Readings from the Room, September 30, 2025 @ 7pm
2025-09-30 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Writers’ Room of Boston to welcome Livia Meneghin & Laura Metter for the next event in the series, taking place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 7 PM online. Hosted by Spencer Storey Johnson. Register here.

Board Meeting - October 8, 2025 @ 7:30 PM
2025-10-08 19:30 - 20:30
Meeting of the Writers’ Room Board. All meetings are open to members and by invitation to the public.
Those wishing to attend should contact the Program Director, Leslie Ostrow at info@writersroomofboston.org

Writers' Room After Hours - October 8, 2025 @ 7:30
2025-10-08 19:30 - 20:30
The Writers’ Room After Hours focuses on the writing life. Everything you wanted to know – but were afraid to ask. This month with Tuan Phan.
Tuan Phan is a Vietnamese American teacher of literature, currently living and teaching in Taipei. He was born in Vietnam and left in 1986 with his family as part of a second wave of Boat People refugees. His memoir, “Remembering Water”, is about his family’s departure and return to Vietnam. It won the Panther Creek Book Award in Nonfiction and was published by Hidden River Press in 2023. His upcoming collection, “Gills and other Stories”, will be published by Texas Tech University Press in Spring 2026

Writing Workshop - October 21, 2025 @ Noon
2025-10-21 12:00 - 13:00
This workshop will develop both your creativity and your craft. All genres welcome. Join us!
Workshop leader: WROB board member, Evelyn Krieger.
We are the Writers’ Room of Boston – a workspace and a community of writers in downtown Boston. Serving the writing community since 1992.

Boston Book Festival - October 25, 2025 10am - 5pm
2025-10-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Copley Square, Boston, MA, United States
No one knows the Room – both the community and the workspace – better than our members, fellows and alumni. If you’re headed to the Boston Book Festival, please stop by our booth and help us promote the Room. This year the Room is sponsoring a contest, the best 6 word short story, the winner will win a month’s free membership.
Come and join us.

Too Poor to Die by Amy Shea - book launch and signing
2025-10-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Porter Square Books, Boston, 50 Liberty Drive, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Porter Square Books: Boston Edition and GrubStreet are delighted to present the latest installment of the Grubbie
Debut event series, featuring Amy Shea, a Writers’ Room Alumni. Amy notes that a portion of this book was written in the Room.
Join us for a celebration of her book Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins on Tuesday, October 28 at 7pm at Porter Square Books: Boston Edition (50 Liberty Dr. Boston, Ma 02210). Author Ethan Gilsdorf will join Shea in conversation, and the author talk will be followed by a signing line.

The Write-In 10/30 @ 6:15 PM
2025-10-30 18:15 - 20:15 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Writers of all genres – come and be inspired at the Write-In!

What
The Write-In is a get together for published and aspiring writers alike to feel community and work on your craft. We’ll do timed exercises with prompts, and then 45 minutes of silent work on your own project.
You can share your work or not. And feedback will be limited to a round of applause.
Why
Writing can be hard. Writing can be lonely. So on Thursdays we do it together at the Writers’ Room of Boston – home to NYT bestselling authors and aspiring writers alike.
When & Where
In-person. Thursdays 6:15 – 8pm. Running Oct 30 – Dec 4 2025. Drop in welcome. No admittance after 6:30pm.
Location:
Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston. (in-person)
Cost:
$15, $2 students / low-income, Free to members with a promo code

Fiction Feedback Group
2025-11-03 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-01 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-07 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-15 19:00 - 20:30
You’ve probably joined a critique group where others took turns dissecting your writing, pointing out things that did and didn’t work, and where you, the writer, took notes and said nothing. This is different. The emphasis will be on literary fiction as defined very broadly. This includes writing that blurs the boundary between genre fiction and ‘pure’ literary fiction, between realism and surrealism and speculative fiction.
The group will meet remotely (on Zoom) for 90 minutes monthly. There will also be opportunities to meet in-person at the Writers’ Room.
The Fiction Feedback Group is organized and led by Paul Farwell whose short stories have appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, The Antioch Review, Salt Hill Journal, Willow Springs, and Catamaran Literary Reader. He also serves as a reader for Chicago Quarterly Review. He currently lives in Watertown with his wife and their dog, Edgar Allan Pug.
The group will be limited to 10 people. Writing submissions can be a short story, a novel excerpt or a fragment of either, as long as they are less than 5000 words. We will use an online tool (Google Docs or an equivalent) to share our work and supply line edits (if requested).
This is a members only opportunity.

