Read local. Think global.

Norah and Greg met while working for a local arts nonprofit, and they haven’t stopped talking about books, local authors, and the way the D.C. literary scene is special. This magazine is the result of those conversations.

Welcome to Washington Unbound!

We are a new online journal, publishing reviews of books by Washington, D.C. area authors; interviews with authors, publishers, and organizers in the local literary community; a calendar of area literary events, and much more. We aim to be a resource for writers, readers, literary organizations, bookstores, and publishers in the Washington, D.C. area. In these troubled and frightening times, we know that writing, reading, and conversation are more important than ever. At Washington Unbound, we intend to champion diverse voices, center marginalized writers and communities, oppose censorship, and be an active participant in the collective conversation. Words are powerful, and we are honored to be speaking.

The D.C. area is home to a diverse literary community, including writers of all genres, genders, races, sexual orientations, and cultures. It also has a rich literary history. We are surrounded by a vibrant, active, exciting literary scene, but many people who have lived in the area for years are unaware of the local writers they could be reading, or the events they could be attending.  We intend to bring a wider audience into the literary community. In particular, we plan to highlight books published by small presses. Many excellent books from independent publishers receive few or no reviews. While we will consider books by all Washington area authors regardless of where they are published, we will focus the majority of our reviews on books from small presses.

We hope to be the place that readers and writers alike will visit for information about new and upcoming books, the vast array of readings and other events, publication and sales opportunities, the many organizations that support literary endeavors in the DMV, and other offerings found in our region. We’ll also review non-book literary productions such as theater and film.

Please join us by sharing publications, events, and other literary matters you are offering or planning, and bringing new resources to our attention. Email us at Washington.Unbound@gmail.com and subscribe to our newsletter on this website.

We’re so excited to launch Washington Unbound into the world, and we invite you to come along for the ride!

Sincerely,

Norah Vawter and Gregory Luce

Founders & Editors