Your Week in Virtual Book Events, Nov. 2nd to Nov. 8th
Singapore Writers Festival: Sarah Lewis & Teju Cole
Monday, November 2, 9:00am EST (pre-recorded video)
Two authors and Harvard University professors, Teju Cole (Blind Spot) and Sarah Lewis (The Rise) discuss a wide range of pertinent issues facing humanity today for the Singapore Writers Festival. The conversation has been pre-recorded and will be available on-demand for festival ticketholders. Event passes are $20 and can be purchased here.
In Conversation with Margaret Atwood: Singapore Writers Festival
Tuesday, November 3, 9:00am EST
In a conversation moderated by novelist Balli Kaur (The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters), acclaimed author Margaret Atwood (The Testaments) discusses the role of the author in critical moments of history and the ways in which fiction can witness, inspire, and resist. The conversation will be live with a Q&A session, as well as available on-demand afterward. Event passes are $20 and can be purchased here.
Contemporary Iranian Poetry in Translation: A Reading and Conversation with Kayvan Tahmasebian and Rebecca Ruth Gould
Tuesday, November 3, 12:00pm EST
The Yale Department of Comparative Literature presents Iranian poet, translator, and critic Kayvan Tahmasebian (Lecture on Fear and Other Poems) with translator, professor, and author Rebecca Ruth Gould (Writers and Rebels: The Literature of Insurgency in the Caucasus) for a reading of Tahmasebian’s poetry and translated verse by Bijan Elahi and Hasan Alizadeh. They will be joined in conversation with Sam Hodgkin and Robyn Creswell of Yale’s Comparative Literature Department. Free, via Zoom.
Singapore Writers Festival: Naomi Klein — Clarion Call
Wednesday, November 4, 9:00am EST (pre-recorded)
Best-selling author and award-winning journalist Naomi Klein (On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal) chats with Kamalini Ramdas about her drive for exposing stories of exploitation, the effects of capitalism, and holding on to optimism. The conversation has been pre-recorded and will be available on-demand for festival ticketholders. Event passes are $20 and can be purchased here.
Politics and Prose Live! Elizabeth Wein: The Enigma Game
Wednesday, November 4, 5:00pm EST
YA novelist Elizabeth Wein discusses her newest book, The Enigma Game, with fellow YA author Sherri L. Smith (The Blossom and the Firefly). Free, with suggested book purchase or donation. Register for a spot here.
Breakout Nonfiction Writer: Esmé Weijun Wang
Wednesday, November 4, 10:00pm EST
The Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute presents a reading by Esmé Weijun Wang from her bestselling essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias, following by a conversation on mental health and chronic illness in the time of COVID-19. Free.
Twenty Summers: Jaswinder Bolin & Victoria Chang
Thursday, November 5, 12:00pm EST
Writers Jaswinder Bolin (Of Color) and Victoria Chang (Obit) discuss their latest books and the state of the world in this recorded session presented by Twenty Summers. Register to receive the full video in your inbox when it airs. Free.
Creative Conversations: Elizabeth Reeder
Thursday, November 5, 12:15pm EST
Chicago-born, Scotland-based novelist and essayist Elizabeth Reeder (An Archive of Happiness) will read from her works. Presented by the University of Glasgow and funded by the Ferguson Bequest. Free, via Zoom.
Writers Against Trump
Thursday, November 5, 3:00pm EST
Presented by San Francisco’s City Lights Booksellers, writers and booksellers across the nation will come together in a day of solidarity against fascism. Steve Wasserman of Heyday Books will host; he will be joined by Robert Lovato (Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas), Margaret Randall (I Never Left Home: Poet, Feminist, Revolutionary), and SF Poet Laureate Kim Shuck (Deer Trails). Free.
Body of Work: Souvankham Thammavongsa & Lydia Yuknavitch
Thursday, November 5, 3:00pm EST
Souvankham Thammavongsa discusses her debut collection of stories, How to Pronounce Knife, alongside bestselling author Lydia Yuknavitch who will be presenting her newest collection, Verge. Moderated by Marisa Siegal, Editor-in-Chief of The Rumpus for the Portland Book Festival. Free. RSVP here.
UC Berkeley presents Lunch Poems: Aria Aber
Thursday, November 5, 3:00pm EST
Aria Aber (Hard Damage) will read in this series of noontime poetry readings. Zoom link available here, but all poems will be recorded and posted to Youtube. Free.
CLOSE READINGS IN A VIRTUAL SPACE: Julian Talamantez Brolaski
Thursday, November 5, 4:00pm EST
Poet Julian Talamantez Brolaski (Of Mongrelitude) will lead an intimate, virtual group-read/study of the anonymous medieval poem, Foweles in the Frith, for this event hosted by The Flow Chart Foundation. Free, via Zoom. RSVP here.
