Each year, the Department of English brings visiting writers across genres for readings and master classes with students, hosted by our Writer-in-Residence, Wiley Cash. In recent years, the department has hosted several award-winning writers, including Ben Fountain, Camille Dungy, David Ebershoff, Chrystal Hana Kim, Frank X Walker, and many others.
Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.


Totally Rad Trivia comes to French Broad River Brewing starting this Tuesday at 6:00PM! The same favorite local Pop Culture Trivia show mixed with the delicious brews of French Broad. Plus Papa Nicks Pizza right next door! Drink and Food Specials will be available.
The show is completely social distanced and we will all be doing everything we can to make it a safe and enjoyable experience, so the only thing you’ll have to worry about is how many times I’ll reference a show you’ve never watched.
Seating is limited due to current pandemic restrictions so message me to reserve a table for you and your team
The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.


Totally Rad Trivia invades 12 Bones South every Wednesday evening for two hours of Pop Culture Trivia. Grab a beer, some BBQ and buckle in for some fun and challenging Trivia.
The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

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Mitch Fortune brings you an irreverent and nostalgia filled night of pop culture trivia every Thursday night 7-9 pm at the One Stop in Downtown Asheville. A potpourri of movies, music, TV show trivia just for you!
The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.


One of the most unique things about The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is our Random Acts of Fringe. These short, site-specific performances are mostly free and open to the public. This year, most of our RAFs are happening on social media, so be sure to follow us there for more information about these shows.

The Writers at Home reading series features work from UNCA’s Great Smokies Writing Program and The Great Smokies Review. RSVP here to receive an email on the day of the event with the link you’ll need to attend.
Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are supporting our work and keeping more dollars in our community. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!


One of the most unique things about The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is our Random Acts of Fringe. These short, site-specific performances are mostly free and open to the public. This year, most of our RAFs are happening on social media, so be sure to follow us there for more information about these shows.




Each year, the Department of English brings visiting writers across genres for readings and master classes with students, hosted by our Writer-in-Residence, Wiley Cash. In recent years, the department has hosted several award-winning writers, including Ben Fountain, Camille Dungy, David Ebershoff, Chrystal Hana Kim, Frank X Walker, and many others.
Acclaimed poet, essayist and Guggenheim Fellow, Claudia Rankine, will present a reading and talk via zoom on Wednesday, February 24th at 7:00 PM. One of the most prominent voices in literary and critical race studies, Rankine is the author of Just Us: An American Conversation (2020), and six collections of poetry, including Citizen: An American Lyric and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely; three plays including HELP, which premiered in March of 2020 at The Shed, NYC, The White Card, which premiered in February 2018 (ArtsEmerson/American Repertory Theater) and published by Graywolf Press in 2019, and Provenance of Beauty: A South Bronx Travelogue; as well as numerous video collaborations. She is also the co-editor of several anthologies including The Racial Imaginary: Writers on Race in the Life of the Mind (FENCE, 2015). In 2016, she co-founded The Racial Imaginary Institute (TRII).


Put your critter knowledge to the test with our virtual trivia series! Join two educators from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the month of March as we host four virtual trivia nights.
Every Thursday night, we’ll be giving away a prize to the participant with the highest score. We’ll also offer a grand prize for the participant with the highest score over all four nights, so be sure to study hard and join us for the whole month of March!
If you register for all four trivia nights, you’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a prize package valued at $200! Raffle winner will be announced on March 4.
After registering, you’ll receive an email from us with more information. The night of each virtual event, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to participate. You must register by 6pm the evening of the event in order to participate.
- March 4: “Scales and Slime” – Everything cold blooded! Test your knowledge as we explore snakes, turtles, frogs, and more.
- March 11: “Who’s Got Hair?” – Mammals do! Let’s see how much you really know about furry friends!
- March 18: “Feathered Friends” – It’s a good thing to have a bird brain during this trivia night! Hopefully you’ll fly through the questions!
- March 25: “All About Appalachia” – Here, anything goes! We’ll be asking trivia questions ranging from plant life to the history of our beloved mountains. We’ll also be announcing the grand prize winner of the series at the end of this round!


Put your critter knowledge to the test with our virtual trivia series! Join two educators from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the month of March as we host four virtual trivia nights.
Every Thursday night, we’ll be giving away a prize to the participant with the highest score. We’ll also offer a grand prize for the participant with the highest score over all four nights, so be sure to study hard and join us for the whole month of March!
If you register for all four trivia nights, you’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a prize package valued at $200! Raffle winner will be announced on March 4.
After registering, you’ll receive an email from us with more information. The night of each virtual event, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to participate. You must register by 6pm the evening of the event in order to participate.
- March 11: “Who’s Got Hair?” – Mammals do! Let’s see how much you really know about furry friends!
- March 18: “Feathered Friends” – It’s a good thing to have a bird brain during this trivia night! Hopefully you’ll fly through the questions!
- March 25: “All About Appalachia” – Here, anything goes! We’ll be asking trivia questions ranging from plant life to the history of our beloved mountains. We’ll also be announcing the grand prize winner of the series at the end of this round!
Come join us for creative writing online! We’ll meet on Zoom and do several rounds of writing and reading our writing to each other. Our focus is creating a supportive and fun environment through writing exercises and discussion
Visiting Writers Series
CJ Hauser teaches creative writing and literature at Colgate University. Her novel, Family of Origin, was published by Doubleday in 2019. She is also the author of the novel The From-Aways, and her fiction has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Tin House, Narrative Magazine, The Paris Review, TriQuarterly, Esquire, Third Coast, and The Kenyon Review.
This event is free and open to the public, but you must register at this link:

