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!
29 free poetry readings, book signings, author readings in New York City (NYC) Sun, 02/22/2026 - 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 & Illustrator Duo Share Their New Children's Book, Emily Saw a Door
Celebrate the launch of Emily Saw a Door with author Mel Rosenberg and illustrator Orit Magia. Knock, knock. Who’s there? It’s me, Emily. May I come in? And so begins Emily’s search for a door that will open. The first door is blue, and the voice behind the door tells Emily that she doesn’t sound very bluish. The second door says it only opens for tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. But she is a girl named Emily– and the animals are hungry–and so she moves on. The third is only for people who speak very quietly, and the door can hear Emily. Finally, Emily comes to a place without a door. She gets out her chalk and draws one, then adds a doorknob, and goes right in. And when someone knocks on her door, she says, “The door is open!” Here is a wonderful book about inclusion, acceptance, and opening doors for others.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Feb 24
4:00 pm
Free
4:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Young Adult Author Corey Ann Haydu Shares Her Books & Discusses Her Craft
Attend a reading and conversation with author Corey Ann Haydu (OCD Love Story, Eventown) as she sits down with Emily X.R. Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) to talk about process, craft, working across genres and categories, and maintaining a creative life.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Feb 24
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Two Authors Share New Fiction (+ Conversation/Q&A)
A reading by Emily Nemens and Stephanie Wambugu, followed by a conversation/Q&A with Darin Strauss. Emily Nemens is the author of the novels The Cactus League (2020) and Clutch (2026). Stephanie Wambugu's work appears in The Nation, Granta, frieze, Bookforum, and The Drift. Her debut novel, Lonely Crowds, was published in 2025. The event will conclude with a reception/signing with books for sale.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Feb 26
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Evening of Local Poetry
Enjoy an evening of poetry with 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, Feb 26
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Poet Eugene Ostashevsky Shares His New Works on Translation & Translingualism
Enjoy a poetry reading by Eugene Ostashevsky. Moderated by Mark Lipovetsky. Eugene Ostashevsky will read his translated and original poetry and discuss the difference between the two. How do translation and translingualism differ in their handling of the sounds and shapes of language? Why is it a mistake to think of poetry as always already a translation? Why is translingualism, in calling attention to language only, a misnomer? And other such things that you did not know you wanted to know you shall know.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Feb 27
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 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
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Fri, Feb 27
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 pm
Free
Open Mic | Afternoon of Showcasing Creativity: Artists, Poets, Musicians, & More
Enjoy an afternoon of creativity and talent as local artists, poets, musicians, and performers and more take the stage. Whether you want to showcase your own skills or simply enjoy the show, this is the place to be. Let your voice be heard and your talent shine in a welcoming and supportive environment. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with fellow creatives and entertain a friendly audience. This event will include an open call for performers on a first come, first serve basis as time permits. Participants can share their original work in a time to be announced based off total amount of performers. Space and seating is limited; show up on time!
