Congratulations to Iowa Writers' Workshop alum Anna North! Her novel, "Bog Queen," was selected as a 2026 Science + Literature Selected Title by the National Book Foundation. She earns a $10,000 prize and will be honored at a March 11 ceremony in New York. www.nationalbook.org/national-boo...

National Book Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Announce the 2026 Science + Literature Selected Titles

The National Book Foundation (NBF) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation today announced selected titles for the fifth year of the Science + Literature program, which identifies three books annually that...

nationalbook.org

On Instagram, we have been posting our usual year end #17BooksFor17SDGs selections, highlighting books with some tie back to our city or fests that address one of the UN's 2030 Strategic Development Goals in some way. Search that hashtag across social media for picks from some Cities of Literature.

We are thrilled to welcome 10 new Cities of Literature to UNESCO's Creative Cities Network! We're glad to see a 10th U.S. city added to the network as well, with New Orleans joining as a UNESCO City of Music. So many new cities to learn about! More here: www.iowacityofliterature.org/unesco-names...

UNESCO names 10 new Cities of Literature as Creative Cities Network grows - Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature

The 53 designated Creative Cities of Literature from 39 countries across the globe welcome 10 additional Cities of Literature to their literary family. UNESCO announced the designation of 58 new [...]...

iowacityofliterature.org

Next up for the City of Literature will be to cheer on Henry Morray as he competes in SlamoVision, the international slam poetry competition from the UNESCO Cities of Literature. Tune in at 2 PM CT to watch online as our colleagues in Dublin host the event where the scores are revealed.

Dublin UNESCO City of Literature@dublincityoflit.bsky.social · 10mo ago

🎤SLAMOVISION – an international poetry competition between UNESCO cities of literature is coming to Dublin this November during @dublinbookfest.bsky.social 🎤 #Slamovision #DublinCityofLiterature #CitiesofLiterature #DBF2025

This year's festival kicked off on Sunday and continues today with two events, including a presentation by former park ranger Steve Kemp about John D. Rockefeller Jr's work to save America's natural wonders. At the Iowa City Public Library at 7 tonight. www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/steve-...

Steve Kemp: An Exaltation of Parks - Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature

America’s national parks are facing unprecedented challenges. With visitation pressures mounting and the National Park Service struggling to keep up, author, former park ranger, and Iowa City native S...

iowacityofliterature.org

LitHub says Teresa Dzieglewicz's "Something Small of How to See a River" is a new poetry collection to watch for in October. In it, she recounts her time at the Standing Rock Reservation. See Dzieglewicz at PorchLight at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9, as part of the festival. lithub.com/inhabiting-t...

“Inhabiting the Poem.” Seven Poetry Collections to Read This October

“What was the work the poet was demanding of me? It was to inhabit the poem, to live willingly in its world.” Those sentences were written by my late teacher Helen Vendler, and arrive in the second…

lithub.com

Art Cullen is headed to Iowa City next week for the Iowa City Book Festival, appearing at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Iowa City Public Library. For a sneak preview, check out this excellent interview with IPR's Charity Nebbe. www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk...

'We crapped in our nest' a conversation with Art Cullen

The editor and co-owner of the Storm Lake Times Pilot discusses his new book, Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World.

iowapublicradio.org

We can't wait to host Donika Kelly as she launches her wonderful new collection, "The Natural Order of Things"!

Donika Kelly@donikakelly.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Book stuff kicks off next week, with a home book launch in Iowa City as part of the @iowacityoflit.bsky.social Book Festival. Tuesday 10/7 at 7pm at the Iowa City Public Library!

Art Cullen's new book, "Marty, We Crapped Our Nest," is getting considerable attention, including this great review from Little Village. See Cullen at 1 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Iowa City Public Library at the Iowa City Book Festival! littlevillagemag.com/book-review-...

Book Review: 'Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest' by Art Cullen - Little Village

Being an Iowan has been difficult for those of us who love our home and are horrified by its policies. Art Cullen, in his new book Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest (Ice Cube Press), lays bare the co...

littlevillagemag.com

Happy publication week to Patricia Lockwood's new novel, "Will There Ever Be Another You." Lockwood will read from and discuss the book at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Prairie Lights Books as part of the Iowa City Book Festival. lithub.com/patricia-loc...

Patricia Lockwood, Kiran Desai, Ian McEwan, and more: 24 new books out today!

