Oct 28, 2026
Torch’s 2026 Fall Season continues on this year’s theme of sustaining community, now with a physical space to grow.
Building on 20 years and our Spring Season’s theme of programmatic foundations and new collaborations, Torch is excited to finish celebrating our anniversary year with our Fall 2026 Season. This time, with the opening of the Torch Center!
Our recurring events still include the Writing Circle, which occurs twice a month on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings. You can sign up to write virtually with the global Torch community signing up here. Our other recurring event, the Turn Up Open Mic, is on the first Tuesday of every month and gives local community members a dedicated space to share their work. You can purchase tickets to The Turn Up here.
Our special events this season include:
Torch x AFS: Wild Style on November 1 and November 3
Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this special screening of Wild Style, a fun hybrid doc following hip-hop directed by Charlie Arhean. Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community!
The Turn Up Open Mic on November 3
The Turn Up is Torch’s monthly open mic series at the Torch Center. Poets, storytellers, and songwriters are welcome to sign up for the open mic. Black and BIPOC women are encouraged to share their original work.
An Evening with Shara McCallum on November 5
Join us for An Evening with Shara McCallum, author of Behold. Presented by Austin Community College, this event will include a reading, conversation, and book signing.
November Saturday Open House on November 7
Torch is extending normal Torch Center hours to Saturday brunch-goers and shoppers. You can spend your Saturday at the Torch Center! Shop for your new favorite book, stay for coworking and community. Every purchase supports Torch Literary Arts.
Torch x AFS: Boyz N The Hood on November 10 and November 14
Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Boyz N The Hood, a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy. Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community!
Torch x Texas Book Festival feat. Deesha Philyaw and LaToya Watkins on November 14
We’re proud to join the Texas Book Festival once again as a community partner for the Texas Book Festival! Join us for a conversation featuring Deesha Philyaw, author of The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, and LaToya Watkins, author of The Book of Chuck! A book signing will follow.
Join us for this inspiring evening of literature with Amy DuBois Barnett, LaToya Watkins, Amena Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Renée Watson. Hosted by Amanda Johnston. Click here to learn more about the Lit Crawl.
Torch x AFS: Poetic Justice on November 17 and November 21
Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Poetic Justice, a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy. Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community!
Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie at the State Theatre on November 20
The State Theatre, Torch Literary Arts, and Texas Book Festival Present KNIFE: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie. A Q&A with Cinematographer/Exec Producer Rachel Eliza Griffiths will follow. Arrive early to shop Torch Literary Arts’ pop-up bookshop in the lobby, and stay after the screening for a Q&A with the film’s cinematographer and executive producer Rachel Eliza Griffiths.
Torch x AFS: Baby Boy on November 24 and November 28
Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Baby Boy, a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy. Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community!
The Turn Up Open Mic on December 1
The Turn Up is Torch’s monthly open mic series at the Torch Center. Poets, storytellers, and songwriters are welcome to sign up for the open mic. Black and BIPOC women are encouraged to share their original work.
Last Holiday at the Torch Center on December 9
Get into the holiday spirit with this free special movie night complete with Torch community and a special holiday activity.
You can RSVP and check out more details for specific events by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/events. We can’t wait to see you!
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About Torch Literary Arts
Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established with love and intention in 2006 to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram.
Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.
About Austin Film Society (AFS)
Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
About Texas Book Festival
The Texas Book Festival, the largest book event in Texas and one of the premier literary Festivals in the nation, returns for its 29th year on November 16–17 in downtown Austin! Free and open to all, attendees can look forward to a star-studded lineup of more than 250 authors, engaging programming for all ages, book signings, food trucks, cooking demonstrations, and a Saturday night Lit Crawl in East Austin.
About Paramount Theatre
The Paramount and State Theatres host over 550 events annually – from star-studded film premieres to the nation’s largest comedy festival – while bringing arts into the classroom for thousands of Central Texas students. Through it all, we ensure the careful preservation of these treasured monuments to Austin’s history.