Aspen Words Literary Prize Book Distribution Party
2025-07-22 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Denver)
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 | Pitkin County Library | 5:00 p.m.
Join us in celebrating the winning title of the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize! Swing by our community book distribution party at the Pitkin County Library to pick up a free copy of “Wandering Stars” by Tommy Orange and enjoy complimentary refreshments and snacks.
Register Here

Special Lit Lounge Book Club: Aspen Words Literary Prize Celebration
2025-08-19 17:00 - 18:00
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM | Pitkin County Library
Join us for a special edition of The Lit Lounge as we celebrate the winner of the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize! This month, we’re spotlighting “Wandering Stars“ by Tommy Orange—a remarkable and unforgettable novel exploring the Native American experience across generations.
RSVP Here
About the novel:
Colorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion prison castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture and identity. A generation later, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father’s jailer. Under Pratt’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines. In a novel that is by turns shattering and wondrous, Tommy Orange has conjured the ancestors of the family readers first fell in love with in There There—warriors, drunks, outlaws, addicts— asking what it means to be the children and grandchildren of massacre. Wandering Stars is a novel about epigenetic and generational trauma that has the force and vision of a modern epic, an exceptionally powerful new book from one of the most exciting writers at work today and soaring confirmation of Tommy Orange’s monumental gifts.
Come together with fellow readers for an engaging discussion of this remarkable book, and enjoy light refreshments as we reflect on its themes and celebrate the community it brings together.
Let’s honor these powerful stories—and each other.

AWN August Meeting: Craft Workshop
2025-08-21 18:30 - 20:30
Thursday, August 21 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
BECOME A MEMBER
Award-winning author Daryl Gregory will be in person to talk about surviving the ups and downs of publishing.

AWN September Meeting– Flex Your Creativity & Expand Your Skill + A Free Journal
2025-09-18 18:30 - 20:30
September AWN Meeting – Flex Your Creativity & Expand Your Skill + A Free Journal
Third Thursday – September 18 at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St., Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Writing prompts are a fantastic way to expand your creativity, explore new genres, and find your unique voice. So, whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or just dipping your toes into the world of writing, come expand your artistic chops. Sharing is optional.
All attendees will receive a free journal! It’s bright red and full of blank pages to inspire you!
BECOME A MEMBER

Aspen Filmfest Presents: The Librarians
2025-09-19 17:00 - 19:00
Aspen Words is proud to partner with Aspen Filmfest 2025 to present a special screening of The Librarians, directed by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Kim A. Snyder. This powerful new documentary follows librarians across the U.S. as they stand up against unprecedented waves of book bans, fighting to protect intellectual freedom and access to knowledge.
Friday, September 19, 5:00 p.m.Aspen Film Isis TheaterQ+A with the director to follow
Purchase tickets here
For questions, please contact admin@aspenfilm.org
The Librarians
Logline:As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.
Synopsis:Librarians unite to combat book banning, defending intellectual freedom on democracy’s frontlines amid unprecedented censorship in Texas, Florida, and beyond. Directed by Oscar®-nominated and Peabody Award–winning filmmaker Kim A. Snyder, The Librarians sheds light on the resilience and courage of those fighting to keep books accessible to all.

Homegrown Stories – A Celebration of Aspen's Local Literary Voices
2025-09-25 18:00 - 19:30
Local Authors Night at Explore Booksellers
Kick off the Aspen Literary Festival with an evening dedicated to Aspen’s own writers. From fiction to memoir, discover the voices shaping stories right here at home.
Featuring authors: Scott Lasser, Cathy O’Connell, T.A. Stevens, Lorenzo Semple, Jill Sheeley, Mark Tompkins, and Nathanial White.
Explore Booksellers — 221 E Main St, Aspen, CO6:00–7:30 pm
Free and open to all!
Learn more about the Aspen Literary Festival at AspenLiteraryFestival.org

Aspen Literary Festival Presented by Book of the Month
2025-09-26 08:00 - 2025-09-28 17:00
Celebrate the books and people who drive culture.

Taking place Friday, September 26 – Sunday, September 28, 2025 in downtown Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen Words, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, will welcome more than 40 nationally recognized, regional and local authors to downtown Aspen, CO for engaging conversations, book signings and other literary activities.
Open to the public, the festival, presented in partnership with Book of the Month, will include an onsite bookstore, art activations, food trucks, parties and other public programming for adults and families alike.
Learn more about the festival at AspenLiteraryFestival.org

Aspen Literary Festival After Hours: Downtown Aspen Block Party
2025-09-26 18:30 - 22:00
September 26, 2025

6:30 PM-10:00 PMMT

Perks & Parties
Hyman Ave. & Mill St.

