The listings below are the NWP’s official program calendar and events for the Fall 2025 semester. However, much more than this will be happening both across campus and around Iowa City. And additional program events may occasionally be added throughout the semester.
Week 1: August 25 – August 31
- Monday, Aug 25: First Day of Classes
Friday, Aug 29, 12:30-1:30pm, 304 EPB: English Department’s “Survived the First Week” pizza party
Week 2: September 1 – 7
Monday, Sept 1: Labor Day: No classes; Nonfiction Writing House closed
Friday, Sept 5, 5:30pm Nonfiction Writing House: Mandatory for all students, NWP program-wide orientation; food and drinks provided
Week 3: September 8 – 14
Monday, Sept 8: Last day for graduate students to drop courses and receive tuition refund; last day to add courses without fees; last day to opt for S/U grading. (NOTE: Fellowship and teaching tuition waivers will not cover registration changes after this day. That means that if you drop a course, you will be responsible for paying the full tuition for that course!)
Monday, Sept 8, 3pm: Herodotus Award Deadline
Friday, Sept 12, 6pm: NWP Alum John T. Price reads from Goethe's Oak at Prairie Lights
(UPDATE) Friday, Sept 12, 7:30pm: Faculty Reading: Inara Verzemnieks and Tisa Bryant
Week 4: September 15 – 21
Friday, Sept 19, 5:30pm: Professor Kaveh Akbar reads at Voxman Auditorium Concert Hall
Week 5: September 22 – 28
- Wednesday, Sept 24, 3:00pm: Deadline for Englert Nonfiction Fellowship applications
Week 6: September 29 – October 5
- Monday, September 29: Spring 2026 classes available in MyUI/Schedule Builder
Week 7: October 6 – 12
All Week: Iowa City Book Festival Events
Monday, Oct 6: Third-year students have consultations with WME Agent Dorian Karchmar
Tuesday, Oct 7, 2pm: WME Agent Dorian Karchmar conversation & Q&A, NWP House.
Week 8: October 13 – 19
Friday, Oct 17, 7pm: NWP Alum Matthew Gavin Frank reads from Submersed at Prairie Lights
Week 9: October 20 – 26
Tuesday, Oct 21, 7pm: Former NWP Professor Stephen Kuusisto in conversation with Chris Merrill at Prairie Lights
Thursday, Oct 23, 3:30pm: Q & A with Jeremy Denk, memoirist and pianist at NWP House and will be in conversation with NWP Director Melissa Febos
Friday, Oct 24: Deadline to send Spring 2026 course registration preferences to Tara Atkinson
Friday, Oct 24, 7pm: NWP Alum Jeremy Jones in conversation with NWP Alum and former faculty Kerry Howley at Prairie Lights
Week 10: October 27 – November 2
Wednesday, Oct 29, 7pm: Krause Visiting Writer Hilary Plum reading, NWP House
Thursday, Oct 30, 3pm: Hilary Plum Publishing Talk, Gerber Lounge (304 EPB)
Saturday, Nov 1, 1pm: Colonial Lanes: NWP Bowling Tournament
Week 11: November 3 – 9
Monday, November 3, 7pm: Jennifer Eli Bowen reads from The Book of Kin and will be in conversation with Angela Pelster & NWP Professor Inara Verzemnieks at Prairie Lights
Wednesday, November 5, 7pm: Professors Melissa Febos and Donika Kelly read together at Prairie Lights for Book Matters
Friday, November 7, 6pm: Fall Social Outing TBA
Week 12: November 10 – 16
Monday, Nov 10: Early registration opens: Time to register for Spring 2026 classes. (NOTE: You should not need any codes or permissions for CNW courses. If you have any trouble, make sure your U-Bill is paid and contact Tara Atkinson right away.)
Friday, Nov 14, 3:00pm: Deadline for submissions for Magdalena Award
Week 13: November 17 – 23
Monday, November 17, 7pm: NWP alum Jen Percy reads from Girls Play Dead at Prairie Lights, in conversation with Kerry Howley
Wednesday, November 19, 7pm: Catharina Coenen in conversation with NWP Alum Stephanie Krzywonos
Week 14: November 24 – November 30
- Thanksgiving Week: No classes; Nonfiction Writing House closed
Week 15: December 1 – 7
Monday, Dec 1: Deadline to send materials for the Marcus Bach Fellowship to Claire Fox at cffox@uiowa.edu
Information about the fellowship is in the link below:
Friday, Dec 5, 6pm: NWP Nondenominational Holiday Party
Week 16: December 8 – 14
Friday, Dec 12: English Dept Winter Party
- Friday, Dec 12: Close of classes
Week 17: December 15 – 21
Final exam week for the University
Friday, December 19, 6pm: Nonfiction Writing House will close for the duration of the winter break
Nonfiction Writing Program events
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Study Hall