Radiance and 4 by Malpede plus an Intervention, as well as Arcade's Bad Reputation. The evening will feature readings from both of Malpede's books, and a reading from Arcade's book with filmmaker Steve Zehentner. Followed by a panel with the authors and Marvin Carlson, moderated by Frank Hentschker.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 15
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Holiday Poetry Discussion
Attend with fellow poetry enthusiasts to unpack the layered meanings of poetry through an informal group discussion. This December, celebrate the season with heartwarming poems about gathering, holidays, and community. Please note that contemporary poetry deals frankly with contemporary issues and all works discussed are artistic expressions selected for an adult audience.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
2:30 pm
Free
2:30 pm
Free
Author Reading | Chanukah Folktales from the Village of Chelm (Online!)
Celebrate Chanukah with author and storyteller Izzy Abrahmson, who shares humorous and heartwarming tales from his fictional Jewish village of Chelm, where wisdom and foolishness often look the same. Drawing from his book Winter Blessings, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards, Abrahmson offers an hour of original stories inspired by classic Yiddish folklore, filled with laughter, community, and holiday spirit.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
6:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish, registration required
6:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish, registration required
Poetry Reading | Multilingual Poetry Night: Quantum Age
Discover the concepts of Quantum Age Poetry and Quantum Poetics with this multilingual poetry event exploringinnovative poetic frameworks.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 17
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Local Poets Take the Stage
Live poetry curated by local poet and playwright Galinsky, with "Five Minute Features" from a dozen poets of all styles.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 18
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Open Mic | Poetry, Music, and Comedy Showcase (Online!)
Join a weekly online showcase featuring poems, songs, and comedy. Performers can sign up for a 4-minute spot by reserving one of 20 Artist-RSVP tickets, available starting Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET. If all spots are filled, performers may join the “good-luck round” at the end of the session. Audience members are welcome to watch live via Zoom.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 18
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Poetry Open Mic: Share Your Work or Listen to Emerging Writers
Participants can share their original work for up to five minutes. Space is limited to 15 readers; show up on time to get a slot!
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 19
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 pm
Free
Open Mic | Share Your Poetry & Listen to Others
Sign ups start from 7:30PM. 5-minute time slots. All performers welcome! Hosted by Ed Lin
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 19
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Open Mic | Poetry, Music, and Comedy Showcase (Online!)
Join a weekly online showcase featuring poems, songs, and comedy. Performers can sign up for a 4-minute spot by reserving one of 20 Artist-RSVP tickets, available starting Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET. If all spots are filled, performers may join the “good-luck round” at the end of the session. Audience members are welcome to watch live via Zoom.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Thu, Dec 25
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Day of Poetry & Music (+ Open Mic)
Nuyorican Poets Cafe hosts a day of poetry by Nuyorican poets, music by Johnny Mambo and Friends, and an open mic for guest poets in the audience.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Jan 3
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Reading | Publishers Weekly Writer Shares Her New Nonfiction Book, Nothing Random
Publishers Weekly writer/editor Gayle Feldman reads from her new book Nothing Random. Synopsis: At midcentury, everyone knew Bennett Cerf: witty, beloved, middle-aged panelist on What’s My Line? whom TV brought into America’s homes each week. But they didn’t know that the handsome, driven, paradoxical young man of the 1920s had vowed to become a great publisher and, a decade later, was. By then, he’d signed Eugene O’Neill, Gertrude Stein, and William Faulkner, and had fought the landmark censorship case that gave Americans the freedom to read James Joyce’s Ulysses. With his best friend and lifelong business partner Donald Klopfer, and other young Jewish entrepreneurs like the Knopfs and Simon & Schuster, Cerf remade the book business: what was published, and how. Using interviews with more than two hundred individuals, deeply researched archival material, and letters from private collections not previously available, this book brings Bennett Cerf to vibrant life.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Jan 20
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Reading | NYT Journalist Shares His New Book, Dining Out: First Dates, Defiant Nights, and Last Call Disco Fries at America's Gay Restaurants
In this conversation about Dining Out: First Dates, Defiant Nights, and Last Call Disco Fries at America's Gay Restaurants, author Erik Piepenburg takes us on a culinary tour of spaces filled with joy, sex, sorrow, activism, and nostalgia, joined by colleagues from the food world Florent Morellet, Telly Justice, and Camille Lindsley. Dining Out explores how gay people came of age, came out, and fought for their rights not just in gay bars or the streets, but in restaurants. From cruisy urban cafeterias of the 1920s to mom-and-pop diners that fed the Stonewall generation to the intersectional hotspots of the early 21st century. Using archival material, original reporting and interviews, and first-person accounts, Erik Piepenburg explores how LGBTQ restaurants shaped and continue to shape generations of gay Americans.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Jan 26
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Poetry Open Mic: Share Your Work or Listen to Emerging Writers
Participants can share their original work for up to five minutes. Space is limited to 15 readers; show up on time to get a slot!
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Jan 30
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 pm
Free
Join the Club!
Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Play | Broadway Stars in a Play About Lifelong Friendship
Regular Price: $77CFT Member Price: $0.00
Jazz | Christmas Concert with Groundbreaking Musician at Legendary Jazz Club
Regular Price: $65CFT Member Price: $0.00
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