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Past Events

Guild Literary Complex

Sep16
Flyer for Palabra Pura and Brighton Park Poets Open Mic on Wednesday September 16, 2026 with Doors at 6:30pm and a start time of 7:00pm. Curated by Paige Savarese. Located at 18th Street Casa De Cultura. With a grey background including a women performing a poem with a mic infront of them. The bottom of the flyer includes logos for the Guild Literary Complex and Brighton Park Poets
PastCommunity EventBilingualLake View

Palabra Pura x Brighton Park Poets: Open Mic

7:00 PM • Wednesday, September 16, 2026Guild Literary ComplexFree

Brighton Park Poets collabs with Guild Literary Complex for this Palabra Pura bilingual open mic! Poetry open mic curated and hosted by Paige Savarese. Founder of BPP Palabra Pura is a bilingual reading series that promotes literary expression in Spanish, English, and/or other languages. Launched in 2006, the series celebrates the work of Latinx writers in Chicago and beyond, and provides a space for the interaction of diverse voices, ideas, and aesthetics. —————————————————————————- Palabra Pura es una serie de lecturas bilingües que promueve la expresión literaria en español, inglés y otros idiomas. Lanzada en 2006, la serie celebra la obra de escritores latinx dentro y fuera de Chicago, y provee un espacio para la interacción de voces, ideas y estéticas diversas.

Sep12
Flyer for the 41st Annual Printers Row Lit Fest, taking place September 12 & 13, 2026, from 10 AM–6 PM in Chicago, IL. The center features the Guild Literary Complex logo inside a large circular design. The colorful coral, yellow, and teal background includes illustrations of birds, butterflies, flowers, and stacks of books. The bottom of the flyer reads PRINTERSROWLITFEST.ORG | #PRINTERSROWLITFEST.
PastBook SigningChicagoPrinter's Row

Guild Literary Complex @ Printers Row Lit Fest

10:00 AM • Saturday, September 12, 2026Center StagePresented by Guild Literary ComplexFree

Join us at Printers Row Lit Fest from September 12-13! The Guild Literary Complex is excited to host our annual Authors Table (TBA) where anyone at the fest has the opportunity to chat with prolific and flourishing authors and pick up a signed copy of one of their books. We will also host a Musicality of Poetry event at PRLF featuring author Nikki Patin who will sign books afterwards.link text

Sep9
Flyer for “¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!” featuring a photo of a poet performing at a microphone. The event includes a slam and open mic, hosted at Taqueria El Mezquite, 1756 W. 18th St. Wednesdays at 7 PM, with events on August 12, September 9, October 14, and November 11. The flyer features logos for Guild Literary Complex and Slam Diáspora.
PastCommunity EventBilingualPilsen

¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!

7:00 PM • Wednesday, September 9, 2026Taqueria El MezquitePresented by Guild Literary ComplexFree

The first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person! link text All participants have a chance to compete at the international level at the final slam hosted by a Latinx country (TBD). Hosted and curated by Crystal Vance Guerra and Luis Tubens “Logan Lu.” Open to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting, to anyone who has been writing for decades, are all welcome to participate. SIGN UP HERE. Requirements: Slam– 2 poems in Spanish/Spanglish Open Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! We believe that poetry pertains to everyone, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment, play, and to let the words flow. Remember: the point is not the points, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community, and invite new people to participate as audience members, as poets, and as spoken-word lovers. Slam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America, to form a poetry community despite borders. Participants and winners from last year can participate again!

Aug12
Promotional flyer for ¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!, a bilingual slam poetry and open mic series. The flyer features a large angled photo of a poet performing into a microphone in front of an audience under string lights. A mint green background surrounds the image. Text reads: "¡SLAM DIÁSPORA EN VIVO! – SLAM + OPEN MIC." The event takes place at Taqueria El Mezquite, 1756 W. 18th St. Performances are held on Wednesdays/Miércoles at 7:00 PM on August 12, September 9, October 14, and November 11. The bottom of the flyer includes the Guild Literary Complex logo and the Slam Diáspora logo.
PastCommunity EventBilingualPilsen

¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!