Write-In 6:15pm 11-6-25
2025-11-06 18:15 - 20:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
November 6 @6:15 till 8
The Write-In!
November 6 @ 6:15pm – 8pm
Come and meet fellow writers for conversation and refreshments, followed by writing exercises with prompts. This week we are working on plot. Come and be inspired at our cosy space in the heart of Boston. (In this friendly atmosphere you can share your work or not.)
Free to members, $12 nonmembers, $5 students / low-income
In-person. Thursdays 6:15 – 8pm. Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston.

Open House 11-8-25 @ 3pm
2025-11-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Join us! The Fall Open House @ the Writers’ Room of Boston.111 State Street, Boston. All are welcome.

Write-In 6/13/25 @ 6:15 pm
2025-11-13 18:15 - 20:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Join us for an evening of creative camaraderie at the Write-In — a fun, pressure-free space to shake off perfectionism and get your words flowing. This week we will be working on dialogue. Through a series of playful, time-limited writing prompts, you’ll stretch your imagination, invent eccentric characters, and rediscover the joy of writing for its own sake. Then, settle in for a peaceful 45-minute silent writing session surrounded by fellow writers, followed by optional readings (applause only — no critique, ever!). Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or writeThas a hobby, this is your midweek creative recharge. Supportive, low-stakes, yet inspirational. Bring your notebook, your favorite pen, and your wildest ideas!
$12 non-member/$5 student & low-income/free to members

Writing Workshop - November 18, 2025 @ Noon
2025-11-18 12:00 - 13:00

Write-In November 20th @ 6:15 PM
2025-11-20 18:15 - 20:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Join us for an evening of creative camaraderie at the Write-In — a fun, pressure-free space to shake off perfectionism and get your words flowing. This week we will be working on setting & world building. Through a series of playful, time-limited writing prompts, you’ll stretch your imagination, invent eccentric characters, and rediscover the joy of writing for its own sake. Then, settle in for a peaceful 45-minute silent writing session surrounded by fellow writers, followed by optional readings (applause only — no critique, ever!). Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or write as a hobby, this is your midweek creative recharge. Supportive, low-stakes, yet inspirational. Bring your notebook, your favorite pen, and your wildest ideas!
Non-members $12/student & low-income $5
This week the focus is setting & world building.

Writers' Room After Hours - November 20, 2025 @ 7:30
2025-11-20 19:30 - 20:30
The Writers’ Room After Hours focuses on the writing life. Everything you wanted to know – but were afraid to ask. This month with Gish Jen.
Gish Jen is the author of six novels, two books of stories, and two works of nonfiction. Her honors include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and the Fulbright Foundation, as well as the Lannan Literary Award for Fiction and the Mildred and Harold Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her stories have been chosen for The Best American Short Stories five times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century. She lives with her husband in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bad Bad Girl is her latest novel.
Gish Jen will be interviewed by Mable Chan.

Write-In December 4th @ 6:15 PM
2025-12-04 18:15 - 20:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Join us for an evening of creative camaraderie at the Write-In — a fun, pressure-free space to shake off perfectionism and get your words flowing. This week we will be working on conflict & drama. Through a series of playful, time-limited writing prompts, you’ll stretch your imagination, invent eccentric characters, and rediscover the joy of writing for its own sake. Then, settle in for a peaceful 45-minute silent writing session surrounded by fellow writers, followed by optional readings (applause only — no critique, ever!). Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or write as a hobby, this is your midweek creative recharge. Supportive, low-stakes, yet inspirational. Bring your notebook, your favorite pen, and your wildest ideas!
Non-members $12/student & low-income $5
This week the focus is conflict & drama.

Holiday Party 12/6 @ 7pm
2025-12-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Members, fellows, board, alumni and their guests – join us for our annual holiday party.

Writers' Room program facilitators meeting
2026-01-07 19:00 - 20:00
A meeting of those people who are planning and organizing January – June 2026 events and programs. Leslie will be distributing the Zoom invitation.

