Howard County Library System’s author events are a key component of the HCLS curriculum. Notable, best-selling, and local authors provide customers with enlightening experiences throughout the year. Bringing the community together to celebrate the literary arts is a hallmark of HCLS customer service. Join us for these opportunities to meet one of your favorite authors or discover someone new!
There are 15 upcoming classes.
Meet Kevin Sherry! (families) TK
Date: 09/25/21Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 0 - 5 (Infant/Toddler/ Preschool/Kindergarten), Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6), All Ages / Families
Program type: Author & Literary Events
Description:
For families. 45 min. Ticket required. Tickets will be given out 15 minutes before class.
Celebrate National Comic Book Day with Kevin Sherry, author of the Squidding Around graphic novel series! He has written and illustrated graphic novels and chapter books for Scholastic, and picture books for Penguin Random House. He is a man of many interests: a chef, a cyclist, a screenprinter and a performer of hilarious puppet shows for kids and adults. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife, Erin, and their cat, Kinkos.
Learn about Kevin Sherry's books as he does a drawing demonstration. Followed by book sales (cash or check only) and signing.
Maryland Libraries Together: Writers LIVE! George Takei
Date: 09/29/21Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Author & Literary Events
Description:
FREE. Registration required for Zoom Webinar. No registration required for Facebook Live.
Register for the event here. Registration opens at 9am on September 14 and closes September 29 at 12pm.
George Takei will be in conversation with Steven Leyva about his life and work. The program is presented as part of the Maryland Libraries Together series.
George Takei is known around the world for his founding role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise, in the acclaimed television series Star Trek. But Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights, and marriage equality, Mashable named Takei the #1 most-influential person on Facebook, with 10.4 million likes and 2.8 million followers on Twitter.
Steven Leyva was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Houston, Texas. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in 2 Bridges Review, Scalawag, Nashville Review, jubilat, Vinyl, Prairie Schooner, and Best American Poetry 2020. He is a Cave Canem fellow and author of the chapbook Low Parish and author of The Understudy’s Handbook which won the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize from Washington Writers Publishing House. Steven holds an MFA from the University of Baltimore, where he is an assistant professor.
Order copies of George Takei's books from the Ivy Bookshop.
ASL interpretation will be available for attendees.
Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund.
Dial-In Information
RSVP for the Zoom Webinar link. The conversation will also be broadcast on the Enoch Pratt Free Library Facebook page. It will not be available after the live broadcast. Click here for the Live video library.
Book Club Revue: Reunion (Online)
Date: 10/05/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
Reunited, and it feels so good!
Join us online for a celebratory return to our annual Book Club Revue. Get HCLS' "Books for Discussion 2022" list as we promote some of the year's most discussable works of fiction and nonfiction. Get tips to optimize your discussions. Learn about upcoming events. Door prizes.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Dr. Tiffany Manuel: The Case Made for Affordable Housing (Online)
Date: 10/13/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
Howard County Library System and Horizon Foundation are partnering on a multipart series, Racial Equity and Local Action, focusing on the importance of racial equity in Health, Education and Housing, and how communities can act and be involved in change at the local level. In this installment of the series, we hear from Dr. Tiffany Manuel on how to strategically communicate when advocating for affordable housing - with lessons that apply to advocacy on many equity topics.
In this virtual presentation, Dr. Tiffany Manuel discusses proven strategies for advancing housing issues taken from hundreds of housing campaigns across the country. It can often be difficult to convey the importance of housing and to build public support for investing in the housing needs of those in our communities. However, in a time of budget cuts related to housing and the increased need to build more housing to address affordability issues, it is more important than ever that community members and housing professionals have a strong and persuasive message to share.
Dr. Manuel will provide an overview of how we can think about housing as an issue area; explain how and why some of our messaging is backfiring; and help us think through what language will help elevate our work. She also addresses how we can counter the thorny challenges of community opposition to affordable housing.
Q&A and discussion of affordable housing and racial equity follows the presentation.
ABOUT DR. TIFFANY MANUEL
DrT (as she prefers to be called) is a dynamic speaker, best-selling author and the President and CEO of TheCaseMade, an organization dedicated to helping leaders powerfully and intentionally make the case for systems change.
