Upcoming Events


Join us for the 2022-2023 Third Thursday Poetry Series and other literary events!
All programs begin at 6:30 PM at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill (101 S. Debardeleben Street, Auburn) unless otherwise indicated. Reception and book sales are available at 6 PM.
For more information, visit aub.ie/third thursday.

Sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Department of English, and Southern Humanities Review in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University; and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.​

Past Events

Spring Sessions 2023

Thursday, March 16, 6:30 p.m. CST at Pebble Hill in Auburn, AL

​Join us for a night of fiction and poetry readings by fiction writer Jason Mott, author of National Book Award-winning novel Hell of a Book and poet Gabrielle Bates, author of acclaimed poetry collection Judas Goat.
​Doors open at 6 p.m. for a light reception. Part of the Third Thursday Poetry Series.

Fiction Reading

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Rachel Yoder will be reading from her novel "Nightbitch" at Well Red on Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30 pm. More info can be found on their website.
In collaboration with the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, SHR invited poets to respond to the photography of RaMell Ross, a visual artist whose objects explore the Black Experience, particularly in relation to the American South, on display at the Jule until December 30th. Read the collection's introduction from Ashley M. Jones, Alabama Poet Laureate, here.

Poetry Reading

As part of our Third Thursday Poetry Series, Chiyuma Elliott read her poetry on November 17th at 6:00 pm.

Fiction Reading

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Claire Lombardo will be reading from her New York Times Bestselling novel "The Most Fun We Ever Had" at Well Red on Thursday, November 3rd at 6:30 pm.

Spring Sessions 2022

March 17, 6:30 p.m. CST at Pebble Hill in Auburn, AL

​Join us for a night of in-person fiction and poetry readings by fiction writer Sanjena Sathian and poet and essayist Heather Christle.

Buy Sanjena Sathian's Gold Diggers: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646888/gold-diggers-by-sanjena-sathian/
Buy Heather Christle's The Crying Book: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781948226448

Virtual Spring Sessions 2021
Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Reading 2020

An evening celebrating our annual poetry prize honoring Jake Adam York. This year's winner, Matt Donovan, read alongside judge Paisley Rekdal in a virtual event co-sponsored by the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University.
Virtual Spring Sessions 2020
Margaret Renkl Reading

SEPTEMBER 4
Author and Auburn alumna, Margaret Renkl, returned to campus to talk about and read selections from her book, Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss, published in 2019 with Milkweed Editions. 






AWP 2019 Offsite Reading

MARCH 28
Southern Humanities Review contributors Aaron Coleman and Shena McAuliffe joined readers from NELLE, Birmingham Poetry Review, and Crazyhorse in a joint reading at White Owl Social Club in Portland, OR during the Association of Writers and Writing Programs 2019 Conference.






Spring Sessions 2019

FEBRUARY 28
Poet Tiana Clark and fiction writer Shena McAuliffe joined us in Auburn for an evening reading in downtown Opelika filled with twinkle lights, frog dissections, anxiety poetry, and Rihanna.






Spring Sessions 2018





2017 Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Reading

OCTOBER 19, 2017
An evening celebrating our annual poetry prize honoring Jake Adam York. This year's winner, Laura Sobbot Ross, read alongside this year's judge, Naomi Shihab Nye, at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University.

Hear Laura Sobbott Ross read her award-winning work

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FEBRUARY 25
Poet Tarfia Faizullah and fiction writer Hannah Pittard joined us in Auburn for a day of writing workshops and readings.

Hear Tarfia Faizullah’s reading
Hear Hannah Pittard’s reading

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Garrard Conley Reading

NOVEMBER 3, 2016
Auburn alumnus and former SHR student editor Garrard Conley paid us a visit and read from his debut memoir, Boy Erased.

Hear Garrard Conley’s reading

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Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Reading 2016

OCTOBER 6
Poet Natasha Trethewey served as the final judge of this year's poetry prize and helped us welcome winner Emari DiGiorgio to Auburn for a reading.

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Editors Reading

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016
SHR's faculty editors, Anton DiSclafani, Rose McLarney, and Andrew Malan Milward read at Auburn University.

Hear Rose McLarney’s reading
Hear Andrew Malan Milward’s reading

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JANUARY 30
Poet Natalie Diaz and fiction writer Kirstin Valdez Quade joined us in Auburn for a day of writing workshops and readings.

PHOTOS BY RAYE MAY
Hear Natalie Diaz’s reading
Hear Kirstin Valdez Quade’s reading

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Auburn Writers Conference 2015

OCTOBER 15-17
Literary Harvests: Creativity & Sustainability. Featuring David Gessner, Janisse Ray, Michael Martone, Jennifer Chang, Martha Serpas, Cristina Garza, Hali Felt, & more!

Hear Michael Martone’s reading
Hear Martha Serpas’s reading

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Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Reading 2015

OCTOBER 15
Poet Richard Tillinghast served as the final judge of 2015's poetry prize and helped us welcome winner Mark Wagenaar to Auburn for a reading.

Hear Mark Wagenaar read his award-winning poems

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JANUARY 31
Poet Matthew Siegel and prose writer Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams joined us in Auburn for a day of writing workshops and readings.

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Auburn Writers Conference 2014

OCTOBER 17-18
The Inspired South. Featuring Beth Ann Fennelly, Tom Franklin, Michael Knight, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Kevin Wilson, Adam Vines, Harrison Scott Key, & more!









FEBRUARY 15
Workshops and readings from SHR contributors Molly Antopol, Peter Kline, and Brittany Perham.

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Discovering SHR 2013

FEBRUARY 23
Workshops and readings from SHR contributors Elizabeth Bradfield and R. T. Smith

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Discovering SHR 2012

FEBRUARY 11
Workshops and readings from SHR contributors Alison Pelegrin and Emma Bolden