Fiction Feedback Group
2026-01-12 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-01-26 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-02-08 19:00 - 20:30
You’ve probably joined a critique group where others took turns dissecting your writing, pointing out things that did and didn’t work, and where you, the writer, took notes and said nothing. This is different. The emphasis will be on literary fiction as defined very broadly. This includes writing that blurs the boundary between genre fiction and ‘pure’ literary fiction, between realism and surrealism and speculative fiction.
The group will meet remotely (on Zoom) for 90 minutes monthly. There will also be opportunities to meet in-person at the Writers’ Room.
The Fiction Feedback Group is organized and led by Paul Farwell whose short stories have appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, The Antioch Review, Salt Hill Journal, Willow Springs, and Catamaran Literary Reader. He also serves as a reader for Chicago Quarterly Review. He currently lives in Watertown with his wife and their dog, Edgar Allan Pug.
The group will be limited to 10 people. Writing submissions can be a short story, a novel excerpt or a fragment of either, as long as they are less than 5000 words. We will use an online tool (Google Docs or an equivalent) to share our work and supply line edits (if requested).

WROB Board meeting - January 14, 2026 @ 7:00
2026-01-14 19:30 - 20:30
Please note new time: 7 – 8 pm.
Meeting of the Writers’ Room Board. All meetings are on line (Zoom), open to members, fellows and by invitation to the public. Those wishing to attend should contact the Program Director, Leslie Ostrow at info@writersroomofboston.org

TBR Writing & Publishing Conference
2026-01-17 | Lesley University, 29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
✨ Something big is coming to Cambridge this winter! On January 17, 2026, the inaugural TBR Writing & Publishing Conference will light up Lesley University’s campus with more than 75 award-winning authors, editors, and publishing pros ready to inspire and connect. Featured speakers include Celeste Ng, Ilyon Woo, Ken Liu, Marjan Kamali, Caleb Gayle, and many more. With over 35 sessions spanning craft, publishing, and the book ecosystem, there’s something for every writer—whether you’re finishing your first manuscript or deep into your career. Tickets are $389 and selling fast. Cap off your day at the delightfully quirky closing bash, “One For the Books” a lively closing celebration at La Fabrica in Central Square, featuring inventive literary programming, music, and opportunities to mingle and maybe even dance. Learn more and register at TBR.boston.

Community Days - for members/fellows
2026-01-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
Our popular Community Days are back! Join us on Saturday, January 24, for a day of writing and camaraderie—with an emphasis on writing. Get inspired by working in a packed room, followed by an optional lunch. Registration is required to ensure everyone gets a desk. Join us for:
● A 2-hour block of time to focus on writing.
● Voluntary readings.
● Takeout lunch from Al’s Café. (Optional; if you join, we ask for $10 per person to cover expenses.)
Open to members and fellows only. Make sure to register early!

Writers' Room After Hours
2026-02-10 19:30 - 20:30
Writers’ Room After Hours – everything you wanted to know about the writing life, but were afraid to ask. This month Amy Shea will be interviewed by Margery Gans.
Amy Shea is the writing program director at Mt. Tamalpais College, a college for incarcerated people in San Quentin, California. Her essays have appeared in The Missouri Review, Portland Review, The Massachusetts Review, Sociology of Health and Illness and others.
Amy Shea

Readings from the Room - February 12, 2026 @ 7:30
2026-02-12 19:30 - 20:30 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
In the next presentation of our ever-popular reading series, Readings from the Room, join the Writers’ Room of Boston to welcome Gabriela Valencia & Tiara Dinevska-McGuire on Thursday, February 12th at 7:30 PM online. Hosted by Lilly Milman.

Ploughshares Master Class 2/13
2026-02-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Writers’ Room of Boston, 111 State Street, Boston, 02109, United States
The Ploughshares Master Class Series at the Writer’s Room of Boston is a five-week evening series for emerging and established writers alike. Each generative workshop riffs off an archival Ploughshares literary piece, inviting participants to engage directly with the journal’s rich history while creating new work of their own.
Led by editors, poets, designers, and marketers from the Ploughshares community, sessions combine close reading, guided prompts, discussion, and optional sharing in a supportive space. Writers across genres will leave with fresh drafts and practical craft tools. Excellent work generated by attendees in these sessions will be considered for publication on the Ploughshares blog.
Using Ploughshares’ nonfiction-only Fall 2012 issue as inspiration, Ploughshares reader Ciera Miller leads a generative workshop
exploring personal, visual, and fragmented nonfiction forms. Participants will experiment with nontraditional structures and leave
with fresh approaches to writing nonfiction.
$12, $5 for low income/students. Free for members/fellows of the Room.
