About Events

About Loft Events

The Loft offers a diverse array of literary events, reading series, book launches, and more. Please see our calendar listings—we encourage everyone to participate. Expand your literary network, get inspired, be entertained, or just support your local and global literary community.

Annual Events
Wordplay & Wordsmith

Each year, the Loft presents two major annual events—Wordplay and Wordsmith. Wordplay is a festival for readers of all kinds to come together, connect, and celebrate the year in books. Wordsmith is a career, connection, and craft conference for writers at all levels.

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Wordplay Wordsmith
Loft Themes
The Loft Presents Choice and Chance

Through the theme of Choice and Chance, the Loft will explore how much control we really have in our stories and lives and what do we leave to chance?

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Choice and Chance
Signature Events and Series

The Loft's signature, recurring events include the Mentor Series, Equilibrium, and Big Ideas. Learn more below.

Mentor Series Marker
Loft Mentor Series

The Loft Mentor Series holds six readings and craft conversations throughout the course of the program. Two emerging writers read from their work, along with one of the nationally acclaimed authors who is mentoring the participants. Readings are a blend of all three genres on which the Mentor Series focuses: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

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EQ Marker
Loft Equilibrium (EQ)

Equilibrium, EQ for short, is the Loft's ground-breaking and wildly successful series devoted to spoken word artists and audiences of color. Acclaimed as one of the nation's top spoken word venues, EQ combines an intimate, engaging atmosphere with energetic, packed houses. EQ has created a space where national talent shares the stage with local emerging artists.

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Big Ideas Graphic
Loft Big Ideas

Big Ideas is a series from the Loft that puts literature at the center of dynamic conversations and brings together readers and writers to explore the most pressing issues and questions facing our society today.

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Upcoming Events
Aug
13
2020
What if a Fish Virtual Book Launch Party
Anika Fajardo in conversation with Pete Hautman and Sheila O'Connor, moderated by Booktuber Racquel Marie
Aug
18
2020
Northernmost: Peter Geye Book Launch
From the acclaimed author of Wintering, Peter Geye will share his new novel Northernmost: a thrilling ode to the spirit of adventure and the vagaries of loss and love.

 
Sep
5
2020
Equilibrium: Whose Border? Featuring Bobby Wilson

The Loft's long running spoken word series Equilibrium (EQ) returns with a showcase featuring artists troubling the notion of borders and enforcement. This event features Bobby Wilson, with opening performances by Peuo Tuy, Roy G. Guzmán, and Kokou Doeh.

This event is cosponsored by the Minnesota Freedom Fund and the James H Binger Center for New Americans.
Can I Read at the Loft?

The Loft is committed to providing authors and audiences with unique events that deepen their understanding of the craft of writing, and engage them in lively and thought-provoking discussions. We strive to produce events that encourage crowd participation, build audiences for diverse authors, and offer learning opportunities to the more than 4,000 students who take our classes. These goals are the foundation of our programming.

We receive many more requests than we can accommodate to produce events. Read on to learn about the types of events we host and sponsor, how to rent our performance hall for your own reading or event, and other ways we help promote authors' books.

Can I Read at the Loft?