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Mainstage, Community Event, Party/Social

  • This event has passed.
  • Date: May 19
  • Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm PT

Night of 1,000 Words: Auction & Fundraiser

Click here to watch the live stream of the event at 7 pm on Thursday, May 19.

THE ONLINE AUCTION IS OPEN! Click here to register and start bidding now on silent and live auctions to support Hugo House.

In celebration of Hugo House’s silver anniversary (25 years!), join us for a brand new annual fundraiser, Night of 1,000 Words! Look back on Hugo House’s quarter-century history, celebrate the present, and look toward the next 25 years at this evening of giving. Your support at this annual event helps to bring authors from near and far to our stage and classrooms, award scholarships to writers of all ages in need, grant fellowships to emerging talents, and provide a welcoming and open space for anyone who loves books or has the drive to write.

We've updated this year's annual fundraiser into a virtual experience in order to reach more people for this special evening. The event now includes an online auction open May 16-19 and a livestreamed show happening Thursday, May 19 at 7 pm PT!

NIGHT OF 1,000 WORDS PARTICIPATION GUIDE

By moving Night of 1,000 Words to a virtual event, we're excited to welcome people from all across the globe to this celebration! Here's a quick run-down of all the ways you can participate and support Hugo House.

Bid in the Auctions

Show your support for Hugo House by bidding on one of nine silent auction items. These auctions will close at 7:10 pm on Thursday, May 19, right at the beginning of the livestreamed event.

You can get your bids in early for the six live auctions, which will close during our livestreamed event on Thursday, May 19. All items on the auction website with "LIVE" in the title fall into this category.

GET STARTED BIDDING HERE!

Raise Your Paddle with a Donation

During the live event, our illustrious auctioneer, Fred Northup, Jr., will lead the "raise the paddle," a portion of the evening in which you can immediately pledge a meaningful gift to Hugo House. This is a direct donation to support Hugo House's programs, bringing vital writing opportunities to our community.

You can always raise your paddle early by making a gift on the auction website here.

Watch the Live Event and Celebrate

Gather friends, family, and fellow writers to watch the live event on Thursday, May 19 at 7pm and celebrate 25 years of Hugo House. With guest speakers, including Hugo House Founder Frances McCue and Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest, as well as a poetry reading from a Youth Cohort member!

WATCH IT LIVE ON THURSDAY, MAY 19 HERE!

GUEST SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS

Fred Northup

Fred Northup

Fred Northup, Jr. is one of the Pacific Northwest’s busiest entertainers: as a fundraising auctioneer, host and emcee, author, and comedy improviser. For 10 years, Fred was a company member of Seattle’s famed “TheatreSports” comedy improv group, and he travels the country emceeing and designing entertainment for major corporate events. In addition to his work on stage and on camera, Fred Northup runs a video and event production company, Southdown Creative. He’s also the co-founder of RainGlobes, the globe that rains! When not entertaining the masses, Fred can be found in Seattle entertaining his wife, Ashley, and their two children.

Rena Priest

Rena Priest

Rena Priest is a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She is the incumbent Washington State Poet Laureate and Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow. Priest is also the recipient of an Allied Arts Foundation Professional Poets Award, an American Book Award, and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, Nia Tero, The Vadon Foundation, and Indigenous Nations Poets. She has authored three books and edited two anthologies. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Learn more at renapriest.com

Frances McCue

Frances McCue

Frances McCue is a poet and prose writer. For a decade, she was the Founding Director of Richard Hugo House in Seattle. She has published six books, including a book of essays about poet Richard Hugo, The Car That Brought You Here Still Runs, and another that describes the portraits of photographer Mary Randlett. Her 2017 book of poems, Timber Curtain, is an exploration of lost places in our fast-developing city and arose from work on “Where the House Was,” a documentary film that tells one story about the arts and gentrification in Seattle. In 2018, she won the University of Washington’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Her chapbook called I Almost Read the Books Whole is out from Factory Hollow Press. Frances also writes about why tech folk might engage with poetry and recent articles appear in Geekwire and The Smart Set