Seeking Salvation: Chelsea Bieker & Kelli Jo Ford
Thursday, November 5, 5:00pm EST
For the Portland Book Festival, Chelsea Bieker (Godshot) and Kelli Jo Ford (Crooked Hallelujah) discuss their recently published novels. Moderated by Kesha Ajose Fisher (No God Like the Mother). Register here. Free.
Fatimah Asghar: If They Come For Us
Thursday, November 5, 6:00pm EST
Bookends & Beginnings and Northwestern Rainbow Alliance presents poet Fatimah Asghar (If They Come For Us) for their November Midwest Address event. Free. Register here.
Histories of Multiracial Struggle and Solidarity
Thursday, November 5, 6:30pm EST
Hosted by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, authors Johanna Fernandez (The Young Lords: A Radical History), Paul Ortiz (An African-American and Latinx History of the United States), and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States) will discuss how interconnected struggles for justice makes solidarity and change possible in past and present multiracial movements. Free, via Zoom.
NMAAHC X NPR Music – Black Diamond Queens: A Conversation Between Maureen Mahon And Ann Powers
Thursday, November 5th, 2020 7pm ET
Co-creator of NPR Music’s Turning The Tables series Ann Powers will interview Maureen Mahon, author of Black Diamond Queens, to discuss how African American women have laid the foundation for rock and roll—from chart-topping hits and stage personas. The interview will also highlight recordings, albums, photographs, and other archival materials within the museum’s collections that document African American women’s history in rock and roll between the 1950s to the present. This collecting effort was led by Dwandalyn Reece. Free. Register here.
Andalusian Hours: Poems from the Porch of Flannery O’Connor
Thursday, November 5, 7:00pm EST
Angela O’Donnell will do a virtual reading and discussion of her book of poetry, Andalusian Hours: Poems from the Porch of Flannery O’Connor. Presented by the Andalusia Institute at Georgia College. Free. Register here.
Lit Tide: A Reading
Thursday, November 5, 7:00pm EST
Join two Miami university-based literary journals, Gulf Stream Magazine and Sinking City Magazine, for an hour of poetry and prose readings by the journals’ contributors and the winners of Gulf Stream Magazine’s 2020 Summer Contest. Natalie Beisner, Amilcar Sanatan, Zebulon Huset, Paula Miranda, Jenny Robertson, Danielle P. Williams, and Claire Dunlap are slated to read. Register via Zoom. Free.
Live Discussion & Reading: Susannah Rodríguez Drissi in Conversation with Richard Blanco
Thursday, November 5, 7:00pm EST
Susannah Rodríguez Drissi will read from and discuss her debut novel, Until We’re Fish, with Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco (How to Love A Country) at the Harvard Book Store. Free via Crowdcast. Register here.
Karen Barad at the Poetry Project
Thursday, November 5, 8:00pm EST
Professor Karen Barad (Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning) will give an experimental lecture on feminist theory, the quantum physicist, the poet, and the mystery they move through. Free, via Zoom.
Keynote Speaker: Carmen Giménez Smith
Thursday, November 5, 8:00pm EST
Carmen Giménez Smith (Be Recorder) will give the Keynote Speech for the 2020 virtual C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference. Free. Register here by Wednesday, November 4th for access.
The Cold Millions: Jess Walter & Andrew Proctor
Thursday, November 5, 9:00pm EST
Jess Walter will discuss his new novel, The Cold Millions, with Andrew Proctor, Executive Director of Literary Arts. For the Portland Book Festival. Purchase the preorder of his novel through Powell’s Books by November 3rd to receive automatic access to this event. The book will ship the day of the event.
Afterlife: Julia Alvarez
Friday, November 6, 4:30pm EST
Presented in partnership by the Texas Book Festival, the Portland Book Festival will host award-winning author Julia Alvarez (Afterlife) to discuss her first adult novel in nearly fifteen years. Moderated by Liliana Valenzuela. Free, via Crowdcast.
EX LIBRIS: Tonya Bolden
Friday, November 6, 5:30pm EST
Acclaimed author and editor Tonya Bolden discusses the making of her book, Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental Man, for EX LIBRIS, a series of virtual programs produced by the Providence Athenæum. Free.
National Book Foundation Presents: An Evening with the National Book Awards
Friday, November 6, 6:00pm EST
For the third year running, 2020 Longlisters, Finalists, and potential Winners join for a cross-genre panel conversation, presented by the Portland Book Festival in partnership with the National Book Foundation. The event will feature authors Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half), Evette Dione (Lifting As We Climb), and Jerald Walker (How to Make a Slave and Other Essays). Free, with registration.
Repro Rights Reading: Benefit Reading for the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia
Friday, November 6, 7:00pm EST
Readings by authors Roxane Gay (Hunger), Valeria Luiselli (Lost Children Archive), Mesha Maren (Sugar Run), and Laura van den Berg (I Hold a Wolf by the Ears). Hosted by Juliet Escoria and Triangle House’s Homebound literary web event series. All proceeds will go to the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia, an independent nonprofit and West Virginia’s sole remaining abortion provider. Tickets are $15. Reserve your spot here.
