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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240424T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240424T180000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20240319T174530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240319T174530Z
UID:3478-1713981600-1713981600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Spring 2024 Simon & Schuster AuthorFest
DESCRIPTION:  \n \nJoin TJ Alexander\, Kaliane Bradley\, & Jackie Lau in conversation with Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings\, the duo behind the romance power-house Christina Lauren. WEDNESDAY\, APRIL 24th At 7PM ET/ 6 PM CT / 4 PM PT VIA ZOOM From fake relationships to star-crossed time travelers to queer throuples\, these authors are not your mother’s romance writers. Ahead of their upcoming releases\, Alexander\, Bradley\, and Lau will discuss what makes a great romance\, and how the genre can go beyond a simple love story. \n\nR.S.V.P. at www.simonandschuster.com/p/authorfest\n 
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/spring-2024-simon-schuster-authorfest/
LOCATION:A Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:General
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240922T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240922T190000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20240910T150910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240910T150910Z
UID:3867-1727031600-1727031600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:SlamoVision Slam
DESCRIPTION:SlamoVision is a project of the international UNESCO Cities of Literature. Slam poets in some of the 53 Cities of Literature around the world will compete in their home cities. One poet from each participating city will move on to an international competition to be judged by fans from the other cities. At the end of the process\, one poet will be named the SlamoVision champion for 2024. \nHenry Morray\, winner of the 2022 Iowa City event\, will emcee the slam. \nThe Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature and Iowa City Poetry will co-host Iowa City’s slam poetry event at 7 p.m. on Sunday\, Sept. 22 at Close House\, 538 S. Gilbert St. Poets from across Iowa may participate. Sign-up begins at 6:30 p.m.\, the slam begins at 7 p.m. Each poet has four minutes to perform. At the completion of three rounds\, the winning poet will be chosen to represent Iowa City in the international competition. \n 
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/slamovision-slam/
LOCATION:PS1 Close House\, 538 S Gilbert St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241201T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241201T160000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20241118T153101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T153101Z
UID:4278-1733061600-1733068800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Let’s Move The Needle: Art and Activism in Community
DESCRIPTION:Join author\, artist and craftivist Shannon Downey for a community stitching event and book launch. Filled with reflection\, activities\, exercises\, prompts\, and stories\, her new book\, Let’s Move the Needle\, is both a how-to guide and a testament to the power of art and handwork to build community and make change. Everyone can be a changemaker\, and change-making can be enjoyable\, and a bit sassy! \nShannon Downey is the founder of Badass Cross Stitch and Seriously Badass Women\, and is an artist\, activist\, craftivist\, community builder\, and general instigator. She is on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago and currently lives in Chicago\, Illinois. \n2-3:00 PM Reading\, Q&A and book-signing – Prairie Lights Books will be here with copies of Shannon Downey’s Let’s Move the Needle for sale. \n3-4:00 PM Community Stitch-Fest – Get inspired and have some fun! Bring a project or we’ll have instructions and a pattern for learning. \nCosponsored by Prairie Lights Books and Home Ec Workshop.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/lets-move-the-needle-art-and-activism-in-community/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Lets-Move-the-Needle.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250909T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250909T180000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20250905T182440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T182440Z
UID:4836-1757440800-1757440800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Slamovision 2025 Qualifying Slam
DESCRIPTION:Slam poets from around Iowa are invited to participate in a special slam on Sept. 9 that will pick our entrant for an international slam competition. \nSlamoVision is a project of the international UNESCO Cities of Literature. Slam poets in 18 of the 53 Cities of Literature around the world will compete in their home cities. One poet from each participating city will move on to an international competition to be judged by fans from the other cities. At the end of the process\, one poet will be named the SlamoVision champion for 2025. \nCaleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey\, winner of the 2023 Iowa City event\, will emcee the slam. \nThe Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature and Iowa City Poetry will co-host Iowa City’s slam poetry event at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday\, Sept. 9 at Close House\, 538 S. Gilbert St. Poets from across Iowa may participate. Sign-up begins at 6 p.m.