City Lights Booksellers & Publishers
@citylightsbooks
A literary meetingplace since 1953, City Lights is a landmark bookstore and publishing house, known for our commitment to innovative writing and progressive ideals.
Walking around with your head in the clouds, makes no sense at all . . . photo by Dennis Sullivan
Rest in Power Johanna Fernandez, 1970 - 2026 Pictured here with Mumia Abu-Jamal Johanna advocated for Mumia's freedom, and she edited his work in the book, "Writing on the Wall: Selected Prison Writings of Mumia Abu-Jamal, published by City Lights, 2015.
TONIGHT at City Lights LIVE! 🌎 Tuesday 8/11 6pm PT/9pm ET Mara Wilson with Saumya Roy HOW WE SEE IT: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump – Edited by The Dial [@thenewpress.bsky.social] [@thedialmag.bsky.social] ONLINE ONLY - Register here: citylights.com/events/the-d...
Congratulations to Genny Lim, recipient of a Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets! Genny Lim is the Poet Laureate of San Francisco ❤️ poets.org/twenty-two-p...
Happiest publication day to translator C Francis Fisher and Joyce Mansour, SATISFIED SARCOPHAGI: Collected Short Stories (City Lights. August 4, 2026) 🌸 citylights.com/city-lights-...
City Lights LIVE! events are back! Join us online and in Kerouac Alley this week! ⭕️ Thursday 7/23 6:30pm PT THE LAST HUMAN BEAR Greg Sarris with Oscar Villalon @heydaybooks.com In Kerouac Alley, registration not required, find more information here: citylights.com/events/greg-...
Ambient 1: Music for Airports by Brian Eno "This album is like a Pavlovian signal — I put it on, I write." —Eleni Sikelianos's playlist for her new book MEMORY REHEARSAL (City Lights May 2026) ❤️ @largeheartedboy.bsky.social playlist: bit.ly/4gxVKFN
"We've both seen a lot of change in the book business; one of the things that hasn't changed is the importance of conversation."—Paul Yamazaki on the Open Book Podcast open.spotify.com/show/5cUvUFg...
This week we have an episode featuring Khiara M. Bridges in conversation with Jyesha Wren! Listen to the discussion at either of the links below, or on Apple Podcasts! Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/livefromcity... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1N8X...
Last week our podcast featured Eleni Sikelianos in conversation with Matthew Zapruder discussing Sikelianos' latest work, published by City Lights! Listen at the links below, or on Apple Podcasts! Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/livefromcity... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7uGq...
'The child in the picture is my grandfather, Glaukos. He is an old man in every memory I have of him, but he too was once young."——Eleni Sikelianos, from "Glaukos," published in MEMORY REHEARSAL (just published by City Lights!) Excerpted at Air/Light Magazine airlightmagazine.org/.../issue-13...
Celebrating Allen Ginsberg on his centennial 👑🎂 photo taken at Fantasy Records in Berkeley CA, 1950s
Eleni Sikelianos is at Naropa University's Summer Writing Program this Thursday, June 4th! 2:30pm: Artist's Talk 7pm: Faculty Reading with Fargo Tbakhi & Lucia Hinojosa Both events take place in the Performing Arts Center on Naropa University’s Arapahoe Campus bit.ly/4dYHJhD
"I write about what goes through my mind, and naturally, the world goes through my mind. So it looks like I'm writing about the world, but I'm just writing about notating the record of my mind's epiphanies."—Allen Ginsberg Ginsberg's Centennial is Weds., June 3rd! www.npr.org/2026/05/31/n...
Rest in Peace David Henderson 1942 - 2026 www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/b...
Join us for our last two events before our June break! 🔴 TONIGHT Tuesday 5/26 7pm PT/10pm ET THROUGH THE GATES OF HELL: American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay Joshua Colangelo-Bryan w Philip Kearney [Humanitas Media] Join us at the bookstore or join the livestream here: citylights.com/events/joshu...
🛶 TONIGHT 5/21 7pm PT/10pm ET Barry Gifford THE EXCEPTION: Uncle Buck’s Book of Irrepressible Navigation @sevenstories.bsky.social If you can't make it to the bookstore, register here to join us online: citylights.com/events/barry...
Join us!! www.litquake.org/events-1/uns...
“MEMORY REHEARSAL Is Rooted In Santa Barbara: Eleni Sikelianos Discusses Her New Book at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.”— David Starkey, Santa Barbara Independent Join us this Thursday, May 21, at 5pm! www.sbma.net/events/paral...
Happy Publication Day to Eleni Sikelianos! MEMORY REHEARSAL is here. “A poet’s immersion in Greek classicism forges a stronger bond with her bloodline. . . . A moving family memoir and a triumph of cultural archaeology.”–Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review citylights.com/city-lights-...
🌲 TONIGHT Monday 5/18 7pm PT/10pm ET at City Lights LIVE! Cole Swensen with Norma Cole Discussing VEER [@alicejamesbooks.bsky.social] If you can't make it to the bookstore, register for the free livestream here: citylights.com/events/cole-...
Eleni Sikelianos in the Bay Area this week celebrating the publication of MEMORY REHEARSAL, published by City Lights! More info on all events: citylights.com/publishing/a...
TONIGHT Monday 5/11 we have two events to share! 6pm PT/9pm ET Linford D. Fisher w/ Paul C. Rosier STEALING AMERICA INDIGENOUS CITIZENS @wwnorton.com Register: citylights.com/events/linfo... 7pm PT Kronos Quartet w/ Poets performing HOWL Offsite at The Chapel Info: citylights.com/events/krono...
This week's LIVE! from City Lights podcast features Max Lawton & Sean Thor Conroe discussing Lawton's translation of THE BEGINNINGS by Antonio Moresco. @deepvellumbooks.bsky.social @catranslation.org @maxlawton.bsky.social Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/livefromcity...
Monday, May 11th, 7pm at The Chapel in San Francisco: Come Celebrate Allen Ginsberg's Centennial with Us!! wl.eventim.us/event/allen-...
"A Black lesbian vampire escapes slavery and spends immortality searching for meaning in this pioneering work of speculative fiction that explores themes of queer identity, race, and family." —The Brooklyn Public Library on THE GILDA STORIES, one of the 250 Most Influential Titles in U.S. History !
🎉 At City Lights TONIGHT Tuesday 5/5 7pm PT ZYZZYVA Literary Magazine Issue 32 & Cinco De Mayo Celebration! @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social @ovillalon.bsky.social @anitafelicelli.bsky.social @sarahkmatsui.bsky.social In-store only! Seating on a first-come, first-serve basis, free!