Back to What's on
Free Events
The Folger offers a wide range of free events for audiences of all ages, including our monthly book club discussions and our annual celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday.

Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon

Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon
The Folger is co-hosting a session of this year’s Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon at the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival. Join us in reading Emily Dickinson's poems!
Tue, Sep 26, 2023, 12pm
What is...Secularity?

What is...Secularity?
Join scholars as they question whether “secularity” remains a useful concept, and how its history can illuminate contemporary debates.
Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 4:30pm
Folger Book Club: Warm Bodies

Folger Book Club: Warm Bodies
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet gets a zombie makeover in our October book club discussion.
Thu, Oct 5, 2023, 6:30pm
Folger Book Fair at East City Bookshop

Folger Book Fair at East City Bookshop
Shop a curated book selection at East City Bookshop highlighting the Folger’s Theatre, Poetry, and Book Club seasons while learning more about the Folger's programs.
Fri, Oct 6, 2023, 6:30pm
What is...Consent?

What is...Consent?
This virtual conversation brings literary scholars and historians together with participants to reflect on the history of consent.
Thu, Oct 19, 2023, 3pm
What is...Iconoclasm?

What is...Iconoclasm?
This virtual conversation asks how the early modern history of religious iconoclasm might help us better understand our present moment.
Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 3pm
Folger Book Club: Beheld

Folger Book Club: Beheld
Our November book club discussion looks at the first recorded murder in the Plymouth colony.
Thu, Nov 9, 2023, 6:30pm
What is...Revolution?

What is...Revolution?
This virtual conversation brings scholars together with participants to ask, “What do we mean by ‘revolution?’” and “When do revolutions happen?”
Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 2pm
Folger Book Club: The Weird Sisters

Folger Book Club: The Weird Sisters
Our December book club explores the relationship between three sisters in this family story threaded with Shakespearean references.
Thu, Dec 14, 2023, 6:30pm
Not Just Another Day Off 2024: A Poetic Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday

Not Just Another Day Off
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday with us! Hear historic speeches from King, Frederick Douglass, Fannie Lou Hamer, and more, alongside work from contemporary poets.
Mon, Jan 15, 2024, 11am