Events

Wednesdays every week

Every Wednesday

No more procrastination! Bring your work in progress and join other writers for some dedicated time to get your words down.

Every Wednesday 5:00–5:30 Arrive, get comfortable, meet your fellow writers, and chat about your projects 5:30–6:30 Time to shut up and write!

Cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books (

https://boldcoffeeandbooks.com

) and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More (

https://www.indigoediting.com

). 

Thursdays every week

Do you love paper crafts? We do too!

This group is for people seeking consistent time to practice paper arts and crafts in a small, low-pressure group setting.

***Space is limited. Please RSVP on Meetup here.***

Every Friday

Join us for a writing/discussion group. This is a co-working meeting. If you are looking for feedback or critique, there are other meetings for that. The format is social chat for 15 minutes, silent write for an hour, chat for 15 minutes, repeat.

Hosted by Rose City Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers at BOLD Coffee & Books.

Bold is honored to host the art show All Hands Make Light by p:ear youth this season, with a special showcase on Friday, July 17, 5:30–8:30 p.m. to feature the art at eye level and invite the public to admire and purchase.

All Hands Make Light is a deeply special project and powerful reflection of the creativity, voice, and visual storytelling of Portland youth! Curated and created by @this_terrible_light, All Hands Make Light grew out of intimate workshops led by artists with lived experience, inviting youth to explore photography and storytelling as tools for self-expression, healing, and reclaiming identity. What emerged is a moving body of work that challenges stigma and creates space for young people to be seen in their full humanity — as artists, storytellers, and future-makers.

p:ear is a Portland nonprofit that builds builds positive relationships with homeless youth through education, art, recreation, and job training to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.

A variety of pieces from 8 inches to 36 inches will be available, along with the photo book of the full show. Proceeds go to the artists and p:ear. Representatives of p:ear and some artists will be at the showcase to discuss their work. Don't miss this chance to be moved, up close and personally, by the work of these talented young photographers!

 All Hands Make Light, is funded and supported by the Oregon Arts Commission, The Olseth Family Foundation, and Shutterbug Portland.

Friday, July 17

5:30–8:30 p.m.

BOLD Coffee & Books

1755 SW Jefferson St., Portland

Do you love stories about kids or animals who save the day? Do you love to dance and color and play? We do too!

Come join Ali Shaw of Bold Coffee & Books for a fun storytime. Hear some stories, make some friends, and leave with art. What an amazing way to spend a Saturday!

Plus, 20% off children's books and $1 off hot chocolate on Saturday mornings.

*****

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

We are celebrating audiobooks with Libro.fm by hosting an Audiobook Listening Party!

Sit back, put in your earbuds, pull out your craft or puzzle, and let's get listening! 

Dress in your favorite cozy attire and bring your favorite craft, a good audiobook, and great company. 

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Mondays every week

Join us Mondays this summer for a generative freewriting session. This group will be led by author Dian Greenwood. Each session will begin with a writing prompt, then dedicated writing time, followed by time for willing participants to share what they wrote. Meet other writers in a friendly space, explore your own craft, and be surprised at what your mind creates with a prompt and time to write. This group is open to writers of all levels and is a supportive environment. 

Dian Greenwood studied writing (emphasis on poetry) at San Francisco State University. She later studied novel writing with Janet Fitch (White Oleander) and Tom Spanbauer (In the City of Shy Hunters). Dian published About the Carleton Sisters (2023, She Writes Press) at age 81 and, a year later, Forever Blackbirds (2024). The Blackbird sequel, Blackbird Whistling came out in September 2025, both books from Traveler’s Moon Press. Dian previously published essays in the online magazine, The Big Smoke, America. Her Substack essays can be found at It’s Never Too Late. Dian lives in Portland, Oregon, where she writes and works as a family therapist.

Mondays, July 6, 13, 20, and 27; August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

5:30–6:30 p.m. (Arrive at 5:00 to order a drink and food and chat with other writers.)

FREE, $7 suggested donation for group leader

***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Monthly on every third Tuesday

Join us for a monthly Q&A about all things publishing and books!

Join Ali Shaw—co-owner of BOLD Coffee & Books and owner of Indigo: Editing, Design, and More—for an in-person Q&A about the publishing process, the business of writing, and the book world in general. If you have questions about how to start your publishing journey, bring them! If you’ve always wondered about something more obscure, like how to tell if an antique book is a first edition or what librarians do at trade shows, bring those too!

Free and open to the public.

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Co-Sponsored by Bold Coffee & Books and First United Methodist Church 

Come to Bold Coffee & Books on Saturday, July 25th at 3:00 p.m. for Drag Queen Story Hour with Saint Syndrome! 

There will be singing, sparkles, and sweets! Plus, we will have free copies of The Rainbow Sheep by David Hayward and Annabelle & Aiden: Oh, the Things We Believed by J.R. Becker for the children in attendance, while supplies last.

Saint Syndrome is the lowest bass with the smallest waist, Portland's Miss Gay Pride 2025, and the only live-singing, piano-playing drag sensation! A native of Salem, OR, she traded in the classical conservatory for the speakeasy spotlight, and now wows audiences worldwide with her eclectic blend of jazz, musical theater, parody, and original music. Formerly an accomplished church organist, Saint now performs a little later at night with weekly shows in Portland. Her unique piano-bar event, "Keyed Up Karaoke," regularly attracts local talent and touring Broadway casts. When not performing as Saint, he teaches piano to his incredible students.

In this snappy writing contest, we give the writers four writing prompts and set the timer for 30 minutes. When the time is up, they read their stories and the judges select a winner—all right there on the spot. There’s no time to hesitate, second-guess, or hold back. Then the winner takes home prizes! All writers are welcome, from published professionals to newborn novelists.