\, the slam begins at 6:30 p.m. Each poet has three minutes to perform. At the completion of three rounds\, the winning poet will be chosen to represent Iowa City in the international competition. \n \nA video of the winning poet from the Sept. 9 event will be entered into the contest. Iowa City poets and poetry lovers will convene during the Iowa City Book Festival\, to watch and rank the poets from the other participating cities. This same process will happen in the other Cities of Literature. That judging event will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday\, Oct. 10\, in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library. The scores will be tabulated and an international SlamoVision poet will be crowned during an online event at noon on Nov. 5\, hosted by the Dublin City of Literature. \nParticipating Cities of Literature are Bremen\, Germany; Dublin\, Ireland; Exeter\, UK; Gothenburg\, Sweden; Heidelberg\, Germany; Iowa City; Kozhikode\, India; Ljubljana\, Slovenia; Manchester\, UK; Melbourne\, Australia; Nottingham\, UK; Odessa\, Ukraine; Quebec City\, Canada; Reykjavik\, Iceland; Slemani\, Iraq; Tartu\, Estonia; Vilnius\, Lithuania; and Wroclaw\, Poland.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/slamovision-2025-qualifying-slam/
LOCATION:PS1 Close House\, 538 S Gilbert St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Slamovision-2025.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251116T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251116T113000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20251107T153134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T153223Z
UID:5139-1763285400-1763292600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Writing from Stillness: A Workshop on Mindfulness\, Presence\, and Creative Clarity
DESCRIPTION:In her book Relational Mindfulness: A Handbook for Deepening Our Connection with Ourselves\, Each Other\, and the Planet\, Deborah Eden Tull writes that “Deep listening is an act of love. Listening to life as it unfolds moment by moment\, with our full presence\, is the essence of meditation.” In this workshop we’ll explore–through writing and mindfulness exercises– how paying close\, mindful attention to what’s around us\, and within us\, can enhance both our writing and our lived experience as creators. We’ll learn how mindful awareness can quiet the inner critic\, calm our hearts\, sharpen our powers of observation\, and deepen our writing practice. With the help of guided meditations and generative writing prompts\, participants will leave feeling more grounded\, open\, and creatively engaged. This workshop may be of benefit to writers\, professionals\, creatives\, journalers\, or anyone seeking clarity and calm through mindful writing. \nLink: This workshop is free but registration is required. \nInstructor Bio: \nStephen Pradarelli is the communications director for the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation\, a global Buddhist organization founded by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. In 2016\, he founded Winding Path Sangha\, which offers regular sitting and walking meditation opportunities. He’s a former journalist\, communications strategist\, crisis manager\, book editor\, essayist\, and fiction writer. He’s also a private pilot and loves reading\, hiking\, traveling\, and playing guitar.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/writing-from-stillness-a-workshop-on-mindfulness-presence-and-creative-clarity/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/writing-from-stillness.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251116T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251116T140000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20251014T143441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251031T154940Z
UID:5107-1763301600-1763301600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:2025 Paul Engle Prize Ceremony Honoring Cole Swensen
DESCRIPTION:Cole Swensen has been named the 14th recipient of the Paul Engle Prize\, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization. \nThe prize\, established in 2011\, honors an individual who\, like Paul Engle\, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing\, editing\, publishing\, or teaching\, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts. \nSwensen is a poet\, editor\, and translator\, who taught in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop from 2001 to 2012. She then taught at Brown University until her retirement in 2023. \nShe is the author of 20 collections of poetry\, including And And And\, a finalist for the Griffin Poetry Prize\, Art in Time\, Gravesend\, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award in Poetry; Goest\, a finalist for the National Book Award; Try\, winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize and the San Francisco State University Poetry Center Book Award; and New Math\, winner of the National Poetry Series. \nSwensen has translated more than 30 books of French poetry\, creative nonfiction\, and art criticism\, and won the 2024 National Translation Award from ALTA and the 2025 Stephen Mitchell Translation Prize. She was awarded a 2006 Guggenheim Fellowship and has been a writer-in-residence at Yale’s Beinecke Library\, the Pratt Institute\, and Temple University. Swensen was the founder and editor of La Presse\, an imprint of Fence Books that was dedicated to the translation of contemporary French poetry. \nSwensen will receive the award at a ceremony at 2 p.m. on November 16\, at the Coralville Public Library. Christopher Merrill will join Swensen