Writer's Roundup
October 31 - November 15
Dear BWWG Writers,
Skeletons lounge on porches with the greatest audacity. Think about it for too long and see how taboo this is — a joke gone too far. Remembering these figures are meant to be the skeleton of a person. Halloween is radical, pagan, wild — there is something *almost* real about it. This is why I don’t like those mega Costco skeletons that sell out every year. I have been trying to define what it is I don’t like about them, but I think I can describe it now. The skeleton might be the most ubiquitous imagery of this turn of the year, and it should be, I think. Because Halloween is a reminder of — a celebration of — death, that great thing which includes all of us. The life of death, the flowers growing from the traditional candied skulls from Dia de los Muertos.
So I think the giant skeletons are a step in the wrong direction. I think of giants. They belong in some other fantasty. Make them full of dirt, make them fall apart, make them grow mold. Giant spiders or spirits, big huge pumpkins and dismembered hands, they all belong. We are all made of bones in the end, and ultimately, we are not meant to see anyone in those skeletons but ourselves. But as we face this dark night and look at the skeletons around us we can see their smiling jaws and click our own teeth. There. Welcome death, for without you we would not see the flowers grow, we would not know the cold, we would not know ourselves.
Below are announcements about all the happenings with BBWG (& beyond). You can find links to upcoming writing sessions, information about events, and calls for submissions. We hope these offerings will help you to continue to grow in your writing practice and engage with your local and extended writing communities.
— Irene Lyla Lee
Upcoming Meetups 🗓️
Join us in Brooklyn for an hour of focused writing in good company. Please note that you must be a member of BWWG on Meetup in order to RSVP.
*New: BWWG Writing Conference*
Brooklyn Art Haus | 24 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn
December 6, 2025, 10am-4pm
Park Slope
Sip & Play | 471 5th Avenue, Brooklyn
Tuesday, November 4, 7-8:30 pm
RSVP here
Bay Ridge
City League Coffee Roasters | 6808 4th Avenue, Brooklyn
Saturday, November 1, 1:30-3 pm
RSVP here
BedStuy
Brooklyn Public Library’s Bedford Branch | 496 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn
Thursday, November 6, 6-7:30 pm
RSVP here
Bushwick
Nook | 45 Irving Ave, Brooklyn
Monday, November 3, 7:30-9:30 pm
RSVP here
Upcoming Virtual Meetups 💻
Join us from anywhere in the world for an hour of focused writing in good (virtual) company via Zoom. Please note that you must be a member of BWWG on Meetup in order to RSVP.
Biweekly Workshop
Sunday, November 2, 7:30-8 pm
RSVP here
To have your writing be workshopped, please fill out this form.
All-Day Online Retreat
Sunday, November 30, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
RSVP here
You’re welcome to hop in/out as needed!
Weekly Accountability Hours
Sunday, November 2, 1:30-3 pm | RSVP here
Wednesday, November 5, 6-7:30 pm | RSVP here
Member Spotlight ✨
To the team at Obscura Zine (who have written with us at Nook) congratulations on your first event earlier this month! One year of Obscura and hopefully many more to come!
Obscura Zine is not your regular fashion publication … they’re doing important work. Find out more here and pitch them here.
Have you published your writing lately? We want to promote your work! If you would like to highlight a recent publication or writing-related project, please email bkwomenswritinggroup@gmail.com with the name of your project and a brief description.
Community Announcements 💕
Writing the Wave, a writing group by BWWG member Tricia: Biweekly
Botanical Writing Walk in Prospect Park with organizer Irene: November 30, 1-3pm, email bending.tree.education@gmail.com to join
Pre-order: BY THE WAYE, Vol. 01, Issue 02, 2025, a new poetry book featuring work by BWWG member/editor Annabelle. Join the launch party/reading (with food!) on Thursday, November 6th, 7-9pm at Andco North in Jersey City.
Other events 📚
Hot People Read Poetry open mic series at Nook: Friday, October 31st
The Nero Complex, or, Psychopathology of Settler/Colonialism: A Dis/course Workshop with Alberto Toscano via the Poetry Project: Online, November 7
Nineteenth Annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum: November 9
Aja Gabel in Conversation with Angela Flournoy, for the launch of “Lightbreakers” at Yu & Me Books: November 11
Drink ‘N Draft: Creative Writing Workshop at Book Club Bar: Monthly
KGB Bar Monday Night Poetry: Weekly on Mondays
Writing Under the Influence writing group online + at The Keep: Weekly on Tuesdays
Brooklyn Poets free community writing groups: Weekly on Wed, Fri + Sat
Shut Up & Write writing group at Brooklyn Art Haus: Weekly on Saturdays
Noname Writing Group at Ringolevio: Weekly on Saturdays
Calls for Submissions 📨
Perugia Press Prize (poetry book publication): Deadline November 15
Raven Review Winter Issue (poetry and short fiction): Deadline November 15
Lumina Journal (multiple genres): Deadline November 18
Strange Pilgrims (multiple genres): Deadline November 30
American Literary Review (fiction, essays, poetry): Deadline December 1
IHRAM Press (“Homelessness and the Unhoused”): Deadline December 1
Pacifica Literary Review (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction): Deadline December 31
Mississippi Review (poetry, fiction, nonfiction): Deadline January 2
Driftwood Press (fiction, poetry, novellas + more): Ongoing submissions
Fahmidan Journal (fiction/poetry): Ongoing submissions
Anime Herald (reviews, essays and opinions on anime fandom): Open for pitches
100 Days in Appalachia (reported stories of Appalachian region): Open for pitches
Fellowships, Education and More ✍️
Epiphany Fresh Voices Fellowship, $2k stipend for BIOPC writers who do not have / are not currently in an advanced degree in writing program: Deadline November 1
Derricotte / Eady Chapbook Prize with Cave Canem: Deadline November 3
Velvet Park LGBTQ+ Writers Residency in Brooklyn: Deadline November 9
The Hudson River Review short fiction contest: Deadline November 30
The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas (flexible, year-round)
Money for Women, Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Grants: Fiction applications January 1 - 31, 2026
Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing, for authors of their first or second novel in any genre: Deadline February 1
Study Hall is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to do any journalism. They have tons of open calls and resources. They have a tiered pay structure, but use them and it will very likely pay for itself.
Job board 📌
Social Media Manager (Volunteer) at The Bloomin’ Onion: Deadline December 1
The Paris Review Visiting Professor of Literature at BPI (1-2 yr commitment): Deadline December 1
Part-time roles available at Brooklyn Poets: Jobs start January 2026
Associate Production Editor for Catapult Book Group (Brooklyn/hybrid)
Help Support BWWG
Everything we do at Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group is a volunteer effort. Your donations are deeply appreciated and help pay for the subscriptions that keep our programming running. Please make a donation via PayPal here.