Gloucester Writers Center

03/04/2026

We've got a busy weekend coming up! Our annual Charles Olson Lecture is already sold out, but there are a few spots left for our International Women's Day event this Sunday. The link to register is in our bio—hope to see you there!

03/04/2026

Join us for International Women's Day! Come share your story, while supporting the journey of others! Please sign up on our website - www.gloucesterwriters.org/events

02/25/2026

Thursday! Join us at the Gloucester Writers Center for a reading by Rebecca Hart Olander and Heather Nelson.

Olander, originally from Gloucester, will be reading from her new book, Singing from the Deep End, which explores life in Gloucester in the 70's and 80's. Nelson will read from Motherland, a book of thoughtful, meditative poems about motherhood, the life of the artist, and life during the pandemic.

02/25/2026

Don't forget to come celebrate our friend Gerrit on his 98 Birthday tomorrow! Please bring a Gerrit poem to read.

02/02/2026

Tonight! Join us at 126 E. Main Street for our First Monday Open Mic hosted by Bob Whelan. This time around, our featured reader is poet, memoirist, and short story writer Carla Panciera!

You might remember Carla from our incredible contemporary memoir panel -- or, you might be lucky enough to be hearing her work for the first time.

The doors will be open early so arrive by 6:45 or so to secure yourself a spot on our sign up sheet. Bring a poem, bring a story, bring some work to share with your neighbors-- the event will begin at 7PM. See you there.

01/22/2026

Tonight!

We look forward to welcoming Jim Dunn and Erik Lomen to the Gloucester Writers Center to share the work of Charles Shively. Hear the poems and conversation about this important activist, writer, and thinker.

01/15/2026

Tonight! Join us at the Gloucester Writers Center at 7PM as we welcome Mark Hillringhouse to Gloucester.

Mark will share with us images and words from his new book, TALKING ALL NIGHT, which includes interviews, portraits, and snapshots from his long engagement with the poets of the New York School and other NYC poets, including many former guests of the GWC!

Here's a preview of what you'll see: images of Frank O'Hara, Amiri Baraka and Allen Ginsberg, and Anne Waldman.

This is an event not to miss. Tell your friends.

01/09/2026

Coming up on January 29 -- Fish Tales: CAPE ANN ADVENTURES! Eight storytellers with their true stories, told live.

Storyteller Jim Tarantino is a Gloucester native who is fiercely proud and a herald for all things "Gloucester". Also a proud husband, father and grandfather, Jim has appeared in several productions here at Gloucester Stage, appeared in Season 21 of "Survivor" (Survivor:Nicaragua) and has built a 64-year adventurer's resume that includes many rowing championships and records, mountain hiking, African safaris and bluewater sails.

Fish Tales tickets now on sale at gloucesterstage.com/fish-tales. Get yours today!

Presented by Gloucester Writers Center, and sponsored by Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizer, Lobsta Land Restaurant, and the Mass Cultural Council.

01/08/2026

Announcing Fish Tales: CAPE ANN ADVENTURES! Coming up on January 29: Eight talented storytellers will recount their true tales of adventures on land and sea. Hosted by GWC storyteller-in-residence Kevin Perrin, himself a two-time Fish Tales storyteller who also led the GWC's veterans writing group.

Tickets will go fast! Get yours today: gloucesterstage.com/fish-tales/

Presented at Gloucester Stage Company, 267 E Main Street, Gloucester. Join us January 29: showtime at 7:30 pm, lobby opens at 6:30 pm.

Thanks to our sponsors: Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizer, Lobsta Land Restaurant, and Mass Cultural Council.

12/11/2025

Tonight! Join us at 7PM at the Gloucester Writers Center at 126 E. Main Street, where we will welcome Arnie Jarmak and Josh Resnek to speak about their new collaboration, The Last Seder in Little Jerusalem.

This book explores the history and culture of Chelsea, MA as an indicator of larger truths about post-industrial American cities and, maybe, the United States itself.

12/02/2025

Our board president, JoeAnn Hart, has written movingly about what the Writers Center means and what it offers our community. Please read below, and consider donating on this :

Dear Friend of the Gloucester Writers Center,

In February 2025, a hesitant human stood in front of a packed house at the Gloucester Stage Company and told a difficult story about her lifelong struggle with disordered eating. She was one of many brave souls who have shared their pains, joys, loves, and vulnerabilities with Fish Tales audiences over the years. This fall, at our long-standing college essay program at Gloucester High School, seniors confided their hopes and disappointments to GWC volunteer tutors, who helped the students turn experience into words. The first Mondays of the month saw writers gather for Open Mic at the Ferrini house to read their words out loud to a supportive group of other writers.

These are things only humans can do. There are no AI-generated words or ideas at the Gloucester Writers Center. Our programs have not been given over to computers. Instead, we create community with workshops, classes, and walks, while our readings and lectures expand our literary world. This year, in partnership with the Cape Ann Museum, we invited Miriam Nichols to give the annual Olson Lecture, focusing on Charles Olson’s ideas about civic engagement in difficult times. Other 2025 events include the inaugural Groundswell Reader Series with Forrest Gander and Laura Marris, the Four Poet Laureates at the new Sawyer Free Library, and a presentation by Sara Fitzgerald, a T.S. Eliot scholar, at the North Shore Arts Association. To celebrate our 15th anniversary this summer, we held an exuberant party at the Gloucester House with Ed Sanders, where he combined music with art and literature, all human endeavors.

As AI-generated books are eating up market share while the original work of writers is being used to train large language models without their permission or compensation, the mission of the Gloucester Writers Center is more important than ever. Corporations spent 1.5 trillion dollars on AI this year. That is their priority. Ours is the shared human experience. We collect a few dollars from events but we never turn people away for the lack of it. Give generously so we can continue to foster genuine connection in a virtual world.

Warmly,

JoeAnn Hart, GWC Board President

visit gloucesterwriters.org/support to donate.

Founded in 2010, the Gloucester Writers Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Everything we do is possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters and friends on Cape Ann and beyond. The majority of our annual operating funds come from individual donors—writers and artists, dedicated au...

12/01/2025

Tonight! Join us at 126 E. Main Street at 7PM for our First Monday open mic. Bob Whelan hosts, and tonight the brilliant poet Jennifer Jean()will feature.

Show up early to sign up for your spot on the reader's list!