The Hopwood Program hosts teas, readings, forums, and other events throughout the academic year. Select an event title below to view current dates, times, locations, and other details.
Hopwood Tea is held every Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Hopwood Room during fall and winter semesters when classes are in session. Students can enjoy refreshments and conversation and browse the Hopwood library’s continuously updated collection of contemporary literature.
Hopwood Awards Submissions Forums
The Hopwood Awards Submissions Forums give potential contestants an opportunity to learn about the annual Hopwood Awards contest and to ask questions about the submissions process, eligibility requirements, contest categories, and more. One in-person and one virtual forum are held during the fall semester.
Dolly Parton Celebration Tea
The Dolly Parton Celebration Tea celebrates the life and legacy of country music star and literacy advocate Dolly Parton. The 2026 event included a trivia quiz, sing-alongs, special refreshments, and a book giveaway.
Rapaport Undergraduate Reading
The Rapaport Undergraduate Reading is an annual reading by top winners of Hopwood undergraduate contests from the previous year reading from their award-winning work. The reading series is named in honor of Hopwood laureate Marjorie Rapaport.
Banned Books Tea
The Banned Books Tea is held each fall and includes a display of books from the Hopwood Library that have been challenged or banned, quizzes about book censorship, and a banned book raffle. The event also launches the annual Hopwood Reading Challenge, which takes place during the fall and winter semesters and invites students to check out and read books from the Hopwood Library. Participants earn a raffle ticket for each book read, up to ten tickets, and enter their tickets in a raffle for gift cards from local independent bookstores at the Book Lovers Tea in February.
Hopwood Halloween Tea
The Hopwood Halloween Tea is held every October. The celebration in the highly decorated Hopwood Room features cider and donuts, Halloween candy, a costume contest, spooky music, a display of scary books from the Hopwood Library, and a book raffle.
Ask an MFA Roundtable
The Ask an MFA Roundtable brings current and former MFA students together with undergraduates considering graduate study in creative writing. Over a catered lunch, panelists share their experiences applying to and participating in MFA programs and discuss questions with time for attendees to ask questions.
Book Lovers Tea
The Book Lovers Tea is held each February and marks the conclusion of the annual Hopwood Reading Challenge. Participants are invited to take a “blind date with a book,” enjoy special refreshments, and enter raffles for books and book-related prizes.
Mad Hatter Tea
The Mad Hatter Tea is held every March to celebrate the world’s most famous literary tea party from Alice in Wonderland. Students compete in trivia quizzes and costume contests for Alice-themed prizes.
Hopwood Awards Celebration
The Hopwood Awards Celebration is held each April to recognize the year's contest winners and finalists.The celebration includes the Hopwood Lecture in which an eminent writer addresses a topic of interest to writers and offers advice to writers at the beginning of their careers.
Hopwood Reading
The Hopwood Reading is held each April. The eminent writer chosen as the year’s Hopwood Lecturer reads from their creative work and takes part in a Q&A.