Local authors will give readings and sign books at local businesses. Aspen Public House and Stranahan’s Whiskey will provide drink specials for festival-goers who show their wristband or badge. Aspen Collective and D’Angelico Guitar Shop will provide an open bar for festival-goers during local author readings.
Participating local businesses
Aspen Collective Gallery | 213 S. Mill St
Hosted by artist, author, and publisher D.J. Watkins, the gallery will transform into a lively party space featuring live music, a bar, and book displays. D.J., known for his work on Hunter S. Thompson and the Freak Power movement, will showcase his art and books and welcome other authors to display and sign their work.
D’Angelico Guitar Shop | 240 S. Mill St
Local musician Garland Burton, who regularly headlines venues like Belly Up and Snowmass concerts, will set the vibe with live music inside and outside the shop. Garland will also host a bar and create space for local authors to sign and share their books—blending music and literature in one of Aspen’s most unique spaces.
Aspen Public House | 328 E. Hyman Ave
Located inside the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen Public House is offering festival drink specials all weekend for wristband and ticket holders. The venue is also opening its doors to local authors for book displays, signings and casual meet-and-greets.
Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge | 307 S. Mill St
Stranahan’s will debut a specialty literary cocktail alongside food and drink specials all weekend. On Friday night, local DJ Alex Brough will spin vinyl records as part of the Block Party. The Whiskey Lodge will also host author displays and signings, creating another lively hub for festival-goers.
Learn more about the Aspen Literary Festival at AspenLiteraryFestival.org
ALF block party

AWN October Meeting - Annual Halloween meeting
2025-10-16 18:30 - 20:30
October 16 – Annual Halloween meeting. Patrick Kitson will be conducting a talk on: How to build more tension in your writing.
Patrick has been a lifelong student of the macabre, the satirical, and the intellectually dubious. Born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley, he coined the term “Valley Horror” in reference to his particular brand of homebrewed speculative fiction, which largely takes place in and around the snowy climes of Colorado. He has published three short story collections and has a novel coming out soon.
BECOME A MEMBER

Youth Poetry Project 2025
2025-10-20 10:00 - 2025-11-21 17:00
Teaching Artists in RFV middle schools for week-long intensives
Oct.-Nov., 2025
This fall, Aspen Words is thrilled to once again partner with the Aspen Education Foundation to bring renowned teaching artists and performance poets into Aspen middle school classrooms.
For the fourth year in a row, professional poets will lead a week-long poetry intensive in every English Language Arts classroom at Aspen, inspiring students to explore creativity, self-expression, and the power of language.
The poets will also return to the classrooms at Carbondale and Basalt middle schools. 2025 is the third year working with students in Basalt and the second year returning to Carbondale.
The Aspen Words youth poetry project will encompass three weeks of in-classroom instruction – one at each school – and a Student Showcase hosted by Basalt middle school where students from all three schools will perform their original work.
The 2025 Poetry Project

Aspen Middle School: October 20–24

Carbondale Middle School: November 10–14

Basalt Middle School: November 17–21

Student Showcase: November 20

Learn more and support the Youth Poetry Project here

FALL WRITING WORKSHOP WITH PETER MOUNTFORD
2025-11-02 10:00 - 15:00
JOIN US FOR AN ALL-DAY FALL WRITING WORKSHOP WITH PETER MOUNTFORD
MAKING MEANING IN YOUR PERSONAL ESSAY
Sunday, November 2, 2025 | 10AM to 3PM
Pitkin County Library
120 N Mill St, Aspen, CO 81611
REGISTER HERE
This all-day workshop with award-winning novelist and essayist Peter Mountford runs 10 AM–3 PM, with a lunch break from 12–1 PM.
Attendees will learn the most difficult and important skill in personal essay writing: how to make your personal story relevant to a perfect stranger. Hilary Mantel, on the difficulty of writing about oneself, said: “If other people are to care about your life, art must intervene.”
“Aboutness” is fundamental to a successful essay, yet both literary and general-publication editors frequently complain of receiving writers’ essays that don’t seem to be “about” anything. In this workshop, attendees will figure out how to select a topic, then focus and refine an essay to arc toward theme and meaning.
In the morning, the workshop will focus on choosing an essay’s seeds. These ideas should be inherently engaging from a story standpoint but also contain focused opportunities for rich thematic meaning. We will generate new writing for a few topics. Attendees will assess different ideas and talk about what each might offer in terms of story and meaning.
In the afternoon, the workshop will focus on developing one or two ideas further into a publishable work that appeals to readers. Specifically, we’ll work toward making meaning—how to write/revise toward your essay’s “aboutness.” Attendees will learn how there are several different approaches for seeking and demonstrating meaning, as we work through ideas generated in class. We’ll also learn secrets to successful essay structure.
Come prepared to brainstorm new essay ideas, bring ones you’ve been mulling over, or essays you’ve written that just aren’t working. Attendees will look at examples of how other authors have done this, including Melissa Febos, and Leslie Jamison. We will look at the first draft vs the published draft of the instructor’s Modern Love essay.
About the Instructor:

Peter Mountford is the author of A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism (winner of the Washington State Book Award) and The Dismal Science (a New York Times Editor’s Choice), as well as the short story collection Detonator. His essays and fiction have appeared in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Paris Review, The Atlantic, The Sun, and more. He teaches at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s MFA program and through Mountford Writing.

Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist Announced November 13
2025-11-13 10:00 - 17:00
Aspen Words will announce the longlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize on November 13.
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”), Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”) and Tommy Orange (2025 for “Wandering Stars”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.
Learn more about the prize

Youth Poetry Project Showcase 2025
2025-11-20 18:00 - 2025-11-21 19:30
Students from Aspen, Basalt, and Carbondale Middle Schools will share original work at the Student Showcase at Basalt Middle School on Thursday, November 20 from 6-7:15 p.m. These pieces were created during week-long poetry intensives led by professional teaching artists and slam poets.
During the showcase, students will be accompanied onstage by their instructors and the professional poets who helped bring their words to life.
This event is free and open to students, friends, and family.
Register or donate to support the Youth Poetry Project Showcase here

AWN November Meeting
2025-11-20 18:30 - 20:30
November 20 – Lucinda Halpern will be conducting a talk on: Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author.
Lucinda Halpern is a literary agent and the founder of Lucinda Literary, based in New York. She has worked with all major publishers, including Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Hachette, and Scholastic, and currently represents New York Times and internationally best-selling authors in the categories of business, personal growth, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction.
Her classes and coaching programs have been taught to hundreds of writers worldwide, and became the inspiration for her new book Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author (Hay House; February 6th, 2024).
BECOME A MEMBER

Launching the Line Up and Tickets for the Winter Words Speaker Series 2026
2025-12-02 10:00 - 19:00
On December 2, Aspen Words will release the official Winter Words 2026 lineup and tickets for the Winter Words Speaker Series. Tickets will be available to purchase online starting December 2.
Join us in person at the Red Brick on December 4 from 5–7 p.m. to purchase tickets.
Save the Dates!

Wednesday, January 28 | Paepcke Auditorium | 6–7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 4 | Paepcke Auditorium | 6–7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11 | TACAW | 6–7 p.m.

The Winter Words 2026 speaker series brings celebrated writers to Aspen for moderated discussions about their work, creative process, and the stories that shape our world.
Aspen Words looks forward to sharing this memorable literary experience with you!

Winter Words Speaker Series Tickets for Sale In-Person
2025-12-04 17:00 - 19:00
On December 4, Aspen Words will be selling tickets for the Winter Words Speaker Series in person at the Red Brick Center for the Arts from 5–7 p.m.
Red Brick Center for the Arts110 E Hallam StreetAspen, CO 81611Tickets will be available at the Aspen Words office, Suite #109.
Tickets will also be available to purchase online starting December 2.
Save the Dates!

Wednesday, January 28 | Paepcke Auditorium | 6–7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 4 | Paepcke Auditorium | 6–7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11 | TACAW | 6–7 p.m.

The Winter Words 2026 speaker series brings celebrated writers to Aspen for moderated discussions about their work, creative process, and the stories that shape our world.
Aspen Words looks forward to sharing this memorable literary experience with you!

AWN Holiday Party
2025-12-18 18:30 - 20:30
December 18 – Holiday party and book exchange
Join us for a festive and fun gathering! Choose a beloved book from your shelf to share with other members, or support a local business by visiting Alpenglow Books in Glenwood Springs (a new store!), White River Books in Carbondale, or Explore Booksellers in Aspen to purchase one. Dedicate the book with your most valuable piece of writing advice, and wrap it up to share at the exchange. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share quotes or sayings that inspired and encouraged them on their writer’s journey.
BECOME A MEMBER

Winter Words with Susan Orlean
2026-01-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Paepcke Auditorium, 1000 N 3rd St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Bestselling author and beloved New Yorker writer Susan Orlean will discuss “Joyride,” a magic carpet ride through her life and career. The book is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour and other forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today. “Joyride” is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.
Moderated by Christine Benedetti
About the Author

Susan Orlean is the New York Times bestselling author of “Joyride,” “The Library Book,” “Rin Tin Tin,” “Saturday Night,” “The Orchid Thief,” which was made into the Academy Award–winning film “Adaptation,” and other books. She has been called “a national treasure” by TheWashington Post and “a latter-day Tocqueville” by The New York Times. Her deeply moving explorations of American stories both familiar and obscure have earned her a reputation as one of America’s most distinctive journalistic voices. A staff writer for The New Yorker for over 30 years and a former contributing editor at Rolling Stone and Vogue, she has been praised as “an exceptional essayist” (Publishers Weekly) and a writerwho “approaches her subjects with intense curiosity and fairness” (Bookmarks).

