Pen & Podium

05/14/2025

We are proud to present the 2025/26 Denver Post Pen & Podium season which showcases a powerful lineup of acclaimed writers:

✨Rick Steves - travel expert, writer and public television host - Sept. 29, 2025
✨Percival Everett - Pulitzer Prize-winning author and winner of the National Book Award - Nov. 10, 2025
✨Ann Napolitano - award-winning and New York Times bestselling author - Jan. 12, 2026
✨Jodi Kantor - Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author - March 16, 2026
✨Gabrielle Zevin - celebrated New York Times bestselling novelist - May 4, 2026

Now in its 22nd season, the Series continues its mission to engage, challenge, and inspire audiences through thought-provoking conversations with today's leading voices.

Pen & Podium is a program of The Denver Post Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of those in our community through support of programs that benefit literacy and education, arts and culture, children and youth, and essential human services.

10/20/2023

On Monday, October 16, 2023, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Award-Winning and Bestselling Novelist, Yaa Gyasi to The Denver Post Pen & Podium stage. Ms. Gyasi, author of "Homegoing" and "Transcendent Kingdom," kicked off the 20th anniversary season in front of a sold-out crowd of loyal subscribers and guests - many of whom have attended all 20 years!

As part of our mission to support literacy and education in metro Denver, we are proud to provide a grant to Book Trust in support of their mission to provide all children equitable access to books of choice in order to promote reading motivation and engagement. They aim to inspire a love of reading and promote a culture of literacy in communities.

Pictured from left to right are Executive Producer of The Denver Post Pen & Podium Series/President & CEO of The Denver Post Community Foundation, Tracy Ulmer; The Denver Post Pen & Podium Literary Events Coordinator, Jeffrey Neuman; Bestselling Novelist, Yaa Gyasi; Development Manager of Book Trust, Brylyn Powers; and Communications and Grants Manager of The Denver Post Community Foundation, Stacy Schafer. www.penandpodium.com

10/28/2022

05/30/2017

What can we say about Julia Alvarez's May 8 Pen & Podium lecture except ... wow! Ms. Alvarez captivated the audience with her graceful and generous talk about the importance and power of storytelling. "Storytelling," she said, "is the act of loving an uncreated thing into being. Stories fuel dreams, they fuel the movement toward freedom. Change is made by storytellers. Activism and storytelling are, therefore, deeply connected."

The 16/17 season was, most definitely, one to remember. As we close the book (literally) on this season, we thank all the authors and READERS who make this series possible, and ... we look forward to sharing a new year of new authors with you soon!

02/09/2017

Lauren Groff is the author of the novel The Monsters of Templeton, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers, Delicate Edible Birds, a collection of s...

09/30/2016

Monday evening's event with John Irving was spectacular! John was kind, generous, funny and intelligent as he discussed storytelling, craft and his career as a novelist and screenwriter. A truly remarkable night with a truly remarkable man.

09/23/2016

In just 4 days, Pen & Podium will launch its 2016-17 season with international best-selling novelist and Academy Award-winner JOHN IRVING. As always, the event will include an audience Q&A. So, if you could ask John one question, what would it be?

05/04/2016

04/07/2016

Join Bill Bryson Backstage at Pen and Podium!

Bill Bryson’s bestselling travel books include The Lost Continent, Neither Here Nor There and Notes from a Small Island, which in a national poll was voted t...