7:00 PM • Wednesday, August 12, 2026Taqueria El MezquitePresented by Guild Literary ComplexFree

The first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person! All Participants have a chance to compete at the international level at the final slam hosted by a Latinx country (TBD). Hosted and curated by Crystal Vance Guerra and Luis Tubens “Logan Lu.” Open to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting, to anyone who has been writing for decades, are all welcome to participate. Requirements: Slam– 2 poems in Spanish/Spanglish Open Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! We believe that poetry pertains to everyone, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment, play, and to let the words flow. Remember: the point is not the points, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community, and invite new people to participate as audience members, as poets, and as spoken-word lovers. Slam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America, to form a poetry community despite borders. Participants and winners from last year can participate again! ¡Abierto a poetas de todos estilos y edades! Desde quien apenas esta empezando a escribir, a quienes llevan décadas escribiendo– todos están bienvenidos a participar. Requisitos: Slam– Dos poemas (en español/spanglish) Open Mic– Música/Poesía/Cuento etc, en cualquier idioma Creemos que la poesía le pertenece a todxs, y que todxs traemos poesía adentro. Este Slam es para experimentar, jugar, y dejar que la palabra fluya. Recuerden: el punto no son los puntos, sino la comuna. Queremos crecer como comunidad poética, e invitar a nuevas personas a participar como audiencia, cómo poetas, y cómo amantes de la palabra viva. Slam Diáspora es el primer slam de poesía en español de los EEUU y busca crear un espacio que une poetas Latinx en los EEUU con poetas en Latinoamérica para fomentar una comunidad poética a pesar de las fronteras. ¡Participantes y ganadores del año pasado pueden participar de nuevo! (https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-2026-1/)

Jul23
Promotional flyer for the Guild Literary Complex's Palabra Pura reading series. The flyer features a purple geometric design with two photos of poets performing with microphones. Text reads: "Palabra Pura. One Poet / One Poem – annual tradition. Host: Luis Tubens a.k.a. 'Logan Lu.' Thursday, July 23, 2026, 7:00 p.m. 18th St. Casa de Cultura, 2057 W. 18th St. Snacks provided." The Guild Literary Complex logo appears on the left side of the flyer.
PastOpen MicBilingualPilsen

One Poet/One Poem

7:00 PM • Thursday, July 23, 202618th Street Casa de CulturaPresented by Guild Literary ComplexFree

¡Anímate! The Guild Literary Complex is happy to announce that our annual Palabra Pura: One Poet/One Poem tradition is back this July. All poets are welcome to perform a poem, whether it be in English or Spanish, or both. See old friends and meet new ones, enjoy some light snacks, and listen to some wonderful bilingual poetry. Registration is free, but donations are welcome. ——————————————————- Guild Literary Complex presenta nuestra tradición y evento anual, Palabra Pura: Un Poeta/Un Poema este julio. Todas las poetas están bienvenidos a compartir un poema, en inglés, español, o ambos. Encuentra amigos nuevos y viejos, disfruta unos antojitos y escucha poesía bilingüe. Registro gratis, pero se reciben donaciones. Host: Luis Tubens AKA “Logan Lu” ABOUT PALABRA PURA The Guild Complex’s night of poetry and community, curated by and spotlighting Chicago’s most powerful voices in the Chicano and Latinx communities. Palabra Pura: One Poet/One Poem takes place every year in July.

Jul18
Promotional flyer for a Guild Literary Complex stage reading of El evangelio jornalero (The Gospel of the Day Laborers). The design features a warm brown background with a diagonal photo of a person reading from a script at a microphone while audience members watch attentively. Text includes: "Readers: Colectivo El Pozo," "Playwright: Raul Dorantes," and "Composer: Samantha Herrera." The event takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at Movement on Montrose, 2951 W. Montrose Ave. Photo credit: GlitterGuts.
PastCommunity EventBilingualAlbany Park

El evangelio jornalero: The Gospel of the Day Laborers

7:00 PM • Saturday, July 18, 2026Movement on MontrosePresented by Guild Literary ComplexFree

Mark your calendar for El evangelio jornalero: The Gospel of the Day Laborers Lectura dramatizada (staged reading): in Spanish with subtitles in English The play El evangelio jornalero tells the story of a group of day laborers in Chicago who meet daily at “Home Deport” to wait for work. One day a fellow worker convinces the group to put on a play, an adaptation of one of the gospels but with events that they face daily including wage theft, work discrimination and, most recently, aggressive immigration enforcement. The story reveals the workers’ stories and the role of art in both struggle and victory. Author: Raul Dorantes Composer: Samantha Herrera Readers: Colectivo El Pozo Pauleth Jauregui Juanjo Lopez Nydia Castillo Armando Villegas Miriam Roman Juan Jasso Judith Palma Ramon Smith Erin Escarlata *Los fondos recaudados serán enviados a Donate to Earthquake Relief for Venezuela *All funds raised will go to Donate to Earthquake for Venezuela https://guildcomplex.org/event/el-evangelio-jornalero/