House of SpeakEasy

House of SpeakEasy connects authors and audiences in innovative and sustaining ways. Founded in 2013 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit by biographer and historian Amanda Foreman and editor Lucas Wittmann, SpeakEasy is dedicated to the idea that literature matters and that the essence of literary culture is the relationship between writers and their readers. To foster that relationship, SpeakEasy seeks to:

• bring authors out from behind the book, lectern, or screen into direct contact with audiences
• ensure that writers are compensated for their work and their time
• stimulate the audiences (and authors) of tomorrow by exposing them to the best writing of today

SpeakEasy’s flagship program, now in its 10th year, is an acclaimed series of literary cabarets entitled "Seriously Entertaining," hosted on the stage of Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, where authors take the stage to riff and ruminate informally, dinner-theater-style, on the evening’s theme. The Wall Street Journal calls it “Think-y entertainment for New York’s book-loving crowd,” and CBS Local News adds: “You have never seen a cabaret quite like this…. The lineup includes some of the most brilliant minds in the literary and artistic worlds.” Watch a short video about the show here.

In addition, SpeakEasy's "Seriously Involved" community outreach programs aspire to expand access to authors and book culture in under-resourced environments. Our SpeakTogether in the Schools program provides literary programming and writing workshops for students and educators in New York City public high schools. (Watch a short video about our recent student matinee in The Bronx.) We also develop and distribute a series of robust creative arts toolkits—curricula inspired by our in-school programs and awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts—that teachers can adopt in their classrooms. (Learn more about our toolkits here.)

And finally, the SpeakEasy Bookmobile distributes brand new books and literary arts programming to "book deserts," high-need neighborhoods without bookstores or easy access to libraries. Working with a range of city agencies and literacy partners, we deliver quality literature across the five boroughs of New York City and beyond—for free. (Watch a 1-minute video featuring one of our Bookmobile Ambassadors here.)

Learn more about our work by visiting us online here.