Town Hall’s inaugural Writers Festival arrives

This is Seattle’s first literary festival in 18 years 📚

A view of the front of Town Hall in Seattle, WA

Town Hall will host 10 different authors during its inaugural festival.

Photo by Joe Mabel

Bust out those reading glasses — Town Hall Seattle will host its inaugural Writers Festival this weekend (Fri., Sept. 16- Sat., Sept. 17).

The two-day event — the city’s first lit fest in 18 years — showcases authors across a wide variety of genres — from spooky, dark tales to educational nonfiction. Here are some speaker highlights:

  • Keynote speaker: Siddhartha Mukherjee | Fri., Sept. 16 | 6:30 p.m. | Siddhartha’s nonfiction piece “The Song of the Cell” looks at how our evolving understanding of life’s most basic building block has shaped medicine over centuries.
  • Joyce Carol Oates | Sat., Sept. 17 | 4:30 p.m. | The famous, award-winning author, playwright, and poet will discuss her suspenseful novel, “Babysitter.”
  • Leila Mottley | Sat., Sept. 17 | 3 p.m. | Leila’s novel “Nightcrawling” offers an alternative United States history through her witnessing to a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.

Tickets — which range from $30-250 — can be purchased on Town Hall’s website and are good for both in-person and live-streamed versions of the events.