DC Reads
A City-Wide Conversation with DC Writers
DC Reads is an annual series of workshops and one signature panel discussion with noted authors. Held from January through March in partnership with the DC Public Library, DC Reads fosters thoughtful conversations about fiction, builds community, and celebrates local writers. This year’s titles and authors include You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne.
This year, each author will lead a workshop for community members at a branch library or other location in the city. All events are free to attend.
DC Reads culminates in a panel discussion featuring all three authors on Thursday, March 26 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. This conversation will be moderated by Lupita Aquino, also known as @Lupita.Reads on Instagram and TikTok.
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026 | 6:30 pm | Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave NE
“Mind and Mystery: Writing Characters with Mental Health Conditions”
What do we gain by viewing mystery through a mind with mental illness? Genre can be a powerful tool to engage the reader, allowing them to challenge their preconceptions and assume a new perspective within the comfort of familiar tropes. Award-winning psychological thriller author K.T. Nguyen takes us through a case study of OCD depictions in the genre, including Poirot and Monk, followed by an interactive workshop on how to responsibly write from the perspective of a character experiencing mental illness.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 10:15 am | National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave NW
Morning at the Museum: A Writing Journey
The Smithsonian Museums are an international treasure and they are located right here in Washington, DC. Yet have you ever wondered how to turn those rich exhibits into stories? Join Dolen Perkins-Valdez at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as she takes you on a special tour of the museum through a writer’s eyes. Learn how Dolen uses museum resources to discover untold stories and generate writing prompts. Find an exhibit that personally connects with you and begin to shape it into fiction. Not only will your writing be enriched, but your spirit will be filled.
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 | 6:30 pm | Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave, NW
Ever wonder how to breathe new life into a classic tale? Join bestselling author Nikki Payne for a masterclass in the art of the retelling! She’ll pull back the curtain on how she transforms beloved stories into fresh, culturally rich narratives that honor the original while creating something entirely new. Through interactive exercises and real examples from her own work, you’ll discover how to identify the heart of a story, find your unique angle, and weave in authentic cultural elements that make readers fall in love all over again. Come curious, leave inspired! and maybe with your next book idea scribbled in the margins!
Thursday, Mar 26, 2025, 7 PM | Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW
The culminating event of the series, this panel will bring all three featured authors together with moderator Lupita Aquino for a conversation about their books, being a writer in DC, and more.
In 2025, DC Reads featured authors E.A. Aymar (When She Left), Lauren Francis-Sharma (Casualties of Truth), and Alice McDermott (Absolution).
At the panel discussion in March, recorded live and archived here, moderator Hannah Oliver-Depp led all three writers in a conversation about the inspirations for their novels, research, and the craft of grounding their stories in a particular time and place.
Your Support Matters
Your support makes our programs possible. Please consider a contribution. Thank you.
GIVE ONLINE
Make a secure, tax-deductible gift online
GIVE by Mail
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
6218 Georgia Avenue NW
Unit #1062
Washington, DC 20011
GIVE by phone
(202) 898-9063
GIVE by Text
Text
PENFAULKNER
to 44321