Terry Brooks with Robert V.S. Redick
Friday, November 6, 7:00pm EST
Terry Brooks will present The Last Druid, the conclusive book in the popular Shannara series, in conversation with fellow author Robert V.S. Redick (Master Assassins). Hosted virtually by Gibson’s Bookstore via Zoom. Free, with suggested book purchase and/or donation.
Soul Sister Revue with Toi Derricotte, Anastacia Renee, Steven Levya, and more
Friday, November 6, 7:00pm EST
Soul Sister Revue resumes programming with its fall virtual event on the theme of “What does Soul mean to you?” Readers include Toi Derricotte (“I” New and Selected Poems), Anastacia Renee (v.), Steven Levya (The Understudy’s Handbook), Safia Jama (Notes on Resilience), and Natalie Wee (Our Bodies & Other Fine Machines). Free, with registration required.
READING: Layli Long Soldier, Luci Tapanhonsoe, Edie Tsong
Friday, November 6, 8:00pm EST
A 516 WORDS reading featuring New Mexico women writers across various cultures. Inaugural Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation, Luci Tapanhonsoe (A Radiant Curve), award-winning Oglala Lakota poet, Layli Long Soldier (Whereas), and Taiwanese-American interdisciplinary artist Edie Tsong (Scattered Memory) will read. Free.
Claudia Rankine: A Virtual Reading & Discussion
Friday, November 6, 8:00pm EST
Presented by the NYU Creative Writing Program and hosted by poet Terrance Hayes (American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin), author, editor, and artist Claudia Rankine (Citizen: An American Lyric) will read and discuss her work. With opening remarks from poet Deborah Landau (Soft Targets). Free, with required registration.
First Books: Jessica Lanay with Bhanu Khapil
Saturday, November 7, 12:00pm EST
Two poets, Jessica Lanay (am●phib●ian) and Bhanu Khapil (How to Wash a Heart) reflect on their respective first books, in light of Lanay’s debut collection. Presented by Cave Canem and Bowery Poetry. Free, via Facebook Live.
What We’ll Build: Story Time with Oliver Jeffers
Saturday, November 7, 1:00pm EST
Internationally bestselling picture book artist and author Oliver Jeffers reads from his newest work, What We’ll Build: Plans for Our Together Future, for the Portland Book Festival. Free. Register here.
Keynote Speaker: Regina Porter
Saturday, November 7, 1:30pm EST
Regina Porter (The Travelers) will give the Saturday Keynote Speech for the 2020 virtual C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference. Free. Register here by Wednesday, November 4th for access.
Black Girl Magic: Christine Kendall & Reneé Watson
Saturday, November 7, 3:30pm EST
For the Portland Book Festival, authors Christine Kendall (The True Definition of Neva Beane) and Reneé Watson (Ways to Make Sunshine) discuss their young Black girl protagonists in their respective middle grade books. Moderated by Justice Adrienne Nelson of the Oregon Supreme Court. Free. Register here.
Noé Álvarez of “Spirit Run” with The Bookloft
Saturday, November 7, 4:00pm EST
Noé Álvarez will discuss and share photos and excerpts from his debut memoir, Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land, about his epic marathon across North America. Hosted by The Bookloft. Free, with registration required.
Sisterhood as InterNet: Queering Human Relationships
Saturday, November 7, 4:00pm EST
As part of Your Silence Will Not Protect You! a reading and discussion series on the writings of Audre Lorde from the Lewis Latimer House Museum, poet Sherese Francis (Lucy’s Bone Scrolls) will facilitate a discussion based on Lorde’s essays to rethink patriarchal and heteronormative societal relations. Register here. Free.
Unfinished Business: Justina Ireland & Aiden Thomas
Saturday, November 7, 4:45pm EST
YA Authors Justina Ireland (Deathless Divide) and Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys) discuss their recent novels featuring Black and Latinx protagonists navigating race, gender, and the weight of history. Moderated by Multnomah County librarian, Alicia Tate, for the Portland Book Festival. Free.
Slapering Hol Press presents Conversation Chapbook Reading with Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Leela Chantrelle, Toi Derricotte, and Dawn Lundy Martin
Sunday, November 8, 4:00pm EST
Hosted by the Hudson Valley Writers Center and Slapering Hol Press, this reading will celebrate the publication of the 2019 and 2020 Conversation Chapbooks: Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon’s Leading with a Naked Body, a collaboration with Leela Chantrelle, and Toi Derricotte and Dawn Lundy Martin’s collaborative chapbook, A Bruise is a Figure of Remembrance. Tickets are $5-25 to register. Via Zoom.
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