In her role at TheCaseMade, DrT works with hundreds of passionate social changemakers, innovators and adaptive leaders around the United States who are building better, stronger communities that are diverse, equitable and inclusive. By aligning their community stakeholders around the kind of deep systems changes that can improve population outcomes, these leaders are able to grow their impact, scale their programs, and harness the investments they need to improve their communities.
DrT grew up in Detroit, Michigan during one of the most turbulent times in the city’s history. It was because of the challenges of that experience that she champions better policy, programs, investments and services that can transform our cities and communities for the better. It is also the reason that DrT has worked to expand opportunity, equity and inclusion through 25+ years of professional and volunteer experience spanning the private and non-profit sectors, government and academia. Trained as a social scientist in quantitative and qualitative methods, she is a self-professed “data, policy, and messaging wonk!” She is passionate about translating the insights harvested from her research and practice to improve our ability to build public will around the critical issues that matter most. She holds doctorate and master’s degrees in public policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a master’s degree in political science from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. DrT has served on numerous nonprofits and social-impact boards and is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, an African American public service sorority.
| Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone. |
Author Works: Adbi Nor Iftin - Call Me American (In-Person)
Date: 10/16/21Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: East Columbia Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
“A searing memoir…that impressively remains upbeat, highly inspiring, and always educational.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)
Acclaimed author Abdi Nor Iftin discusses the stories of survival and resilience found in his memoir Call Me American.
Born in Mogadishu to nomadic parents, Abdi Nor Iftin survived famine, war, and child soldiering. Thanks to the movies available to him, he taught himself English by watching American action films. By repeating and imitating the carefree actors, he earned himself the nickname “Abdi American”. Through guerrilla journalism, Abdi dispatched stories about his life to a series titled Messages From Mogadishu on American Public Media. His stories were short listed for Peabody Awards in 2016. These stories were later picked by NPR, the BBC and later This America.
After surviving a bombing at his house one evening in 2009, Abdi finally said goodbye to his home country and moved to Kenya where he and his brother lived as refugees. In an amazing stroke of luck, he won entrance to the U.S. in August 2014, in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America did not come easily.
Abdi Nor Iftin is a bestselling and award-winning author based in the state of Maine. Featured on CNN, NPR, NYT, Washington Post, The Boston Globe. Abdi is an advocate for refugee and immigrant rights. He is dedicated to bringing people together through his stories of survival and resilience. He is currently working on a documentary based on his memoir Call Me American.
The in-person event will include a book signing. Books available to purchase at the event. Refreshments offered.
This event is part of the Brave Voices Brave Choices series, presented by Howard County Library System and sponsored by Muslim Family Center - Howard County, MD and RIVUS Consulting, Howard County, MD
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
This event will also be broadcast via Zoom. To register for the online option, click here.
Author Works: Adbi Nor Iftin - Call Me American (Online)
Date: 10/16/21Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
“A searing memoir…that impressively remains upbeat, highly inspiring, and always educational.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)
Acclaimed author Abdi Nor Iftin discusses the stories of survival and resilience found in his memoir Call Me American.
Born in Mogadishu to nomadic parents, Abdi Nor Iftin survived famine, war, and child soldiering. Thanks to the movies available to him, he taught himself English by watching American action films. By repeating and imitating the carefree actors, he earned himself the nickname “Abdi American”. Through guerrilla journalism, Abdi dispatched stories about his life to a series titled Messages From Mogadishu on American Public Media. His stories were short listed for Peabody Awards in 2016. These stories were later picked by NPR, the BBC and later This America.
After surviving a bombing at his house one evening in 2009, Abdi finally said goodbye to his home country and moved to Kenya where he and his brother lived as refugees. In an amazing stroke of luck, he won entrance to the U.S. in August 2014, in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America did not come easily.
Abdi Nor Iftin is a bestselling and award-winning author based in the state of Maine. Featured on CNN, NPR, NYT, Washington Post, The Boston Globe. Abdi is an advocate for refugee and immigrant rights. He is dedicated to bringing people together through his stories of survival and resilience. He is currently working on a documentary based on his memoir Call Me American.
The in-person event will include a book signing. Books available to purchase at the event. Refreshments offered.
This virtual event is part of the Brave Voices Brave Choices series, presented by Howard County Library System and sponsored by Muslim Family Center - Howard County, MD and RIVUS Consulting, Howard County, MD
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
This event will also take place in-person at the East Columbia Branch, with limited capacity. To register for the in-person event, click here.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 10/18/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Who Was? Biography Club [ages 8-11] RG
Date: 11/02/21Time: 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Ages 8-11. 45 min. Registration required. Register once for the whole series.