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Feb 28
1:30 pm
Free
1:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Recently Published Poets Community Showcase
Enjoy this Community Reading, in which poets who have published a book of poetry in 2024-2025 will be randomly selected to read a single poem over the course of the afternoon. The Showcase is a literary exhibition and reading series dedicated to the art and joy of published poetry all in one room. Collecting every type of poetry from every type of publisher, from hand-threaded zines to books from large commercial houses, this winter’s exhibition includes poetry works from 2024 and 2025, including a wide range of chapbooks, broadsides, translated works, and multilingual volumes.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Feb 28
2:00 pm
Free
2:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Book Launch: Cosmic Music: The Life, Art, and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane
Arts and music writer Andy Beta launches his debut book, Cosmic Music: The Life, Art, and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane, the first full biography of this remarkable, groundbreaking artist, and is an elegant, deeply researched corrective to the historical—and critical—record. It elevates Alice Coltrane to her proper place, both alongside her husband as one of the greatest musical visionaries of the 20th century, and also as a singular artist in Western music, one who became a spiritual leader in her lifetime. Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) was one of the most misunderstood artists of the last sixty years. For most of her life—and even in the decades since her passing—she was primarily known as the widow of the late John Coltrane. John Coltrane is widely seen as being one of the greatest tenor saxophonists and composers of the 20th century, with a fervor and devotion approaching sainthood. Yet ever so slowly, that level of love and appreciation is also being bestowed upon pianist, organist, harpist, and composer Alice Coltrane.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 3
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Poet Jonathan Galassi Shares His New Collection, The Vineyard
Enjoy a conversation with Jonathan Galassi to celebrate his new book of poetry, The Vineyard, a profound pastoral meditation on life, gratitude, and connectedness as he contemplates the neighbor's wisteria vine. He will be in conversation with Eliza Griswold, followed by a signing.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 3
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Criminal Justic Experts Share Their New Book on the U.S. Prison System, Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement
Experience a timely and thought-provoking dive into the U.S. prison system as seen through the eyes of CUNY tenured professor of law Deborah Zalesne (appearing in person) and award-winning journalist Christopher Blackwell (appearing via Zoom). Deborah Zalesne reads passages from Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement and leads a Q&A about the psychological harm and real-life consequences of our current incarceration system. Author Christopher Blackwell will call in from prison to answer questions and share a perspective rarely disclosed to the general public. About the book: The injustice, cruelty, and degradation that are so enmeshed within the U.S. carceral system find their barbaric apogee in the practice of solitary confinement. Once judged by the U.S. Supreme Court to be an impermissible form of torture, the use of solitary confinement has grown to become a “solution” to the overcrowding and violence that have defined life on the inside.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sun, Mar 8
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Historian Shares His New Book, Karl Marx in America
Historian Andrew Hartman will speak about his recent book, Karl Marx in America. To read Karl Marx is to contemplate a world created by capitalism. People have long viewed the United States as the quintessential anti-Marxist nation, but Marx’s ideas have inspired a wide range of people to formulate a more precise sense of the stakes of the American project. Historians have highlighted the imprint made on the United States by Enlightenment thinkers such as Adam Smith, John Locke, and Thomas Paine, but Marx is rarely considered alongside these figures. Yet his ideas are the most relevant today because of capitalism’s centrality to American life.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Mar 9
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | New York Post Writer Shares Her New Book, The Descendant
This based-on-real-events novel tells the story of the family that possibly inspired The Godfather--except this story doesn't begin with a small robbery in New York. Instead, The Descendant begins with a big, blooming love in the tiny town of Lucca Sicula, Sicily. Told through the lives of the strong Italian women who fought against impossible odds, this historically inspired narrative introduces a whole cast of fascinating characters.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 10
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Contributors Share English Translation of I Found Myself: The Last Dreams
Diana (photographer) and Hisham Matar (translator) read from the English translation of I Found Myself: The Last Dreams by Naguib Mahfouz. Synopsis: "In his final years, the Egyptian master storyteller and Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz drew on his dreams, combining the mystery of what we experience in the night with the deep wells of his narrative art. These last dreams, stunning poetic vignettes--now brought beautifully into English for the first time by the acclaimed novelist Hisham Matar--appear here with dreamlike photographs by the famous American photographer Diana Matar, which both mysteriously rhyme with Mahfouz's nocturnal reveries and, allowing the reader a chance to dream in turn, open up the texts."
