Readings at the Bookstore

City Lights hosts weekly events with authors from across the publishing world. With our store closed until further notice, we're finding new ways to adapt and move our events online. Click on the listings below to learn more, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for regular updates. And please consider supporting our events authors by buying their book from our Bookshop list.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher to our podcast series, LIVE! From City Lights–broadcasting events & archives from City Lights.

Our virtual events series is being uploaded to our Youtube page. Subscribe to our channel to watch events you missed!

Barry Gifford in conversation with Rob Christopher This is a virtual event which will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PT \| 9:00 p.m. ET celebrates the release of Barry Gifford's Roy's World: Stories 1973-2020 published by Seven Stories Press		Eileen Myles This is a virtual event which will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Tuesday, September 29, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PT \| 9:00 p.m. ET reading from their new book For Now published by Yale University Press

Zoetrope Magazine Fall Issue Celebration This is a virtual event that will be hosted by City Lights on the Zoom platform. Thursday, October 1, 2020, 6:00 p.m. City Lights celebrates the award winning literary periodical's fall issue. Editor Michael Ray and Managing Editor Manjula Martin are joined by several contributors in an afternoon of readings and celebration.		Patti Smith A virtual event co-hosted with the Bay Area Book Festival's WOMEN/LIT Series Thursday, October 8th, 2020, 7:00pm PST / 10:00pm EDT Musical and literary Icon Patti Smith in an intimate afternoon of reading and music Celebrating the paperback release of YEAR OF THE MONKEY

Saturday, October 10th at 5pm PST/ 8pm EDT San Francisco, CA: LITQUAKE Literary Festival		LOGIC BOOKS FESTIVAL This is a series of virtual events cohosted by City Lights and Gray Area. Mon Oct 12, Tue Oct 13, Wed Oct 14, 2020, Hours vary according to event presented by City Lights in conjunction with Gray Area and FSG Originals

FREEMAN'S: Best New Writings on LOVE This virtual event will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Saturday, October 17, 2020, 5PM PST / 8PM EDT Litquake and City Lights present John Freeman, Robin Coste Lewis, Tommy Orange, and Matt Sumell		Gary Kamiya with Paul Madonna This is a virtual event to be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EDT celebrating their new book Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages through the Unknown City published by Bloomsbury Books

Third Man Books Night @ City Lights This virtual event will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EDT with Robert Gordon, Alison Mosshart, and Shere Renée Thomas Hosted by Peter Maravelis/City Lights		Friday, October 23rd, 5pm PST/ 8pm EDT Litquake & City Lights Present the Book Launch for Funeral Diva!

20 in 2020: Spotlight Series Anniversary Celebration DAY ONE This is a virtual weekend of events that will be hosted by City Lights on the Zoom platform. Saturday, October 24, 2020, 3 p.m. PST / 6 p.m. EDT Hosted by Garrett Caples (Series Editor) with readings by poets in the series		20 in 2020: Spotlight Series Anniversary Celebration DAY TWO This is a virtual weekend of events that will be hosted by City Lights on the Zoom platform. Sunday, October 25, 2020, 3:00 p.m. PST / 6:00 p.m. EDT Hosted by Garrett Caples (Series Editor) Readings by poets in the Spot Light Series

Mauro Javier Cárdenas in conversation with Carlos Fonseca This virtual event will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Thursday, November 5, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EDT reading from his new novel Aphasia published by Farrar Straus Giroux		Maw Shein Win and Nathalie Khankan with Su Hwang and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo This virtual event will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EDT reading new poetry presented by Omnidawn Books

Ishmael Reed with Tennessee Reed This is a virtual event to be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PT \| 9:00 p.m. ET Reading from new poetry Why The Black Hole Sings The Blues by Ishmael Reed Califia Burning: Poems 2012-2019 by Tennessee Reed published by Dalkey Archive		Sun Ra's Chicago: Afrofuturism and the City This is a virtual event that will be hosted by City Lights on the Zoom platform. Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 EDT William Sites in conversation with John Corbett

Derek McCormack and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore This is a virtual event which will be held on the Zoom platform. Click the link in the event description for info. Thursday, December 3, 2020, 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EDT A Semiotexte Books Double Bill with two razor-sharp writers of fiction