Best reading series in New York City

The Brooklyn Poets folks don’t care if you know anything about poetry: They just want you to have a good time. This is one of the most energetic places to hear verse from talent like Matthea Harvey and Brooklyn poet laureate Tina Chang.

This series of literary dinners features a buffet (including wine and dessert) and a reading from a noteworthy writer, followed by a Q&A about the author's creative process. The 2015 season welcomes Dinaw Mengestu, Lydia Davis and more.

This long-running series, hosted by Penina Roth, is the queen of the Brooklyn book event scene. Whether featuring major names (hello, Jennifer Egan!) or up-and-coming local authors, the lineup never disappoints. 

The phenomenal Australian literary salon returns stateside, inviting notable women writers and performers to air their dirty laundry in the form of personal letters crafted just for the occasion, on themes like "a letter to my stumbling block."

We’re big fans of this young lit mag and its editor-in-chief, Natalie Eilbert. The Atlas Review eschews bookish cliques and champions untapped talent, ensuring each reading boasts a crop of fresh voices.

We’ve adored the Madame and her crew for years; they combine the steaminess of the city's best burlesque with the more highbrow world of poetry into a unique, only-in–New York show, where male and female “whores” provide private poetry readings.