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 10
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Fab 5 Freddy Shares His Memoir, Everybody’s Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture
Fab 5 Freddy hosts an event celebrating the release of his first memoir, Everybody’s Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture. It is an essential, street-level cultural history into how New York’s underground art and music scene—guided by Fab 5 Freddy’s singular vision of what could be possible—irrevocably transformed mainstream culture from the late 1970s to today. Pioneering cultural icon Fred Brathwaite, also known as Fab 5 Freddy, has reshaped the worlds of art, style, and music. He’s the graffiti artist who turned subway tags into fine art, showing his work most recently at the Saatchi Gallery in London; the visionary behind Wild Style, the first hip-hop movie, and countless music videos; the bridge between Jean-Michel Basquiat and the downtown punk scene; and the first person to take rap global on MTV. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 10
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Acclaimed Author Shares Her New Novel, Fatherland
Victoria Shorr reads from her latest novel, Fatherland. Martin and Lora Brier, with three young children, possess all the trappings of a perfect life . . . except Martin is having yet another affair. Without warning, he abandons the family for his mistress and a new house on the other side of town. Set in a prosperous midwestern town in the 1950s, Fatherland is a story about the effect of convenient lies and discovered truths. While Martin’s abandonment throws up new difficulties for bewildered Lora, a housewife, who must now find a way to nurture and provide for herself and children, it unleashes a swirl of emotions in their daughter, Josie, who struggles to come to term with his absence. Fatherland follows Josie from this fateful event, across many decades and milestones and through the phases of her tenuous, emotionally fraught relationship with Martin—and the way she begins to move beyond their shared past.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Mar 11
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Essayist & Poet Kay Gabriel Shares the Work of Cult-Favorite Poet Bernadette Mayer
Writer and organizer Kay Gabriel focuses on the cult-favorite downtown poet Bernadette Mayer’s maximalism, frequently expressed in her compulsion to write “everything.” Mayer’s orientation towards “everything” begins in her early projects, Memory and Studying Hunger, and crests in her epic poem, Midwinter Day. Gabriel will zero in on a couple key passages from Midwinter Day to explore what’s at stake for Mayer in recording everything, and argue that this drive offers an interpretive key to her prolific, intimate, and philosophical body of work.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Mar 12
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-can, tickets required
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-can, tickets required
Author Reading | Philosophy YouTuber Robert Pantano Shares His New Book, The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness
A reading and discussion to celebrate the release of The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness with the author, Robert Pantano. In a series of poignant aphorisms and short essays, Robert Pantano offers nuanced approaches to confronting, understanding, and living within the paradox of self-awareness. Rather than pretending to provide certainty or easy answers, this thought-provoking collection offers ideas and space for reflection—for living well and finding comfort and peace without clear solutions.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Mar 12
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Award-Winning Journalist & More Share Their New Book, Second Avenue Subway
A reading and conversation with Second Avenue Subway authors Dan McNicol, Bill Goodrich, and Patrick Cashin. A hundred years of planning. A decade of construction. New York City's Future. Second Avenue Subway: Building New York City's Most Famous Thing Never Built is the remarkable story of the past, present, and future of New York's newest subway line. The incredible story of New York’s newest subway line, diving deep into the challenges that stood in its way—spanning politics, engineering, community relations, technology, and even unexpected geology. Dan McNichol is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist, and public speaker known for chronicling America’s most significant infrastructure projects. Bill Goodrich is a transportation infrastructure executive and licensed professional engineer with more than 40 years of experience in engineering and construction management. Patrick Cashin is a photographer who worked for Newsweek, and who became staff photographer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1999, capturing striking images of transportation infrastructure—from transit tunnels to toll bridges.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Mar 12
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Award-WInning Poets Share Their Recent Work (+ Reception & Signing)
A reading by Heather Christle, Monica Ferrell, and Diane Mehta, followed by a reception/signing. Heather Christle is the author of five poetry collections, most recently Paper Crown. Monica Ferrell is the author of four books of fiction and poetry, including the forthcoming The Future and the collection You Darling Thing, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award and Believer Book Award in Poetry. Diane Mehta’s books include Happier Far: Essays, two poetry collections, Tiny Extravaganzas, Forest with Castanets, and a study of technique, How to Write Poetry.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Mar 13
