June and July 2024 Author Readings and Community Events
release date: June 11, 2024
It’s almost summer, and a great time to attend an author or community event with The Seattle Public Library. Join us for a Seattle Reads celebration of Octavia Butler’s birthday on June 22; an exhibit celebrating 50 years of Seattle Gay News starting on June 24; a conversation with bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones on July 24, as well as talks with award-winning authors in fantasy, science fiction and more. See details below.
All Library events are free and open to the public. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar.
Technology outage reminder: Due to a recent cybersecurity event, some Library services are unavailable, such as e-book checkouts, holds, in-building Wi-Fi and public computers and printers. However, all locations are open as scheduled and we are still hosting a variety of in-person programs and events every day. Check our blog at www.spl.org/Update for regular service updates and www.spl.org/Today for daily schedule updates.
AUTHOR AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
- Seattle Reads: Optimism in Afrofuturism. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 11. Wa Na Wari, 911 24th Ave, Seattle. Join Wa Na Wari for a conversation about optimism in Afrofuturism, centered on the Seattle Reads selection “Parable of the Sower,” with Dr. Bettina Judd, Professor Brittney Frantece, writer and editor Nisi Shawl, and moderated by Brooke Bosley. It will also feature a "semi-archival" showcase of relevant books from the Library's African American Collection, curated by Douglass-Truth librarian Taylor Brooks. Masks are strongly encouraged for this event. Registration is required.
- Rebecca Roanhorse discusses “Mirrored Heavens.” From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, June 13. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse will discuss “Mirrored Heavens,” her stunning conclusion to the "Between Earth and Sky" trilogy, which was nominated for the Nebula, Lambda, Locus, and Hugo Awards. Registration is required.
- Haley Jakobson presents "Old Enough" in conversation with Zach Sailor. From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursday, June 20. Central Library, Level 4 - Room 1. Haley Jakobson’s debut novel, “Old Enough,” explores queer love, community, and what it means to be a survivor in a post #MeToo world, and will lead a night of queer-friendly activities and conversation with Seattle queer writer and bookish content creator Zach Sailor. Registration is required.
- Seattle Reads: earthSEED: Growing Change. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 23. Sunday, June 23. Held outside of ARTE NOIR in the Midtown Square plaza, this Seattle Reads event will feature a Black/Brown farmers market with vendors providing free produce and multigenerational activities that focus on health and wellness, nurturing the land and community resources. Registration is not required.
- 50 Years of Seattle Gay News. From Monday, June 24, to Sunday, Aug. 25. Central Library, Level 8 Gallery. The Seattle Gay News, one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ in the world, is officially 50! Explore the history of a newspaper that has served the Seattle gay community since March 1974, reporting on arts, culture, health, politics, civil rights, and more. The exhibit celebrates the newspaper by presenting headlines and examples of how it covered the local, national, and international happenings and highlighting how the UW Libraries and the Washington State Library preserve and make it accessible to all. No registration required.
- Seattle Reads: Wine Down Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, June 26 through July 24, 5 p.m. to 5:50 pm. Online. For the next five weeks, Sistah Scifi invites everyone to a Wine Down Wednesday online gathering, featuring a special guest author, to discuss all things Black speculative fiction. June 26: children’s author Angela Dalton. July 3: science fiction author Nisi Shawl. July 10: children’s author Gwendolyn Wallace. July 17: National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi. July 24: author John Jennings and cartoonist Damian Duffy.
- Seattle Reads: Prentis Hemphill and Ijeoma Oluo discuss “What it Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World.” From 6 p.m. to 7:10 p.m., Thursday, June 27. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Embodiment facilitator Prentis Hemphill will discuss their new book, which explores a new way to heal on both a personal and collective level, with bestselling writer and speaker Ijeoma Oluo. Presented in partnership with LANGSTON Seattle. Registration is required.
- Clarion West Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading series presents Cadwell Turnbull. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 2. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Join us for an evening celebrating science fiction and fantasy, featuring Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning science fiction and fantasy author of "The Lesson,” which won a 2020 Neukom Institute Literary Award in the debut category. Registration is required.
- Clarion West Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading series presents Sarah Pinsker. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 9. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Join us for an evening celebrating science fiction and fantasy, featuring Sarah Pinsker, the Nebula and Hugo-Award-winning author of "A Song For A New Day," "We Are Satellites," "Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea," and over 60 works of short fiction. Registration is required.
- Stephen Graham Jones discusses “I Was a Teenage Slasher” with Sadie Hartmann a.k.a. Mother Horror. From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 24. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Join us for a discussion with New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones, who just completed his acclaimed Indian Lake Trilogy with “My Heart is a Chainsaw.” Jones will be in conversation with Sadie Hartmann, aka Mother Horror, author of "101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered". Registration is required.
MORE INFORMATION
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. Find more events at www.spl.org/Calendar.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information. For updates on Library services, check www.spl.org/Update.