Literary Events in the Washington, D.C. Area
December 2025 & January 2026
Please note: while most events are free, many require an RSVP and some do charge. See links for details. If you have an event to add, or a correction, email us at Washington.Unbound@gmail.com.
Ongoing
Busboys & Poets hosts open mics weekly at various locations. For information, visit their website: https://www.busboysandpoets.com/poetry
1/28
Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum and Old Town Books
6 – 8:30 pm ($35, includes copy of book)
201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Join authors Ashley Elston and Elle Cosimano and Old Town Books for a fun night at The Lyceum celebrating the release of Ashley’s newest book, ANATOMY OF AN ALIBII
https://www.oldtownbooks.com/events/4222420260128
People’s Book
6 -7 pm
7014-A Westmoreland Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
Join Eric F. Goldstein, author and founder of One World Education, to discuss his debut novel Taught.
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/taught/
Mahogany Books
7 - 9 pm
National Harbor 121 American Way, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
Mahogany Books is excited to host author and podcast host Nikesha Elise Williams as we celebrate her latest novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. Through this tale, Nikesha delivers a feminist literary fiction that explores the ripple effects of actions, secrets, and love through seven generations of Black women.
Politics and Prose at Conn Ave
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
An insanely competitive [D.C.] housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?
https://politics-prose.com/marisa-kashino-012826
1/29
Politics and Prose at Union Market
7 pm
1324 4th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Alice Gerrard, an award-winning and storied folk and bluegrass musician for over 50 years, is one of the notable few women in a heavily male genre. Custom Made Woman tells Gerrard's story through the music, the folk festivals, the kids, and the relationships--both personal and professional--that defined her storied life and career.
https://politics-prose.com/alice-gerrard-012926
The Writer’s Center (Virtual)
7 pm
The Writer’s Center presents a free virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Tayyba Kanwal for a discussion of her new story collection, Talking with Boys. Tayyba is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Director at The Writer’s Center.
https://writer.org/event/tayyba-kanwal/
February 2026
2/1
Folger Shakespeare Library
1 pm ($20)
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington DC 20003
Join us for a matinee screening of the documentary We Were Here – The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, followed by a discussion with filmmaker and current Folger Artistic Research Fellow Fred Kuwornu.
The Writer’s Center
3 – 4:30 pm
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
Calling all BIPOC writers in the DMV! Come join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to meet new writers, make new friends, and share your love of the written word. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too.
https://writer.org/event/bipoc-writers-mixer-feb/
2/2
Politics and Prose at Connecticut Avenue
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
John Sayles discusses Crucible. From the Oscar-nominated filmmaker comes a complex and sweeping historical novel about Henry Ford — the Elon Musk of his day — and his attempt to rule not only an automotive empire but the rambunctious city of Detroit.
https://politics-prose.com/john-sayles-020226
2/3
One More Page Books
7 – 8 pm
2200 N. Westmoreland Street, Arlington, VA 22213-1044
Author Tammye Huf (A MORE PERFECT UNION) discusses her latest historical fiction novel. INHARMONIOUS is described as "A compelling love story--inspired by the author's own family history--set in the segregated South during and after World War II, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah's The Women and Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half.”
https://onemorepagebooks.com/event/2026-02-03/inharmonious-author-tammye-huf
East City Books
7 pm – Hybrid (in-person and online)
645 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast #100, Washington, DC 20003
Maurene Goo to discuss her next novel, One & Only, in conversation with Laura Hankin ABOUT ONE & ONLY: In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hybrid-event-one-only-maurene-goo-tickets-1978852345635?aff=ECBwebsite
Solid State Books
7 – 8 pm
600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002
Malcolm Kempt discusses A Gift Before Dying. In a gripping and hauntingly atmospheric novel set against the unforgiving landscape of the Arctic Circle, a disgraced police investigator discovers that his path to redemption is paved with ice—and blood.
