Book It: The Six Best Literary Events This Week

Halloween interrupts the usual literary schedule this week, but there are still enough bookish events after trick-or-treating to satisfy even the hungriest literary sweet tooth, from a talk about magic-realist novels to poetry from some of the state’s finest to a con for young-adult books to a citywide literacy celebration. And if you’re feeling creative, a contest ending on Halloween night just might tickle your six-word fancy. Here are the best of your boo-tiful literary options for the scariest week of the year:

Second Annual Six-Word Mystery Contest
Now through October 31
Tattered Cover
2526 East Colfax Avenue
$6 to enter one category; $10 for a chance in all five
The Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America presents its second annual Six-Word Mystery Contest, open to all writers who want to delve into something incredibly brief and still deeply affecting. Winners from each of five categories (Hard-boiled, Cozy, Thriller, Police Procedural and Mystery with Romance or Lust), along with an overall winner, will be announced at the RMMWA holiday party in December. The inaugural winner last year was Cindy Marsh, with her six words from the Thriller category: “Eyes so lovely I kept them.” Brrrr. Feel like taking on the challenge? You have, in the spirit of the season, until the stroke of midnight on Halloween night to do it.

Cai Emmons, Weather Woman
Thursday, November 1, 7 p.m.
Tattered Cover
2526 East Colfax Avenue
Free
The Tattered Cover welcomes author Cai Emmons to read from and sign copies of her new book, Weather Woman, a novel about science and intuition, women and power, and what the Earth needs from humanity. The event is free...and potentially inspiring.

Out From the Margins
Thursday, November 1, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Arapahoe Community College
5900 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
Free
Out from the Margins, a literary event in Littleton this Thursday, spotlights authors and poets from communities that have historically been shunted to the wayside. Steven Dunn, the founder of the Art of Storytelling reading series, has joined forces with Jamey Trotter of Arapahoe Community College to organize a panel with poets Ahja Fox and Jenee Elise as well as author Kali Fajardo-Anstine, whose eagerly anticipated novel Sabrina & Corina will drop in the coming months.

First Saturday Poetry: Juan Morales and Wayne Miller
Saturday, November 3, 4 p.m.
BookBar
4280 Tennyson Street
Free
BookBar will be full to bursting with poetic awesomeness as November begins to wind its chilled path through the end of the year. This week’s poets are big players in both the 21st-century poetry scene as well as Colorado’s academic environments: Juan Morales (The Handyman’s Guide to End Times) is the director of creative writing at Colorado State University Pueblo, where he runs the literary magazine Tempered Steel. Wayne Miller (Post-) is the director of creative writing at the University of Colorado Denver, where he runs the literary magazine Copper Nickel. 
Colorado Teen Book Con
Saturday, November 3, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Littleton High School
199 East Littleton Boulevard, Littleton
Free
Tattered Cover presents the second annual Colorado Teen Book Con, where over twenty YA authors will converge to read, sign and talk about their celebrated works. The keynote speaker is award-winning author Jason Reynolds (All American Boys, the Track series), and there will be panels, readings, signings, vendors and food trucks. Lots of food trucks: Writing (and reading) is hungry work. The event is free, but registration is required.

Shanthi Sekaran, Lucky Boy
Saturday, November 3, 7 p.m.
Broomfield Auditorium
3 Community Park Road, Broomfield
Free
Author Shanthi Sekaran, author of the One Book One Broomfield selection Lucky Boy, comes to the Broomfield Auditorium for a reading, talk and book-signing. Join sponsors BookBar and the Broomfield Library and Cultural Affairs department in celebrating this citywide reading and discussion program at an insightful night of conversation, community and inspiration.

Have an event you want included on this list? Send the details to [email protected].