Your guide to free virtual literary events happening in August.
Finally: community you can enjoy from your couch!
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In Conversation: Michelle Tea and Torrey Peters
August 1 (tonight!) @ 7pm EST
Michelle Tea’s latest, Knocking Myself Up, hits shelves tomorrow. Tonight, you can see her in conversation with Torrey Peters (Detransition, Baby). Hosted by Books Are Magic, this event is available via livestream here.
In Conversation: Sarah Thankam Mathews and C Pam Zhang
August 2 @ 7pm EST
Sarah Thankam Mathews’ debut follows Sneha, a young immigrant who’s moved to Milwaukee for an entry-level corporate gig. No, it’s not the dream, but it gives her the financial freedom to make a life in America while also sending money to her family in India. Things are going pretty okay, until long-buried secrets start to surface… All This Could Be Different launches tomorrow, and Books Are Magic is kicking things off with this conversation between the author and C Pam Zhang (How Much of These Hills Is Gold).
The Last White Man: A Conversation with Mohsin Hamid and Danzy Senna
August 6 @ 7pm EST
The Last White Man begins when a guy named Anders wakes up to find that his skin has turned dark. He tells only his lover, but soon enough, across the country, other people are experiencing a similar transformation. Join author Mohsin Hamid and Danzy Senna (Caucasia) for a conversation about empathy, bigotry, and transcendence. Register for this event, hosted by the Seminary Co-Op, here.
In Conversation: Jesse Ball and Max Porter
August 9 @ 7pm EST
Autoportrait is Jesse Ball’s first memoir, full of loss and everyday joy. Celebrate its release with this conversation between the author and Max Porter (Grief Is the Thing with Feathers). Register for this Seminary Co-Op event here.
Women in Translation Month: Reading Series
August 16, August 23, and August 30 @ 1pm EST
Because it’s Women in Translation Month, PEN America is hosting an ongoing reading series this August. It’ll feature guests across continents and time zones for a true international celebration. Learn more about the panelists and register here.
The Sex Lives of African Women: Self-Discovery, Freedom, and Healing
August 30 @ 7pm EST
Have you read The Sex Lives of African Women? Do you want to discuss it, book club style, alongside the writer/activist Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah? Co-produced by Feminist Giant and The Strand, this event will be available online; register here.
Tomorrow in Shanghai: A Conversation with May-lee Chai and Sequoia Nagamatsu
August 31 @ 7pm EST
May-lee Chai’s latest collection, Tomorrow in Shanghai, explores cultural complexities in China and centers the Chinese diaspora in America and the larger world. She’ll be joined on the Strand’s virtual stage by Sequoia Nagamatsu (How High We Go In the Dark). Register here.