https://www.solidstatebooksdc.com/events/2025/2/3gift
Politics and Prose at Connecticut Avenue
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Lily Meyer discusses The End of Romance: A Novel, in conversation with Hillary KellyA big-hearted, wise, unceasingly buoyant novel about a woman who, after escaping a bruising marriage, theorizes that happiness is possible solely with the eradication of all romance--only to find a love that could change her life forever.
https://politics-prose.com/lily-meyer-020326
2/4
East City Books
7 – 9 pm – Hybrid (in-person and online)
645 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast #100, Washington, DC 20003
East City Bookshop welcomes Olivia Muenter to discuss her novel, Little One, in conversation with Alisha Ramos. ABOUT LITTLE ONE: A searing novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such a Bad Influence, follows a young woman whose life is upended when a journalist uncovers her mysterious and hidden upbringing. In-person sold out.
Wonderland Books
7 – 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD
Join us as we celebrate the launch of veteran journalist Jeffrey Katz's new book, Unsettled Ground: Reflections on Germany's Attempts to Make Amends, a personal take on Germany's belated efforts to come to grips with the Holocaust.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/4308720260204
2/5
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of advocacy! We’re joined by former Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and author/attorney Mark A. Cymrot for a candid discussion of writing and speaking for a cause.
https://writer.org/event/pierluisi-cymrot/
2/7
Bard’s Alley and Tysons-Pimmt Library
3 – 4:30 pm
7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043
Join us at Tysons-Pimmit Library for a conversation with award-winning local author M. J. O'Brien on his most recent release, the nonfiction title The Tougaloo Nine: The Jackson Library Sit-In at the Crossroads of Civil War and Civil Rights.
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/15818280?hs=a
Old Town Books Junior
5 – 7 pm
130 S. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA
Our first quarterly Educators' Night of 2026 will be full of treats and discounts as we show our appreciation for the incredible work that our teachers and educators continue to do for our community! From 5-7 PM, please enjoy 20% off your entire purchase.. All attendees will go home with a goodie bag bundle of Advanced Reader Copies, and we’ll also hold a multi-winner raffle for free books and beautiful illustrator prints to decorate your classrooms.
https://www.oldtownbooks.com/events/4380720260205
2/8
The Writer’s Center
2 – 4 pm
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
The Writer’s Center welcomes Poet Bonnie Naradzay for a reading and discussion of her new collection, Invited to the Feast. Bonnie is in conversation with Poet David Keplinger who will also be reading his own poems.
https://writer.org/event/bonnie-naradzay/
2/9
Lost City Books
7 – 8 pm
2467 18th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20009
Asha Futterman in conversation with Johnny Teklit about Futterman’s new book of poetry. Song of Gray approaches Black experience by clarifying the concrete worlds that exist between humanity and objecthood.
https://lostcitybookstore.com/new-events/2026/2/9/song-of-gray-by-asha-futterman
2/10
Bard’s Alley and Reston Regional Library
7 – 8 pm
11925 Bowman Towne Dr, Reston, VA 20190
Join us at Reston Regional Library in Reston for a conversation with debut author Bsrat Mezghebe on her highly anticipated novel I Hope You Find What You're Looking For, a charming multi-generational family story and part of the Well-Read Black Girl Books series. She will be in conversation with award-winning author of Travelers, Oil on Water, and The Chibok Girls, Helon Habila.
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/16135670
Mahogany Books and Martin Luther King Jr. Library
7 pm
901 G Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20001
MahoganyBooks and the DC Public Library in partnership with the DC Public Library Foundation are excited to host New York Times bestselling author Sadeqa Johnson for her latest historical fiction, Keeper of Lost Children, which explores how one woman's vision will change the course of countless lives. Sadeqa will be joined in conversation by Victoria Christopher Murray.