in conversation. The event is free and open to the public. Book signing and reception to follow. \nThe Paul Engle Prize is made possible through the generous support of the City of Coralville\, which is home to 11 permanent sculptures with artistic and literary ties to Iowa. The sculptures all have ties to work found in The Iowa Writers’ Library\, housed in the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel\, which features about 800 books written by former students\, graduates and faculty of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. \nPaul Engle (October 12\, 1908 – March 22\, 1991)\, though best remembered as the long-time director of the Writers’ Workshop and co-founder with his wife\, Hualing Nieh Engle\, of the UI’s International Writing Program\, also was a well-regarded poet\, playwright\, essayist\, editor and critic. In 2000\, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack declared Engle’s birthday\, Oct. 12\, as “Paul Engle Day” in Iowa. \nPrevious winners of the prize are: James Alan McPherson\, Kwame Dawes\, Luis Alberto Urrea\, Roxane Gay\, Alexander Chee\, Dina Nayeri\, Toi Derricotte\, Cornelius Eady\, Dr. Eve L. Ewing\, Rebecca Solnit\, Joan Naviyuk Kane\, and Camille Dungy. Visit www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-day for more information about the prize and past winners.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/2025-paul-engle-prize-ceremony-honoring-cole-swensen/
LOCATION:Coralville Public Library\, 1401 5th St.\, Coralville\, IA\, 52241\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/swensen-2023-scaled-e1756829866798.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251118T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251118T190000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20251009T154641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T174337Z
UID:5079-1763492400-1763492400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Paul Engle’s Community of Writers
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special conversation with Paul Engle’s daughter\, Mary Burge. Growing up during the early years of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop\, Mary witnessed its history firsthand and will share vivid stories from that time. She will be joined by her partner\, Will Boutelle\, the “boy next door” in Engle’s American Child sonnets\, who will also share memories and reflections. \nFeaturing special guest\, Reed Hagan\, winner of the 2025 Paul Engle Glory of the Senses High School Essay Contest. \nThis program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. \nPaul Engle (October 12\, 1908 – March 22\, 1991)\, was born in Cedar Rapids\, Iowa\, on October 12\, 1908\, and grew up in a frame house in the Wellington Heights area. After graduating from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids\, Engle attended Coe College and the University of Iowa where he was one of the first students to earn an advanced degree based on a thesis of creative work—a collection of poems.  His first published collection\, Worn Earth\, went on to win the Yale Series of Young Poets. His best-selling second book of poetry\, American Song\, was heralded on the cover of the New York Times Book Review in a headline declaring him “A New Voice in American Poetry”.  After Iowa\, Engle travelled as a Rhodes Scholar to Oxford University in England. \nThough Engle did not found the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa\, he built its reputation as the top graduate writing program in the United States. During his tenure as director\, he was responsible for luring some of the finest writers of the day to Iowa City: Phillip Roth\, John Berryman\, Kurt Vonnegut\, and many other prominent novelists and poets served as faculty under Engle. Additionally\, Engle increased enrollment and oversaw numerous students of future fame and influence\, including Flannery O’Connor\, John Irving\, Raymond Carver\, William Stafford\, and Robert Bly. \nAfter directing the Writers’ Workshop for twenty-four years\, Engle and future-second-wife Nieh Hualing co-founded The University of Iowa’s International Writing Program\, which invited dozens of published authors from around the globe to visit the University of Iowa to write and collaborate. For their work with the IWP\, Engle and his wife were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976.  Engle died at the age of eighty-two\, having published fourteen books of poetry\, a novel\, a memoir\, and an opera libretto\, and his literary legacy lives on in the lives and works of those authors he helped to educate and inspire. \nIn 2000\, nearly a decade after his death\, Paul Engle was declared Iowa’s “Poet of the Century” and then-Governor Tom Vilsack declared that Engle’s birthday\, October 12th\, would hereafter be known as “Paul Engle Day” to honor this life of creativity\, mentorship\, and generosity. \nLearn more about Paul Engle by watching our documentary\, City of Literature\n\n 
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/paul-engles-utopian-community-of-writers/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Paul-Engle-Nov-18-Program.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260430
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20260430T161107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T161107Z
UID:5500-1777507200-1777766399@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:MusicIC Presents: THE BLACK ANGEL: Music\, Myth\, and Memory
