Upcoming events.
Annie Marhefka & Steven Leyva at The Ivy Bookshop
Join us for a poetry reading in the gardens of the Ivy!
You might have noticed the exciting Concrete Poetry 2 Sculpture in the gardens behind the Ivy-- that elegant, interactive concrete alphabet where phrases inspiring and joyful live and change.
The sculpture is the work of Baltimore artist Julia Kim Smith, and now, we bring the sculpture to life with a reading in celebration of National Poetry Month.
This very special, very Baltimore reading will feature Annie Marhefka and her new chapbook, which highlights beloved Baltimore places of all kinds through a poetic lens. Beloved poet Steven Leyva will join Annie Marhefka for this reading.
We'll gather out in the Ivy gardens to enjoy poetry and refreshments. Books will be available for sale at the event.
See details here.
RSVP here.
Washington Writers Conference
The 2026 Washington Writers Conference
WHEN
May 1-2, 2026
WHERE
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road
Rockville, MD
WHY
Join us for the premier writing event in the DC area to network with fellow writers, learn from publishing pros during panels and workshops, and, most importantly, pitch directly to literary agents!
Campfire Stories at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
CBMM members are invited to experience an evening of Chesapeake storytelling at CBMM with the editors and contributors of “Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay – Tales & Travel Companion.” Enjoy curated tales, campfire snacks, and refreshments, celebrating and exploring the Bay’s rich heritage. Book sales and signings will be available after the program.
This event is generously sponsored by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center.
Book Signing at AWP Conference (Baltimore Convention Center)
Book Signing with Scrawl Place at Table #502, Baltimore Convention Center
Book Signing at AWP Conference (Baltimore Convention Center) (Copy)
Book Signing with Scrawl Place at Table #502, Baltimore Convention Center
OFFSITE. ON PURPOSE. Reading with Whale Road Review @Westminster Hall
Annie will be reading from her new collection at OFFSITE. ON PURPOSE. An official AWP off-site event at Westminster Hall with Whale Road Review.
2026 AWP Conference
The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the essential gathering for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Join thousands of attendees, explore hundreds of events and exhibitors, and immerse in four days of vital literary community and celebration in Baltimore!
Where to find Annie at AWP:
Garden Party Collective 2025 Chapbook Contest Winners Reading (Virtual)
More info coming soon!
Bird in Hand (in conversation with Ashley Elizabeth)
Bird in Hand is celebrating the release of Annie Marhefka's chapbook, Strangers We Know By Heart, published by Garden Party Collective in September! Annie is an incredible engine of community around writing in Baltimore via her work as the Executive Director of Yellow Arrow Publishing, and many other initiatives, so it is especially fitting that this collection is a series of love letters to strangers.
She'll be joined by Ashley Elizabeth, winner of the 2024 Garden Party Collective Chapbook Contest, and the author who selected Annie Marhefka's chapbook as the winner of the same contest in 2025. Please join us to celebrate this exciting lineage!
Books will be available for purchase at the event.
Annie Marhefka is a writer in Baltimore, Maryland; she is the recipient of the 2024 Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize, has been featured on The Slowdown Show, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Annie is the Executive Director at Yellow Arrow Publishing, a Baltimore-based nonprofit empowering women-identifying writers. Annie has received support from the Maryland State Arts Council, Gullkistan Center for the Arts, Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and Tin House. She has a BA in creative writing from Washington College and an MBA, and is an MFA candidate at the University of Baltimore where she was Co-Managing Editor of Welter. Her collection, Strangers We Know By Heart, is available from Garden Party Collective. When Annie is not writing, she is usually trying to find her way back to the water. Follow Annie on Instagram @anniemarhefka and at anniemarhefka.com.
Ashley Elizabeth (she/her) is a Pushcart-nominated writer and winner of the 2024 Garden Party Collective Chapbook Contest. Individual poems and essays have appeared in SWWIM, The Hellebore, Rigorous, and Sage Cigarettes, among others. Ashley is the author of A Family Thing (Redacted Books/ELJ Editions, 2024) and chapbooks red line, CHARM(ed), black has every right to be angry, and you were supposed to be a friend. When she isn't teaching, reading, or working on her next poetry or essay collections, Ashley works as Chapbook Editor at Sundress Publications and Workshop Coordinator for fifth wheel press. She lives on the original land of the Piscataway (Baltimore, MD) with her partner and their cats.
Register here.
See all events at Bird in Hand: www.birdinhandcafe.com/events
Ivy Bookshop: https://www.theivybookshop.com/event/annie-marhefka-with-ashley-elizabeth-strangers-we-know-by-heart/
Celebrating the Launch of "AMERICA'S FUTURE"
Join us for readings and discussion that showcase the Washington Writers' Publishing House's new anthology, "AMERICA’S FUTURE."