Do you love the “Who Was?” Series? Do you enjoy learning about historical events? Then this club is for you! We will explore and research a variety of biographies and culminate the club with a special “Who Was?” event for friends and family.
Author Works: Mitch Albom - The Stranger in the Lifeboat (Online)
Date: 11/04/21Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Community & Culture
Description:
TICKETED VIRTUAL EVENT. Tickets include one copy of the book The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom, signed by the author. Tickets range from $23.99 - $27.99, plus fees. Purchase ticket HERE.
Since the health and safety of the audience and author are of utmost importance, this event has pivoted to virtual.
Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, nine people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in.
“Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says.
“I am the Lord,” the man whispers.
So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling and inspiring novel yet.
New York Times bestselling author Mitch Albom has a genius for finding the sweet spot where the spiritual and the earthly collide in our lives. With such beloved books as Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, and more, Mitch has captivated the world. Now, in his captivating and thought-provoking new novel, The Stranger in the Lifeboat, Albom explores the essence of God on earth through a riveting story that is equal parts mystery and parable.
An explosion on a billionaire’s yacht during a gathering of some of the world’s most influential and innovative movers and shakers leaves ten disparate souls struggling to survive in a life raft. One of them writes an account of the grueling ordeal to his beloved, and those pages are later found, washed up on an island shore on the opposite side of the Atlantic. It falls to a decidedly secular and cynical police inspector to investigate what actually happened on that raft, where it seems one man, pulled from the angry sea by the others three days after the disaster, claimed to be the Lord.
The beguiling narrative alternates between sea and land, between before and after, and between skepticism and belief. What really happened to cause the explosion? Is the mysterious man really who he claims to be?
Mitch Albom has repeatedly challenged our understanding of faith and the necessity of seeking answers where we least expect them. His books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. Tuesdays with Morrie is the best-selling memoir of all time, with over 17 million copies sold internationally, and was adapted for the stage and as a television movie which garnered four Emmy Awards. With The Stranger in the Lifeboat, this master storyteller offers a fresh take on themes that have defined his estimable work.
Albom has founded nine charities in the metropolitan Detroit area: SAY Detroit, an umbrella organization for charities dedicated to improving the lives of the neediest, including the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic, Detroit Dream Scholars, and A Time To Help, and . In January 2015, Albom announced the launchof the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park, an innovative motivational learning program equipped with state-of-the-art athletic facilities, digital learning center and tutoring program. A Hole in the Roof Foundation helps faith groups of every denomination who care for the homeless repair the spaces in which they carry out their work.
Mitch Albom will discuss his new book and his writing on November 4 @ 7:30 pm. Per the publisher, this virtual event is ticketed and includes one copy of the book The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom, signed by the author.
TICKETED VIRTUAL EVENT. Tickets include one copy of the book The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom, signed by the author. Tickets range from $23.99 - $27.99, plus fees. Purchase ticket HERE.
Who Was? Biography Club [ages 8-11] RG
Date: 11/09/21Time: 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Ages 8-11. 45 min. Registration required. Register once for the whole series.
Do you love the “Who Was?” Series? Do you enjoy learning about historical events? Then this club is for you! We will explore and research a variety of biographies and culminate the club with a special “Who Was?” event for friends and family.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 11/15/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Who Was? Biography Club [ages 8-11] RG
Date: 11/16/21Time: 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Ages 8-11. 45 min. Registration required. Register once for the whole series.
Do you love the “Who Was?” Series? Do you enjoy learning about historical events? Then this club is for you! We will explore and research a variety of biographies and culminate the club with a special “Who Was?” event for friends and family.
Book Bingo (ages 6-11) TK
Date: 12/01/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Central Branch
Age group: Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6)
Program type: Author & Literary Events
Description:
Ages: 6-11; 60 min. Ticketed required. Tickets will be available 15 minutes before class.
Play Bingo featuring book characters, and maybe win a book!
Book Bingo (ages 6-11) TK
Date: 12/08/21Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Ages 6 - 11 (Grades 1-6)
Program type: Fun & Games!
Description:
Ages: 6-11; 60 min. Ticketed required.
Play Bingo featuring book characters, and maybe win a book!
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 12/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
