Another busy year for Baltimore’s writers and readers has come to a close, and once again we bring you the highlights. The one time our book scene made national news was actually more of a lowlight — the mysterious dumping of thousands of paperback copies of an 1858 doorstopper titled “The Great Controversy” in our mailboxes, featured on All Things Considered. (Thank you, Seventh Day Adventists!) Many of us have not yet found time to read it what with everything else that’s been going on in The City That Reads…
In other free book news: UBalt alum Carole Boston Weatherford’s Kin was the 2025 One Maryland One Book winner, with thousands of copies provided to readers across the state for community book discussions. Released in 2024, the book focuses on art, Black history, and personal genealogy.
Festival updates: In April, the CityLit Festival rocked the Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore Unity Church and Red Emma’s with craft sessions, panels, readings and a literary marketplace. In September, the Baltimore Book Festival took over beautiful downtown Waverly with over 80 authors, six stages, literary panels, youth events and a kickoff reception at Peabody Heights Brewery. This festival has come into its own and will be back same time, next year. Greedy Reads’ ‘The Lost Weekend’ literary festival returned after a 2024 hiatus. This event was founded to fill the gap when the BBF disappeared for a while, but going forward it looks like we may be a three-festival city. Bring it on!
Quick, what do these writers have in common? Cory McCray, Dora Malech, Deb English, Richard Simon, Eric Puchner, Sarah Pinsker, Susan Muaddi Daraj, James Magruder, Elise Levine, Austyn Wohlers, Jeannie Vanasco, Matt Norman, Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson McCay Jenkins, Jessica Anya Blau, Elana Vikan, Mike Tidwell, Lydia Kang, Lauren Frances Sharma, Becky Galli. They comprise the roster of Baltimore or Baltimore-adjacent writers we featured this year in our Baltimore Writers Club vertical, dedicated to helping local writers find local readers.
All of literary Baltimore is gearing up for the arrival of 10,000 of our close friends and colleagues from around the country for March’s AWP conference at the Convention Center. Guess who is doing the keynote? John Waters, of course! The Association of Writers & Writing Programs programming team generously gave every MFA program in the area its own signature event …. except dear old University of Baltimore! Hmmmph. Look for an offsite event at the UBalt campus on Thursday March 5.
Waters worshippers had plenty to keep them busy in 2025, as the King of Trash released screenplays and voiced characters in his new audiobook collection. Leading ladies of literature also kept busy: Anne Tyler was the first speaker at the new Baltimore Banner book club, Laura Lippman made the October cover of Kirkus Reviews for Murder Takes A Vacation, and someone named Marion Winik celebrated the 30th anniversay of her memoir First Comes Love with the release of a new audiobook.
Reading series continue to pop up like mushrooms in and around the city. In addition to long-established series at the Pratt, JHU, UBalt, and other universities, Manor Mill in Monkton now offers a full roster of author events and open mics. Throughout the year, local poetry lovers gathered in Charles Village for the HOT L Baltimore series at Bird in Hand Bookshop and the Hidden Palace series at Faddensonnen, though the latter closed down a few months ago. HoCoPoLitSo, the Howard County Poety and Literature Society, wound up this year’s series with a sold-out event featuring Ross Gay with local poet Steven Leyva… but never fear, they’ll be baaaaack.
Library news: The Pratt Library will pay tribute to journalist DeWayne Wickham by renaming the H.L. Mencken Room in his honor. Baltimore County has axed plans for Middle River library branch. Baltimore County Public Library parted ways with CEO following librarian layoffs. And out in Howard County, a “Doctor Who” TARDIS replica in Ellicott City was revealed to be a Little Free Library that will travel across the region; also, plans for Columbia’s Lakefront Library are back on track.
The Ivy Bookshop holiday pop-up shop and concert series was slated to run through Christmas Eve at the beautiful, recently re-opened Mount Vernon Place Church. But their 2024 holiday pop-up at the Shops at Kenilworth was so successful, it’s never actually closed … so maybe??
See you in 2026, maybe at my very own January 8th event at the Ivy Indoors, in conversation with Queen Laura!
Renaming the Mencken Room for a guy who is still alive? “With no disrespect to the Sage of Baltimore….”. How can Ms. Hayden do this if she is no longer the Pratt director? Will the Poe Room be next?