2/12
Folger Shakespeare Library
4:30 pm
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington DC 20003
Transit and the early Caribbean. Musical health regimens in early modern England. Environmental change and animal encounters with colonization in Ireland. Interested? Join us for the next Folger Salon.
https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/folger-salon-february-2026/
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Chelsea Sutton for a discussion of her debut novella, Krackle’s Last Movie. Chelsea is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Executive & Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center.
https://writer.org/event/chelsea-sutton/
Kramers
7 – 8 pm
1517 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Join us for a conversation with David Guterson, author of the new book, Evelyn in Transit. The writer, best known for the novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, will be talking about his latest and also about the work of the Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP). Guterson's new book and the mission of TNP dovetail in their discussion of and mission toward protecting the people of Tibet.
https://www.kramers.com/events/4274920260212
Politics and Prose — at Union Market
7 pm
1324 4th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Local author Bsrat Mezghebe discusses I Hope You Find What You're Looking For, in conversation with Glory Edim. From Well–Read Black Girl Books, a "wise and witty, unflinchingly honest and insightful" (Maaza Mengiste) novel that delves into the secret lives of three women on the eve of Eritrean independence.
https://politics-prose.com/bsrat-mezghebe-021226
Wonderland Books
7 – 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Tulsky will discuss his new book, Injustice Town: A Corrupt City, a Wrongly Convicted Man, and a Struggle for Freedom. The book follows the case of Lamonte McIntyre, who was wrongly convicted of a double murder in Kansas City, Kansas and served 30 years in prison before taking on and exposing a corrupt criminal justice system. In conversation with author Michael Sokolove.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/4482520260212
2/13
Politics and Prose — at Conn Ave
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Patmeena Sabit discusses Good People: A Novel, in conversation with Donna Hemans Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf brought shame upon her family. What’s the truth? Depends on who you ask. After fleeing a war-torn Afghanistan, the Sharaf family resettles as refugees in Northern Virginia. After many years of hard work, the father has become a successful businessman.
https://politics-prose.com/patmeena-sabit-021326
2/14
The Writer’s Center
2 – 3 pm
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
Y.S. Fing and Garinè Isassi perform music and discuss how music influences writing. As teens, these authors absorbed similar musical, cultural and literary vibes, which remained at the forefront of their creative pursuits. Celebrate Fing’s newest book, Elysium, Part Three of The Profane Comedy and revisit Isassi’s previously published novel, Start with the Backbeat.
https://writer.org/event/music-in-the-words/
Bard’s Alley and Bull Run Library
7 – 8 pm
8051 Ashton Ave., Manassas, VA
Meet the author in an exclusive Blind Date with a Book event at Bull Run Library! Elle Cosimano will be the featured author this year to discuss her Finlay Donovan series and her upcoming release Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line, the sixth installment.
https://pwcgov.libnet.info/event/14955258
2/15
Bard’s Alley and Mary Riley Styles Library
2 – 3 pm
120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church, VA
Join us as prize-winning author Helon Habila reads from his work, including his international bestseller Oil on Water, a genre-mixing environmental literary thriller, and The Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram Kidnappings and Islamist Militancy in Nigeria, a nonfiction investigation into the kidnapping of 276 girls in Nigeria in 2014. Habila will share passages from his body of work, which includes novels, poetry, essays, and journalism, and discuss his career as a writer, editor, and professor of creative writing.
https://www.mrspl.org/event/draft-february-author-talk-helon-habila-ngalabak-31391
2/17
D.C. Pride Poets
6:30 — 8 pm
Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20006
Pride Poetry Workshop: Erasure Poems. Led by Nico Penaranda. Working with pre-existing material, we will black out, erase, or otherwise obscure to form new meaning. How do we as queer people create new meanings and identities from the ones we are given? Where did we clash or not fit in? And what do we do when the world seemingly wants to erase us?