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

You love receiving books for summer reading, right? But sometimes those books are ones you already have. Or, they’re sooo last year. Or you’re hoping for one (or two or three) more. Whatever the reason your book haul is not up to snuff, Bold is here to help!

Visit our Summer Book Swap and join other readers in celebrating the season with reading! Sip book-inspired drinks and play book games. Bring your own books to exchange with other readers, and enter to win more books from Bold.

The event is free, but an RSVP is required. Register at Meetup, Facebook, or at boldcoffeeandbooks@gmail.com.

Monthly on every last Tuesday

Come meet other writers and enjoy a drink in this fun and informal setting to bond over the written (or still unwritten!) word.

5:00–7:00 p.m.

Drop in at your convenience. We'll be happy to see you and hear about your writing!

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

BOLD is honored to host the Trans Men Elders Author Panel with Jamison Green, Reid Vanderburgh, Rev. Dr. David Weekley, and Zander Keig.

Join pioneering FTM authors and elders Jamison Green, Reid Vanderburgh, Rev. Dr. David Weekley, and Zander Keig for an evening of readings, conversation, and reflection. Drawing from memoir, poetry, spirituality, and social commentary, these influential voices will share stories spanning decades of transgender history, resilience, identity, aging, and community. Celebrate the enduring wisdom of FTM elders whose lives and writing continue to inspire new generations while preserving an important chapter of transgender history.

Jamison Green, PhD, is a pioneering transgender author, educator, and activist whose work has helped shape public understanding of transgender lives and health care. He is the author of the influential book Becoming a Visible Man and editor of A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream.

Reid Vanderburgh was one of the first trans therapists and the author of the influential books Transition and Beyond: Observations on Gender Identity, Journeys of Transformation: Stories from Across the Acronym, and Work in Progress, which have helped generations of clinicians and readers better understand transgender identity, growth, and transformation.

Rev. Dr. David Weekley is a Pacific Northwest author, pastor, and transgender advocate whose memoirs and spiritual writings explore faith, identity, transition, and resilience. He is the author of the books Retreating Forward: A Spiritual Practice with Transgender Persons and In from the Wilderness: Sherman: She-R-Man.

Zander Keig, LCSW, is an award-winning author, clinical social worker, and longtime transgender community advocate. He is the author of The Third Space: A Nonconformist’s Guide to the Universe and co-editor of Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, Manifest: Transitional Wisdom on Male Privilege, and Manning Up: Transsexual Men on Finding Brotherhood, Family & Themselves.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Monthly on every first Tuesday

Monthly on every second Tuesday

Remember how great silent reading time was in elementary school? The melting away of distractions while you lost yourself in a great book? Now you can get that as an adult too!

Join us at BOLD for a silent reading party. Bring your book or buy one here. Grab a drink or pastry, and lose yourself in those pages.

Arrive around 5:00 if you want to meet other readers and share about the book you’re reading. The background music switches to classical and the reading begins at 5:30 p.m. More book talk afterwards, at 6:30.

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Jo Ann Fawcett, author of Wisdom from My Grandmothers.

Wisdom from My Grandmothers is full of inherited wisdom from conversations with deceased female ancestors - their lives, advice, and keys to resilience. Chanticleer Book Reviews notes that it’s “…a passionate exploration of the bonds of kin and what simultaneously distinguishes and connects us with our ancestors.” Literary Titan recommends “…it to anyone navigating the aftermath of difficult relationships, anyone curious about ancestral healing frameworks, or anyone who has looked at their own patterns and suspected they didn’t start with them.”

Jo Ann Fawcett transformed her life after seven toxic marriages. Writing is an important part of her journey. Author of Midlife Magic and The Prince Was Wrong: Leaving the Narcissist Behind. Mother, grandmother, and cat-mom to Winston. She loves knitting, walking, and spending time in nature. Jo Ann lives in Portland, Oregon.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m.

*****

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Pam McGaffin, author of Shade of Wings, in conversation with Jessie Glenn, Director of Mindbuck Media.

Four-year-old Duncan needs to hurry up and find a mate—or so says Cloud. But she doesn’t know about the mistake that’s preventing him from leaving their family to start another. Though he’s the eldest, Duncan doesn’t see himself as a leader. Yet that’s what he must become when both his parents die of the mysterious illness that’s killing crows across New York City. He devotes himself to caring for his siblings, including three fledglings—but he soon discovers he can’t protect them from the “blind death.” Meanwhile, a zoo pathologist’s worst fears are realized. It starts with dead flamingos. Then critically ill New Yorkers start showing up in hospital emergency rooms. Some blame the crows.

"A profound story of loved ones sticking together in the face of tragedy and hardship."—Kirkus Reviews 

“As the reader is taken into the world of crows, McGaffin reveals the truth about the behavior and ecology of a familiar bird and warns of the danger to humanity when nature's messages are ignored.”— John M. Marzluff, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Science, University of Washington, and author of In the Company of Crows and Ravens

Pam McGaffin is a writer whose work has been published in literary journals, newspapers, and websites. Her first novel, The Leaving Year (SparkPress, 2018), received first place in the Best Book Awards for young adult fiction. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Mark, and rescue dog, Mars.  

Jessie Glenn founded MindBuck Media Book Publicity in 2006. Jessie’s work has been highlighted in Poets & Writers, AWP, UCLA, Columbia Fiction Foundry, Reed College, and elsewhere, with essays published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Salon, Toronto Star, Cleaver, and more.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m.

*****

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.