DESCRIPTION:MusicIC\, Iowa City’s premiere chamber music festival exploring the connections between music and literature\, presents THE BLACK ANGEL: Music\, Myth\, and Memory\, a three-day festival examining how composers across centuries have engaged with themes of mortality\, symbolism\, and the unseen\, while also drawing inspiration from Iowa City’s own Black Angel legend. Now entering its 16th season\, MusicIC continues its long-standing mission of innovative\, text-driven programming rooted in Iowa City’s identity as a UNESCO City of Literature. \nAt the heart of this year’s festival is George Crumb’s Black Angels\, “Thirteen Images from the Dark Land\,” (1971)\, a landmark work for amplified string quartet\, marking the 55th anniversary of its publication in 2026. Crumb has called his seminal work “a kind of parable on our troubled contemporary world.” The piece incorporates poetic epigraphs\, symbolic numerology\, and images of darkness and transformation. Crumb’s score also directly quotes Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden\, forging a powerful musical and philosophical link between Romantic-era meditations on death and a 20th-century response shaped by war and rupture. \nThe festival further connects this repertoire to Iowa City’s Black Angel statue in Oakland Cemetery\, a landmark that has inspired generations of local storytelling and provides a powerful\, place-based lens for this exploration of music\, literature\, and memory. \nFestival Events All events are free and open to the public\nThursday\, April 30\, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.\nPreview Event “Looking at the Black Angel”\nLocation: The Black Angel Restaurant\, 630 Iowa Ave.\, Iowa City\nSelections and written responses to Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and George Crumb’s Black Angels. \nFriday\, May 1\, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Masonic Building\, 312 E College St\, Iowa City\nConcert Program will include: \n\nFranz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor\, Death and the Maiden\nGeorge Crumb: Black Angels for amplified string quartet\n\nSaturday\, May 2\, 2026 – 10:30 AM\nFamily Concert\nIowa City Public Library \nA 40-minute family concert introducing young audiences to chamber music as storytelling through sound\, symbol\, and place. \nThe festival is made possible by support from sponsors including the University of Iowa\, Dunn Investment Co\, the Iowa City Public Library\, and Iowa Public Radio. \nPerformers include MusicIC Founding Artistic Director Tricia Park\, violin and Kenny Lee\, cello\, (University of Iowa School of Music\, Director of Orchestral Studies) alongside guest artists and University of Iowa faculty.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/musicic-presents-the-black-angel-music-myth-and-memory/
LOCATION:Downtown Iowa City
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pages-from-MusicICprogram2026-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260523T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260523T153000
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20260507T143638Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T150611Z
UID:5533-1779544800-1779550200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Page Against the Machine
DESCRIPTION:Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature & the Iowa City Public Library co-present: \nPage Against the Machine is a global reading event that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to take a break from screens\, pick up a book\, and enjoy a well-deserved reading detox in a beautiful spot in their city. \nThis annual event was founded in Norwich\, England in 2019 and spread to other Cities of Literature over the years. 2026 marks the first time Iowa City will participate\, and we’ll be joining thousands of others across the globe who stop to read a book in public on this day. \nWe hope to gather a crowd of book lovers on the Pentacrest to read silently and explore the world of ideas in resistance to our culture of doomscrolling and disengagement. Bring a blanket or chair and any book you like\, but bonus points go to novels and nonfiction that explore things like politics\, human rights\, and contemporary culture. \nRain location: Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber (no food or drink inside\, please) \nRegistration is optional to receive an email reminder. You’re welcome to drop in and out anytime during the scheduled event. See you there! \n\nOpen to the public \n\nIf you need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event\, please contact the Library.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/page-against-the-machine/
LOCATION:Pentacrest\, (at Clinton St and Washington St)\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Page-Against-the-Machine.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261019
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261026
DTSTAMP:20260520T110524
CREATED:20260507T150646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T150646Z
UID:5537-1792368000-1792972799@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Iowa City Book Festival
DESCRIPTION: The Iowa City Book Festival is happening October 19–25\, 2026! Join us for a week of literary events\, author talks\, readings\, and more at various locations throughout downtown Iowa City. Mark your calendars. More information coming soon.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/iowa-city-book-festival-2/
LOCATION:Downtown Iowa City
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ICBF-featured.png
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