Another week of hell in America. Dark times shade even darker, and yet through it all, in ways both uplifting and stupefying, life goes on. At the very least, be it for edification, or self-help, e…

lithub.com

We're excited to share the lineup for the 2025 Iowa City Book Festival, a schedule of 40 free events from Oct. 5-12, including plenty of fiction, poetry, environmental issues, science fiction and much more. See the full schedule at www.iowacitybookfestival.org

The City of Literature is producing a wonderful performance of the song cycle "Penelope" on April 26 at the James Theatre as part of its MusicIC festival. Watch this segment from this morning's "Everyday Iowa" show on KCRG for more info. Tickets at www.MusicIC.org. www.kcrg.com/video/2025/0...

Everyday Iowa - MusicIC Festival presents Penelope a Song Cycle

Don’t miss MusicIC Festival’s one-night only presentation of Penelope—a multimedia song cycle with Grammy-nominee Shara Nova, 4/26 at The James Theater!

kcrg.com

We are excited for the return of our MusicIC festival, celebrating intersections between music and literature. This year we feature a performance of "Penelope" by Sarah Kirkland Snider, with vocals by Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond), on April 26 at the James Theater. Tickets at www.MusicIC.org.

An insightful piece that places the cuts to the International Writing Program (@uiiwp.bsky.social) in the larger context of a lamentable move away from U.S. "soft power." english.elpais.com/usa/2025-03-...

Trump renounces the international influence of soft power

The new administration’s cuts to cultural programs, research grants and Voice of America represent a shift in America’s relationship with the rest of the world

english.elpais.com

We're excited that the Iowa City Public Library's nominated book, Daniel Mason's "North Woods," made the shortlist for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award!

Dublin Literary Award@dublinlitaward.bsky.social · last yr.

The #DublinLitAward 2025 Shortlist is here! 🎉 Congrats to Selva Almada (Not a River), Gerda Blees (We Are Light), Michael Crummey (The Adversary), Percival Everett (James), Paul Lynch (Prophet Song), and Daniel Mason (North Woods). Winner announced 22nd May! 🏆

Read our full statement at www.iowacityofliterature.org/a-statement-...

Belated congratulations to all the authors longlisted for the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize by New Literary Project, including Abby Geni, Cristina Henríquez, Sarah Manguso, Andrew Porter, and Regina Porter! www.newliteraryproject.org/whats-new/jo...

Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist Announced — New Literary Project

Announcing the 2025 Longlist for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize

newliteraryproject.org

"Publishing 32 books over the course of his life, he wasn’t simply prolific, as far as former presidents go. His output also displayed an extraordinary range that included historical fiction, poetry and meditations on the meaning of faith and the splendor of nature."

Jimmy Carter: Poet, Novelist, Memoirist, Philosopher

He wasn’t just prolific, publishing 32 books. His output also showed an unusual range that included memoirs and forays into historical fiction and even poetry.

nytimes.com

For SDG 17: Partnerships read Clubfoot by Thomas M. Cook which addresses collaboration between those carrying out the work of Dr. Ignacio Ponseti and the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club to promote clubfoot treatment. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Instinutions read "Mother: by m.s. RedCherries. Mother is a poetry collection which explores Indigenous identity and.resilience through the lens of personal and collective history. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 15: Life on Land read Tallgrass Conversations by Cindy Crosby and Thomas Dean which discusses the importance of prairie ecosystems and our role in conserving them. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 14: Life Below Water read the River Knows by Neil D. Hamilton, which explores the intricate relationship between humans and waterways, emphasizing the importance of protecting aquatic ecosystems for the health and sustainability of our planet. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 13: Climate Action, read We Hold Our Breath: A Journey to Texas Between Storms by Micah Fields, graduate of the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 12: Responsible Production, read A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. A Thousand Acres explores the environmental and social impacts of modern agriculture. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, read Co-Crafting the Just City by James A. Throgmorton, which received the John Friedmann Book Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. #17Booksfor17SDGs

For SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, read "Co-Crafting the Just City" by former Iowa City Mayor James A. Throgmorton, which recently received the John Friedmann Book Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. #17BooksFor17SDGs

Follow our friends at the IWP!

For SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities read Unexplained Presence by TIsa Bryant. Unexplained Presence reinterprets the experiences of marginalized figures, especially black individuals within historical and cultural frameworks. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, explore The Dawn of Industrial Agriculture in Iowa by E. Durrenberger. This book discusses the transformation of agriculture through innovation and infrastructure development. #17BooksFor17SDGs

For SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, read On Behalf of the Family Farm: Iowa Farm Women's Activism since 1945, which explores women in agriculture and their responses to economic and technological changes. #17BooksFor17SDGs