April 2025: Literary Events in the Washington, D.C. Area
If you have an event to add to the list for April or a future month, please email us at Washington.Unbound@gmail.com. Please note that while most events are free, many require an RSVP. See links for details.
4/15
Wonderland Books
7 - 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Kosta Kennedy will discuss his new history book, The Ride, which looks at Paul Revere’s legendary ride, newly told with fresh research into little-known aspects of the story Americans have heard since childhood but hardly understood.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/45227
4/16
Wonderland Books
7 - 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Rabbi Shira Stutman, the senior rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation and cohost of the podcast Chutzpod!, in conversation with Rabbi Hannah Goldstein about her new book, The Jewish Way To A Good Life
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/46117
4/17
The Writer’s Center
7 – 8:30 pm
Amsterdam Quarterly Reading: in celebration of the latest issue, including Claudia Gary, AQ editor Bryan R. Monte, Jim Ross, and Karin Chastain Turner.
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
https://writer.org/event/amsterdam-quarterly-2025/
4/18
Bard’s Alley and Fairfax County Public Library
10:30 am – 12 pm
Oakton Library. 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton VA
Author Christie Green (Moonlight Elk) in conversation with Erika Howsare (The Age of Deer.) The authors will be discussing all things related to human interaction with the natural world, and Christie will be sharing her experiences venturing into the world of animals and the freedom that wildlife can bring.
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/14238440
4/19
Folger Shakespeare Library
All day beginning at 11 am
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration returns after a massive renovation to the Library: A day of family-friendly activities will culminate with public lecture given by the Folger’s new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper. Through performance, poetry, song, dance, scholarship, and history, the birthday celebration showcases the breadth of the Folger’s offerings as a cultural organization. https://www.folger.edu/about-us/press/folger-shakespeare-library-announces-return-of-birthday-celebration-for-shakespeare/
4/21
The Writer's Center
7 – 8:30 pm
Online
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Luisa Igloria and Christina Pugh for an enlightening discussion about their latest books.
https://writer.org/event/igloria-pugh/
Politics and Prose – Connecticut Ave.
7 - 8 pm
With his new Odyssey, celebrated author, critic, classicist, and translator Daniel Mendelsohn has created a rendering worthy of Chicago's unparalleled reputation in classical literature.
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC, 20008
https://politics-prose.com/event/2025-04-21/daniel-mendelsohn-odyssey-conn-ave
4/22
The Inner Loop
7 – 10 pm
Goethe-Institut Washington. 1377 R Street Northwest #Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
Celebrate 11 years of The Inner Loop with us at the Goethe-Institut featuring Denne Michele Norris and Inner Loop alum!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/april-11th-anniversary-reading-tickets-1222827492949?aff=oddtdtcreator
Wonderland Books
7 - 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Paula Whyman (Bad Naturalist) in conversation with Kathy Jentz. In Bad Naturalist, readers meander with Whyman through orchards and meadows, forests and frog ponds, as she is beset by an influx of invasive species, rattlesnake encounters, conflicting advice from experts, and delayed plans—but none of it dampens her irrepressible passion for protecting this place.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/45228
4/23
6:30-7:30 pm
Arlington Public Library (Columbia Pike)
816 South Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22204
Arlington Poet Laureate Courtney LeBlanc reads and hosts an open mic.
https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/13294352
People’s Book
7 – 8 pm
7014-A Westmoreland Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
Morgan Jenkins (Zeal) in conversation with Rion Amilcar Scott. Sweeping, textured, and meticulously researched, Zeal is both a story of how one generation’s choices reverberate through the years and an indelible portrait of an enduring love.
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/zeal/
4/24
Folger Shakespeare Library
4:30 pm
Great Hall. 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/folger-salon-april-2025/
People’s Book
6 – 7 pm
7014-A Westmoreland Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
Nathan Hensley for Action Without Hope. A study of how writers from the early phases of our prolonged climate emergency used aesthetic strategies to redefine the category of action. Nathan Hensley turns to Victorian literature to uncover a prehistory of this deeply contemporary sense of powerlessness.
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/without-hope
Politics and Prose—Connecticut Ave
6 – 7 pm
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC, 20008
Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling co-author of several YA crime novels including The Agathas, is speaking about her new novel Murder Between Friends, in conversation with Rita Feinstein. Lawson is based in the D.C. area.
George Mason University
7:30 pm
Fenwick Library Main Reading Room, Room 2001.George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
GMU’s Creative Writing Program joins Watershed Lit and Mason’s University Libraries in presenting the Spring 2025 Visiting Writers Series. Samuel Ashworth speaks about his debut novel, The Death and Life of August Sweeney, published in March 2025.
https://www.scrawlbooks.com/event/samuel-ashworth-gmu
4/25
Politics and Prose—Connecticut Ave.
