Please note: This is an outdoor, in-person event taking place in Washington Square Park, across from the Newberry. Free and open to the public; tickets are not required, but you can register in advance here to receive event updates.

Coinciding with the 2022 Newberry Book Fair, this free event in Washington Square Park (“Bughouse Square”) celebrates the power of storytelling and its role in shaping our city.

People from across Chicago and beyond are invited to listen to a series of authors and storytellers, and even share their own stories if they’re moved to step up to the open mic.

The festivities will also include the presentation of the Newberry’s first annual Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. The award will be presented to Dawn Turner, author of Three Girls from Bronzeville.

Throughout the afternoon in the park, food trucks will provide sustenance, and the Newberry Book Fair may provide inspiration. Visitors can make their way inside the Newberry to browse thousands of used books in dozens of categories.

Explore our other events taking place in Bughouse Square this summer, including Make Music Chicago 2022, 50-Minute Hamlet, and Bughouse Square: A History in Song and Story.

Schedule

1 pm: Entertainment

We will kick things off with a lineup of Chicago performers.

2 pm: Storytelling Activities

Two storytelling stations in the park will feature a mix of professional storytellers and open mic periods for attendees to tell their own stories, all focused on the joys and challenges of living in Chicago. In addition, Story Circle tables will provide a place for participants to share their Chicago stories in a less public way.

3:30 pm: Presentation of The 2022 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award and a conversation with Dawn Turner, author of Three Girls from Bronzeville

The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library is presented annually to a book that transforms public understanding of Chicago, its history, or its people. Dawn Turner, the inaugural winner, will converse with Newberry President Daniel Greene about her book.

Cost and Registration Information 

Free and open to the public; tickets are not required, but you can register in advance here to receive event updates.