Welcoming Week Author Talks

Building a Community of Neighbors through the power of story.

As part of the Welcoming Week celebration, Welcoming Falls Church hosts acclaimed authors whose work explores themes of migration, displacement, and the search for home. We believe that by engaging locally and sharing these stories, we can overcome divisions and reinforce our community's greatest strengths.

Coming Soon: Watch Here for an Announcement Regarding our 2026 Author Visit! Then visit our Activity Calendar for dates and information about how to register to join us. We encourage book clubs to read the book then join us, and we will have public book club opportunities organized through the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, to make this a significant “community read” opportunity.

Past Visits: A Legacy of Connection

Welcoming Week 2024: Sindya Bhanoo (Seeking Fortune Elsewhere)

In September 2024, Welcoming Falls Church hosted award-winning author and professor Sindya Bhanoo. Her visit coincided with the seventh annual proclamation of Welcoming Week, highlighting our ongoing commitment to being a welcoming community.

Ms. Bhanoo discussed her collection of short stories, Seeking Fortune Elsewhere, which explores the South Asian immigrant experience. Her visit was a community-wide event, featuring:

• Public Engagement: A public talk at Mary Riley Styles Public Library focused on essential themes of hospitality, immigration, and our shared goal of building a "community of neighbors."
• Meridian High School: A specialized visit and workshop for students encouraged the next generation of writers to find their voice. Ms. Bhanoo, who writes for the Washington Post and the New York Times, was engaging and dynamic with the student audience.

Fall 2020: Alan Gratz (Refugee)

During the pandemic, we used a virtual format to host Alan Gratz, the best-selling author of Refugee. Over 250 households tied into this landmark event on Zoom for a dialogue and stories about global refugee crises, with Mr. Gratz sharing interlocking stories of displacement from 1930s Germany, 1990s Cuba, and 2010s Syria.

Welcoming Week 2019: Imbolo Mbue (Behold the Dreamers)

Our inaugural Welcoming Week featured a community read and talk by Imbolo Mbue, author of the Oprah’s Book Club selection Behold the Dreamers. This milestone event featured multiple community engagements:

• George Mason High School (since renamed Meridian High School): Ms. Mbue presented a talk on "Immigration & the American Dream" for the student body and the broader public, hosted by the Falls Church City Public Schools. Then-FCCPS Superintendent Peter Noonan had recommended the book as a community read in Summer 2019, and the event was well-attended by members of the community, parents, teachers, and students alike.
• Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library: A second public talk and book signing cosponsored with the Friends of Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library, welcoming neighbors from across the regional area.

Ms. Mbue’s visit was particularly resonant as she has long-standing ties to Falls Church, where she lived and worked before her literary career took her to New York. Sharing her story at George Mason High School and at Tyson-Pimmitt Regional Library allowed our community to connect with an author who understands the unique local landscape of the Mid-Atlantic immigrant experience.

With Deep Gratitude to Our Partners

The reach and impact of these author visits are only possible because of the sustained commitment of our community partners. We offer our full-throated thanks to:

• The City of Falls Church: For their essential support through multiple Arts & Humanities grants.
• Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS): For their close collaboration with English teachers to integrate these authors into the curriculum and for hosting us in school facilities.
• The Mary Riley Styles Public Library: For their invaluable help in promoting and hosting these visits for all city residents.
• The Falls Church Education Foundation: For their early and ongoing financial support of these cultural programs.
• Fairfax County Public Libraries: Specifically the Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library, for their partnership in hosting and promoting major events.
• The American Association of University Women (AAUW): For their dedicated efforts in promoting these visits to their membership and the wider public.

Help Us Bring Stories to Life

Our author visits are designed to spark conversation and build empathy across our community. If you are passionate about literature, cultural exchange, or education, we invite you to help us sustain this tradition.

• Suggest an Author: Do you know of a writer whose work aligns with our mission of hospitality and opportunity? We are always looking for diverse voices to feature in future Welcoming Weeks.
• Volunteer for the Event: From coordinating logistics at the high school to assisting with book signings, our volunteer team is the engine that makes these visits possible.
• Join the Steering Committee: If you have experience in programming, education, or community outreach, consider joining our planning group to help curate our 2027-2028 lineup.

Ready to get involved? Contact us today to share your ideas or sign up to volunteer.