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC, 20008
Corinna Vallianatos, author of short story collection Origin Stories, in conversation with Eric Puchner. The stories in Origin Stories take as their subject the sources of love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, artistic ambition, restiveness, and shame.
https://politics-prose.com/vallianatos-puchner
Sankofa Video Books & Cafe
6 –9 pm
2714 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Join us for an inspiring evening of reflection and discussion at the "In the Hour of Chaos" Film Screening and "Freedom Moves" Book Event featuring filmmaker H. Samy Alim in conversation with Dr. Msia Clark!
https://www.sankofa.com/events/in-the-hour-of-chaos-film-screening-freedom-moves-book-event
Wonderland Books
7 – 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814
Journalist Marina Lopes will talk about her experience interviewing parents and caregivers to provide practical, actionable ways to change the way we view parenting in the United States. Her new book, Please Yell at My Kids, is an around-the-world journey and a practical guide to rethinking parenting.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/45647
4/26
Indie Bookstore Day: Multiple locations
All day
Fifteen independent bookstores across Northern Virginia, Frederick, MD, and Wardensville, WV are partnering for the second annual NoVa+ Indie Bookstore Crawl! Starting on April 26, Indie Bookstore Day, pick up the special Passport to help book lovers explore more of our region’s growing bookstore scene and celebrate with your favorites. While each store will be celebrating Indie Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 26th with their own festivities, all will be handing out this special Passport.
https://www.onemorepagebooks.com/its-back-nova-bookstore-crawl-2025
The Potter's House
8 am – 8 pm
1658 Columbia Road Northwest Washington, DC, 20009
Join us in-store on Saturday, April 26 for OUR BIG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!! We will be open from 8 am to 8 pm with special deals, a raffle, a special presentation, and, of course, cake for everyone to mark 65 years of radical hospitality!
https://pottershousedc.org/events/2025/4/26/birthday
The Writer’s Center
1 – 5 pm
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda MD 20815
Caregiving through a Literary Lens: a symposium addressing the subject of caregiving in literature and popular culture, offering a short film screening, free creative writing workshops, panel discussion, and reception. Featured writers include Hannah Grieco, Steve Majors, Seema Reza, and John Vercher.
https://writer.org/event/caregiving-literary-lens/
Politics and Prose – Connecticut Ave.
5 pm
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC, 20008
Poetry Night Panel: Poets Brandel France de Bravo (Dear Wallace) and Julie Choffel (Hello Delay) will be in conversation with María Fernanda.
https://politics-prose.com/bravo-choffel
Politics and Prose at Union Market
6 pm
1324 4th Street NE., Washington, DC 20002
Novelists Gemini Wahhaj (KATY FAMILY) and Kurt Baumeister (TWILIGHT OF THE GODS) are in conversation with Javed Jahangir & Shimul Mou.
https://politics-prose.com/wahhaj-baumeister
4/27
Reston Used Bookshop
5:30 – 6:30 pm
1623 Washington Plaza North Lake Anne, Reston, VA 20190
The April edition of Reston Readings features Michelle Evans, Naomi Thiers, and Gregory Luce.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/232505597093213
Busboys and Poets Takoma
5 — 7 pm
235 Carroll Street Northwest Washington, DC 20012
Takoma Writers presents Story! Story! Story! An Epic Evening. Come join us for a night of creativity and inspiration featuring Carolivia Herron, Mary Dempsey, Liza Achilles, Tyrone Colbert, Cheryle Crawford-Johnson, Valerie Galindo, Michael McCormick, Osman Njai, and Clinton Parks sharing their work (some for the first time). Suggested donation: $10 per adult
http://tinyurl.com/Takoma-Writers
4/29
Politics and Prose
7 pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Sarah Schulman, a longtime social activist and outspoken critic of the Israeli war on Gaza, is in conversation about her new book The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity–a brilliant examination of the inherent psychological and social challenges to solidarity movements–with Gwydion Suilebhan.
https://politics-prose.com/sarah-schulman
4/30
East City Bookshop
7 – 8 pm
645 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Unit 100, Washington, DC 20003
Hybrid event: Kidlit in the District Panel. East City Bookshop welcomes local kidlit authors Marcie Flinchum Atkins, L. M. Elliott, and Sean O'Brien for a historical fiction panel, moderated by John Cochran.
Wednesday Apr 30th, 2025
https://www.eastcitybookshop.com/events/2461720250430
Wonderland Books
7 – 8 pm
7920B Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Dr. Nia Imara: Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe. Astrophysicist and visual artist Nia Imara comprehensively illustrates the history of the universe and our position in it. In this eye-opening and accessible book, Imara asks pivotal questions and explores humanity’s ever-evolving view of nature.
https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/events/45649
Politics and Prose at the Wharf
7 pm
610 Water St SW, Washington DC, DC 20024
Keith Rushing (Descended: Searching for My Gullah-Geechee Roots) is in conversation with Rion Amilcar Scott. Descended is a story about family, place, and the desire to understand where we have been and where we are going.