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pride-poetry-workshop-erasure-poems-tickets-1968862773556
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
The Writer’s Center welcomes novelist Virginia Pye for a reading from her new novel, Marriage and Other Monuments. Virginia is joined by award winning writer, Mary Kay Zuravleff.
https://writer.org/event/virginia-pye/
Inner Loop
7 pm
Shaw’s Tavern, 520 Florida Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20001
February Reading featuring Hannah Grieco (First Kicking, Then Not) alongside nine other local readers in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-inner-loop-february-reading-tickets-1976497810156?aff=erelexpmlt
Kramers
6 – 8 pm
1517 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
The Missing Post Office: Fiction Writing Workshop. Join us for a writing workshop with Nikoletta Gjoni. Indulge your creativity and imagination with this unique workshopping opportunity. Check it out if you are trying to get back into writing more, or if you're new to writing workshops altogether!
https://www.kramers.com/events/4330820260217
Solid State Books
7 – 8 pm
600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002
Emily Nemens discusses Clutch, in conversation with NPR fave Scott Simon. Clutch follows a group of five women, friends for twenty years, as they go through the biggest challenges of their lives, asking: When you’re hanging on by your fingernails, how can you extend a hand to the ones you love?
https://www.solidstatebooksdc.com/events/2025/2/17clutch
2/18
East City Books
7 pm – Hybrid (in-person and online)
645 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast #100, Washington, DC 20003
East City Bookshop welcomes Reena Shah to discuss her novel, Every Happiness, in conversation with Shannon Sanders. Every Happiness is a dazzling debut that explores the ties that bind two women across decades and continents despite rivalry, class difference, and the conflicting needs of family and self.
Solid State Books
7 – 8 pm
600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002
Grant Ginder discusses So Old, So Young, in conversation with local author Jennifer Close. From the bestselling author of The People We Hate at the Wedding, comes a generation-defining novel that is part love story, part tragic comedy. Five parties over the course of twenty years bring six college friends together, exploring the ways we run from and cling to our friends in love, life, and death.
https://www.solidstatebooksdc.com/events/2025/2/18ginder
2/18
Lost City Books Winter Salon at The Line DC
The Line DC Hotel, 1770 Euclid St. NW, Washington, DC
Attend the winter edition of this reading series, featuring Tamir Shapiro (fiction), Chet’la Sebree (poetry), Eli Erlick (nonfiction), and Luke O’Neil (fiction).
https://lostcitybookstore.com/author-events
2/19
One More Page Bookstore
6:30 – 8:00pm
2200 N. Westmoreland Street, Arlington, VA 22213-1044
Join us for an evening spotlighting some local LGBTQIA2S+ authors! We'll start things off with some light beverages and mingling (or quiet reading in solitude, for anyone feeling less social), and then we'll hear a brief reading or introduction of each authors' latest book. Their work spans across a wide variety of genres, including poetry, graphic novel, memoir, and fiction. Authors will be available for book signings after the readings. This is a ticketed event, with all the proceeds going to the Transgender Law Center. (If the $5 ticket price is prohibitive to your attendance, please email info@onemorepagebooks.com, and we will happily accommodate you!)
https://onemorepagebooks.com/event/queer-local-author-salon
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author for a discussion of her new collection of stories, But Where’s Home? Toni Ann is in conversation with Zach Powers, novelist and Executive & Artistic Director at The Writer’s Center.
https://writer.org/event/toni-ann-johnson/
2/20
East City Books
7 pm – Hybrid (in-person and online)
645 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast #100, Washington, DC 20003
East City Bookshop welcomes Kate Golden to discuss her next novel, Half City, in conversation with BK Borison. This deluxe, first-edition trade paperback of Half City will feature beautifully stenciled edges and captivating interior cover art!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hybrid-event-half-city-kate-golden-tickets-1976897478575?aff=ECBwebsite
Politics and Prose — at Conn Ave
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Oliver Munday discusses HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, in conversation with Andrew Ridker. A powerful, singular collection of short stories depicting the evolving role of fatherhood in contemporary society—perfect for readers of Jamel Brinkley’s A Lucky Man and Phil Klay’s Redeployment.
