This fall, Arlington Public Library’s long-running signature author talk program Arlington Reads will celebrate the Afrofuturist and fantasy works of five award-winning authors and illustrators—Nnedi Okorafor and Roseanne Brown (Oct. 10), Damian Duffy and John Jennings (Oct. 24) and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Nov. 14).

These five Afrofuturist artists and writers reimagine, reinterpret and reclaim the past and present by using themes of technology, science-fiction, history, fantasy and heroism to envision a more empowering future for Black people.

Afrofuturism is an evolving concept expressed through a Black cultural lens and an influential driver of Black culture, steeped with historic roots, which reaches out to the entire Black diaspora. It explores Black identity and freedom through art, writing and creative expression.

2024 Fall Lineup

Nnedi Okorafor and Roseanne Brown
October 10, 6:30-8 p.m.
Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times Bestselling novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. Nnedi has received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner and Lodestar Awards and multiple Hugo Awards, amongst others, for her books.

Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown is an immigrant from the West African nation of Ghana and a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she completed the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her debut novel “A Song of Wraiths and Ruin” was an instant New York Times Bestseller, an Indie Bestseller and received six starred reviews.

Damian Duffy and John Jennings
October 24, 6:30-8 p.m.
Damian Duffy is a Hugo Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novelist. Duffy holds a MS and PhD in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he teaches courses on computers & culture, and social media and global change.

John Jennings is a Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California at Riverside and co-editor of the Eisner Award-winning collection “The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of the Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art.” Jennings' published works include the horror anthology “Box of Bones,” “Black Comix Returns” (with Damian Duffy) and the New York Times best-selling graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler's classic dark fantasy novel “Kindred.”

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
November 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut collection, “Friday Black,” was a New York Times bestseller, won the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize. His first novel “Chain-Gang All-Stars” was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the Books Are My Bag Awards, and selected as a New York Times Top Ten Books of the Year.

2024 Spring Lineup

This spring, Arlington Reads commemorated the work and legacy of acclaimed author, poet, screenwriter and civil rights activist James Baldwin (1924-1987). Baldwin’s work had a profound impact on contemporary American identity, as his contributions challenged America on its promises of equality and justice.

In numerous essays, novels, plays and public speeches, Baldwin’s eloquent voice echoed the pain and struggle of Black Americans, portraying the saving power of brotherhood while addressing race, politics, and sexuality to create distinct narratives alongside the civil rights movement.

"Baldwin was not afraid to write about or say aloud what he experienced as a black gay man in a racially divided America," said Library Director Diane Kresh. "If your reading journey has missed Baldwin, you are in for a treat."

The 2024 Arlington Reads spring series showcased four award-winning authors— Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., Anna Malaika Tubbs, Jesmyn Ward and George M. Johnson—whose works are about or were influenced by James Baldwin.