Winter Words with Lily King
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Paepcke Auditorium, 1000 N 3rd St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Join acclaimed author Lily King (“Writers & Lovers,” “Euphoria”) as she discusses her latest novel, “Heart the Lover,” an instant New York Times bestseller. Written with the superb wit and emotional sensitivity fans of King have come to adore, “Heart the Lover” is a deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship and the transformative nature of forgiveness. The novel is King at her very best, affirming her as an astute chronicler of the human experience and one of the finest novelists at work today.
Moderated by Mitzi Rapkin
About the Author

Lily King is the award-winning author of six novels, including most recently, “Heart the Lover.” She has also published a collection of short stories, “Five Tuesdays in Winter.” Her 2020 novel, “Writers & Lovers,” won the New England Society Book Awards and was a New York Times Notable Book and chosen as a top-10 best book of 2020 by The Washington Post, NPR, People Magazine and The Los Angeles Times. Her 2014 novel, “Euphoria,” won the Kirkus Award, the New England Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award. “Euphoria” was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2014 by The New York Times Book Review. It was included in TIME’s Top 10 Fiction Books of 2014, as well as on Amazon, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly and Salon’s Best Books of 2014.

Winter Words with Tara Roberts
2026-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 | TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt, CO, 81621
Adventurer and storyteller Tara Roberts will discuss her searing memoir, “Written in the Waters,” which recounts her epic journey to trace the global slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean. Roberts, a National Geographic Explorer in Residence, spent years diving with and telling stories about a group of Black scuba divers searching for slave shipwrecks around the world. For fans of Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” and Jesmyn Ward’s “Men We Reaped,” Roberts’ memoir is a powerful blend of personal and cultural history.

About the Author

Tara Roberts follows, dives with and tells stories about Black scuba divers as they search for and help document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “Into the Depths.” Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of the magazine and was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, Tara is an Explorer in Residence at Nat Geo. She is the author of “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging.” Tara is also a former magazine editor and indie publisher, a nonprofit communications director and editor of several nonfiction books for girls. She calls Atlanta home but loves to hit the road. Her motto is: have suitcase, will travel.

Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist Announced March 11
2026-03-04 10:00 - 17:00
Aspen Words will announce the shortlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize on March 11.
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”), Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”) and Tommy Orange (2025 for “Wandering Stars”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.
Learn more about the prize

Aspen Words Literary Prize Winner Announcement on April 23, 2026
2026-04-23 17:00 - 18:30
ABOUT THE PRIZE
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”), Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”) and Tommy Orange (2025 for “Wandering Stars”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.
2026 TIMELINE
Thursday, November 13, 2025 – Longlist announcement
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 – Shortlist announcement
Thursday, April 23, 2026 – Winner announcement & reception – April 2026 in New York City

2026 Summer Words Writers Conference
2026-06-21 08:00 - 2026-06-26 17:00 | Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection, 100 Elbert Ln, Snowmass Village, CO, 81615, United States
Summer Words Writers Conference 2026: June 21-June 26
Aspen Words is excited to welcome writers back to Snowmass Village for the 2026 Summer Words Writers Conference. We look forward to gathering once again for a week of craft, creativity, and connection.
Applications for the Emerging Writer Fellowships open December 10, 2025 and close January 12, 2026.
Juried Workshop applications open January 12, 2026 and close February 26, 2026.
We hope you will join us for another exceptional year. If you have any questions about the application process or general Summer Words inquiries, please reach out to aspenwords@aspeninstitute.org.
Learn more about the Summer Words Writers Conference here!

Aspen Words Book Ball | July 9, 2026
2026-07-09 17:30 - 21:00 | Aspen Meadows Resort Doerr-Hosier Center, 870 Meadows Rd, Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Book Ball | July 9, 2026 | The Aspen Meadows Resort
with Jonathan Franzen
We are honored to welcome bestselling author Jonathan Franzen as the keynote speaker for Book Ball 2026.
We hope you will join a vibrant and passionate community to celebrate writers and readers, and to connect through the power of stories on July 9, 2026, at Aspen Meadows.
This special evening raises vital funds to support Aspen Words programs, including the Aspen Literary Festival, Writers in the Schools, scholarships for emerging writers, and community talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning authors.
Learn more here!