5:00 pm
Free
5:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Guided Reading: 5 Irish Poems across the Centuries
Enjoy an hour of guided poetry reading and chat about poems new and old, classic and cutting-edge. Staff will provide poems for discussion, but contributions from participants are always welcome. This month, ahead of St. Patrick's Day, Poets House staff member Kate will lead a discussion about five Irish poems from across the centuries.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Mar 14
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Lifelong New Yorker Harvey Waldman Shares His New Poetry Collection, Shopping Lists for the Apocalypse
Harvey Waldman, 76-year-old native New Yorker and Greenwich Village resident, will be presenting his first published book of poems, Shopping Lists for the Apocalypse. What sense is there in write shopping lists for the apocalypse? Perhaps the idea is not merely to be aware of looming dangers, but to prepare for the challenges that survival brings, an invitation to hope. The poems take the reader on a journey from the Bronx to Berkeley, Santa Monica to Greenwich Village, ultimately to life in Milano and on the Amalfi coast. There will be the lives, births and deaths of many family and friends along on the ride, but also with Charlie Manson and Harvey Weinstein.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sun, Mar 15
3:30 pm
Free
3:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Book Launch: Dear Letters in the Red Box
Celebrate the launch of Dear Letters in the Red Box by Sarah Stern. Stern describes her collection, saying: “Through recently discovered letters and writings, I explore my parents’ years in Paris between 1946 and 1951. My parents met in New York City, eloped, and shortly thereafter moved to Paris. My mother, a refugee from Germany, returned to Europe. My father, an American, began medical school at the Sorbonne. Neither knew French, but they learned quickly. Many of the poems in this collection respond to the reverberations of those seminal years. Others speak to the present. In the eight sections, the poems talk to each other through time.”
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Mar 18
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Open Mic | Hear from Emerging Writers or Perform Your Own Work
Hear original work by local, emerging writers of all genres, or share some of your own pieces! All performers welcome! Hosted by novelist Ed Lin. Sign ups start from 7:30PM. 5-minute time slots.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Mar 20
8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Ada Calhoun Shares Her New, Time-Featured Novel, Crush (+ Discussion + Q&A)
Author Ada Calhoun discusses her new novel and forey into fiction, Crush, which was highlighted by Time in their 100 Must-Read Books of 2025. Ada Calhoun’s debut novel mines the literary canon and the heart of middle age and turns up fresh wisdom about the danger and liberation of chasing desire, illuminating new ways to embrace freedom, ambition, and partnership. Ada will give a short reading from the book, discuss it and her other works, and answer some questions.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Mar 21
2:00 pm
Free
2:00 pm
Free
Author Reading | Thought-Provoking Evening of Spoken Word, Poetry, & New Works by Emerging Writers
Since 2022, Brooklyn’s own Mahogany L. Browne—a prolific writer and avid advocate for public art who has held the role of Lincoln Center’s inaugural Poet-in-Residence—hosts a thought-provoking evening of spoken word, spirited conversation, poetry, and presentations of new work, presenting major poets and emerging voices on the New York literary scene. Featured artists to be announced soon!. Browne has written works of fiction, stage plays, and critical essays, edited six anthologies, and authored another half-dozen poetry collections. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Mar 21
7:30 pm
Free
7:30 pm
Free
Author Reading | Biographer Shares His Book on Artist Jack Goldstein
Alexander Dumbadze (with Cameron Martin) reads from his nonfiction book, Jack Goldstein: All Day Night Sky. Synopsis: "A poignant account of the life and work of conceptual artist Jack Goldstein.A defining figure of the 1970s-80s New York art world, Jack Goldstein's wide-ranging body of work, which included immaculate color films and radiant paintings of appropriated images composed by assistants, is both seductive and interpretively elusive. "
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Mar 26
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 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
Join the Club!
Fri, Mar 27
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 pm
Free
Poetry Reading | Book Launch: Poetry Collection The Art of Undoing (+ Signing)
Celebrate the release of Hudson Plumb's new poetry collection, The Art of Undoing, featuring readings from Plumb, Maria Terrone, and Rosanna Young Oh. Book Synopsis: Hudson Plumb draws us into a world both dark and light. He movingly recalls the death of loved ones—his own and that of strangers—leavening the sorrow with striking images drawn from nature.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Mar 31
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
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