https://politics-prose.com/oliver-munday
2/21
Scrawl Books, Fairfax County Public Library, and The Alden
2 pm
McClean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA 22101
Celebrate Black History Month! Join us for a presentation with bestselling author S.A. Cosby as he discusses his writing and the inspiration for his critically acclaimed novels. A Q&A will follow the keynote presentation. A book sale and signing will follow this event. Sponsored by Fairfax County Public Library and The Alden.
https://www.scrawlbooks.com/events/4382920260221
2/23
People’s Book
6 pm
7014-A Westmoreland Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Jason G. Green, a Maryland-born community organizer, attorney, storyteller and entrepreneur, discusses Too Precious to Lose. A moving and inspiring memoir from a former Obama White House staffer, about his rural Maryland family’s untold history, the merger of three churches—one Black, two white—and how a radical embrace of community became their salvation, and his.
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/too-precious/
2/24
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by Pulitzer Prize Winning author Jonathan Eig for a special Black History Month discussion of his Pulitzer Prize Winning biography, King: A life. Jonathan is in conversation with David O. Stewart, historian and board member at The Writer’s Center.
https://writer.org/event/jonathan-eig/
Folger Shakespeare Library
7:30 pm ($20)
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington DC 20003
This February, we celebrate the 20th winner of the Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, Anna Lena Phillips Bell, for her manuscript Might Could, as selected by judge Shane McCrae (Pulling the Chariot of the Sun, In the Language of My Captor), who will also read.
https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/the-2026-anthony-hecht-poetry-prize-reading/
2/25
Politics and Prose — at Conn Ave
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Lauren Groff discusses Brawler: Stories in conversation with Danielle Evans. Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region -- from New England to Florida to California -- these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans’ dark and light angels.
https://politics-prose.com/lauren-groff-022526
2/26
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal, and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Dora Malech to discuss her latest collection, Trying x Trying. Dora is in conversation with Brandon Johnson, poet and Events Manager of The Writer’s Center.
https://writer.org/event/dora-malech/
People’s Book
6 pm
7014-A Westmoreland Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Dr. Suzan Song discusses Why We Suffer and How We Heal in conversation with Nadia Hashimi. A psychiatrist who has dedicated her life to treating global survivors of unspeakable horrors shares the three keys to resilience that we can use to weather stress, loss, and trauma in our own lives.
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/how-we-heal/
2/28
Elaine’s Literary Salon
12-3pm
208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Podcaster and award-winning author Elizabeth Bruce will tell us about “Universally Adored & Other One Dollar Stories. Elizabeth Bruce’s short story collection won the 2025 IBA Short Story Award and Literary Titan Gold Award in Fiction, as well as an IAN Book of the Year Finalist distinction. Read our review here.
https://elainesliterarysalon.com/elizabeth-bruce/
Bard’s Alley @ Falls Church Presbyterian
2 – 3 pm
225 E. Broad St., Falls Church, VA
Join us at the Crooked Steeple Literary Festival at Falls Church Presbyterian for a discussion with acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris on her newest novel Where the Wildflowers Grow, a poignant story of survival and redemption, asking readers to question what it means to stop surviving and start living.
https://www.fallschurchpresby.org/crookedsteeple/
Bards Alley and Reston Regional Library
3 – 4 pm
11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston, VA
Join us for a conversation with two high fantasy authors Darby Cox and Salinee Goldenberg. Cox is the debut author of A Day of Breath, a dark and imaginative fantasy adventure filled with demons and religious conspiracy, and great for fans of NK Jemisin and Naomi Novik. Goldenberg is the author of the Thai-inspired world of Suyoram, which includes The Last Phi Hunter and the upcoming Way of the Walker.
https://www.bardsalley.com/eventsba.html
Politics and Prose — at Conn Ave
5 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Deborah Goodrich Royce discusses Best Boy in conversation with Victoria Christopher Murray. This gripping psychological thriller teeters on the knife-edge of memory and identity when the arrival of a shocking letter threatens the carefully constructed life of a woman desperate to outrun her past.