Live NYPL-NWU Open Mic (In-person Event)
October 17, 2026 · 2 PM
135 2nd Ave, New York
An in-person literary open mic co-hosted by the National Writers Union and Ottendorfer Library, where writers can read for up to seven minutes and attendees can listen; recording and selling works are prohibited.
Read your own writing for up to seven minutes or listen to other writers, with reading order first-come, first-served and recording prohibited.
Come to read or listen to others' inspired words. Each writer can read for up to seven minutes. Reading order will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis. This in-person open mic is held every third Saturday of the month as a collaboration between the National Writers Union ([https://nwu.org](www.nwu.org)/) and the NYPL Ottendorfer Library. If you have any questions about our open mic, send an email to Mercedes Lau at mercedeslau@nypl.org or call/text Alexandria at (203) 947-2497. Much thanks to our co-host, Elissa P. Matthews! Check out her website, especially the About Me which is like no other short biography. https://epmatthews.com/about/ Participants cannot sell their works during the event but can show the book covers during their readings. Content should be for a general audience and readings including language or descriptions inappropriate for children must begin with a warning. Recording of this event is strictly prohibited. The NWU enjoys bringing communities of writers together. Events like this one become conduits for sharing our individual works more widely. However, any invitation from an editor or a publisher that is extended during our gatherings does not have the NWU's endorsement unless specifically stated otherwise. Please always protect your work by doing your own due diligence and tapping into the NWU's resources.