All Islands Read event to unite San Juans through literature

||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY |||

The All Islands Read (AIR) event returns this year with a mission to build community spirit through a shared reading experience featuring acclaimed author and musician Willy Vlautin and author and poet Jane Wong. This year’s program will expand from Orcas Island to all of the San Juan Islands, including Shaw, San Juan, and Lopez. 

Ursula Le Guin described Willy Vlautin as “one of the bravest novelists writing.” Vlautin’s new novel, “The Horse” (Harper Collins), tells the compassionate story of a tenderhearted man grappling with a steady talent and a crushing addiction. Joining Willy is award-winning author and poet Jane Wong. Hailed by critics, Wong’s incandescent and exquisitely written memoir “Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City” (Tin House Publishing) explores themes of family, food, girlhood, resistance, and growing up in a Chinese American restaurant on the Jersey Shore.

Event Schedule

• Saturday, Sept. 28th @ 11:30 am – An intimate conversation with author Jane Wong.
• Saturday, Sept. 28th @ 1:30 pm – An intimate conversation with author Willy Vlautin.
• Sunday, Sept. 29th @ 1:30 pm – A joint conversation with Willy Vlautin and Jane Wong discussing common themes in their work, such as addiction, poverty, loneliness, and love, with a bonus music and poetry treat.

All 2024 events are free, but tickets are required. They will take place on Orcas Island at Parish Hall in the village of Eastsound, 242 Main Street. Organizers will coordinate with inter-island ferry times, and authors will be available to sign books at all events.

This year’s selection of authors and their works promise to engage and inspire participants, encouraging deeper community bonds through the power of storytelling.

“We need programs like AIR on the San Juan Islands. Literary fiction and memoirs are explorations of the diverse human experience, and research shows they can increase empathy. They bridge experience, imagination, and emotion, helping readers better understand and share the feelings of others who are different from themselves.” —Samuel W. Gailey, Programming Director, Orcas Library

With high anticipation for a full house, we encourage attendees to reserve their FREE tickets at the following Eventbrite Tix link.

Funding and Support: This year’s event is generously funded by the Orcas Island Public Library, with in-kind donations from Outlook Inn, HALO, F.O.I.L. and OrcasRadio.org, San Juan, Lopez, and Shaw Libraries. Program partners Darvill’s Bookstore and Griffin Bay Bookstore will be offering discounts with the code “AIR” for readers wishing to purchase the featured books.

For more information, visit www.wearehalo.org/air. Questions? Please contact your local library or Samuel W. Gailey at sgailey@orcaslibrary.org

About All Islands Read

All Islands Read (AIR) is a community-wide reading program designed to unite the residents of Orcas and the San Juan Islands through a shared literary experience. By engaging with thoughtfully selected books and participating in author-led discussions, AIR aims to foster a love for literature while strengthening community empathy and bonds.