The Poets & Writers Gala celebrates the indispensable contributions of writers both to our national discourse and to the inner lives of readers. Funds raised will enable Poets & Writers to provide broad access to information about publishing and help writers from all backgrounds connect with opportunities, advance their careers, and build community.
The 2026 Gala will take place on Monday, March 23, at Pier Sixty in New York City. David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group, is our gala chair. Tina Chang, Khaled Hosseini, and Eugene B. Redmond will be honored with the 2026 Writers for Writers Award. Jordan Pavlin of Alfed A. Knopf will receive the 2026 Editor's Award. Ophira Eisenberg will host. To learn more about the 2026 honorees, read the press release.
Purchase Tables or Tickets
LITERARY TABLE HOSTS
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Gala Host: Ophira Eisenberg
Ophira Eisenberg is a stand-up comedian, writer, and podcast host (NPR, CBS, The Moth, HBO, Comedy Central, iHeart) who headlines theaters and comedy venues across the world, tours regularly with The Moth Mainstage, and hosts the weekly parenting-comedy podcast Parenting is a Joke (Webby Finalist for Best Host). Her new comedy special, produced by Lewis Black/Stark Raving Black Productions, will be streaming in Spring 2026. She also hosted NPR’s trivia comedy show Ask Me Another for nine years. Her breakout memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy (Seal Press), has been optioned for a television series, and her solo show Leaving A Mark: A Comedy About Scars won the Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts. (Credit: Mindy Tucker.)
Literary Table Hosts*
Melissa Coss Aquino
Amy DuBois Barnett
Mahogany L. Browne
Belle Burden
Brian Castleberry
Colin Channer
Cathy Linh Che
Christina Cooke
Sloane Crosley
Angie Cruz
Jeanine Cummins
Michael Cunningham
Cornelius Eady
Nathan Englander
Joshua Ferris
Janet Fitch
Temim Fruchter
Christopher Gonzalez
Xochitl Gonzalez
Yaa Gyasi
Kimiko Hahn
Jimin Han
James Hannaham
Adam Haslett
Major Jackson
Marlon James
Tyehimba Jess
Katie Kitamura
Min Jin Lee
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman
Sandra Lim
Megha Majumdar
Eduardo Martinez-Leyva
Ayana Mathis
Anna Sophia McLoughlin
Eliza Minot
Susan Minot
Lena Moses-Schmitt
Tommy Orange
Julie Orringer
Chris Pavone
Imani Perry
Jodi Picoult
Roxana Robinson
Vijay Seshadri
Patricia Smith
Patricia Spears Jones
Emma Straub
Lynn Steger Strong
Terese Svoboda
Jiaming Tang
Stephanie Wambugu
Sarah Wang
Meg Wolitzer
Michelle Zauner
Ada Zhang
*List in formation
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT HERE
Premier Underwriter Sponsorship ($100,000)
• Premier seating at the gala (two tables, 16 tickets) • Premier logo placement in the program and at the gala • Four passes to Honoree Reception • Acknowledgment from the podium during the gala • Acknowledgment in Poets & Writers Magazine
Lead Underwriter Sponsorship ($50,000)
• Premier seating at the gala (up to two tables, 16 tickets) • Lead logo placement in the program and at the gala • Two passes to Honoree Reception • Acknowledgment from the podium during the gala • Acknowledgment in Poets & Writers Magazine
Underwriter Table ($25,000)
• Premier seating at the gala (8 tickets) • Logo placement in the program and at the gala • Two passes to Honoree Reception • Acknowledgment from the podium during the gala • Acknowledgment in Poets & Writers Magazine
Champion Table ($15,000)
• Prime seating at the gala (8 tickets) • Logo placement in the program and at the gala • Acknowledgment in Poets & Writers Magazine
Benefactor Table ($12,000)
• Preferred seating at the dinner (8 tickets) • Sponsor listing in the program and at the gala • Acknowledgment in Poets & Writers Magazine