Seattle Reads Celebrates 25 Years

Seattle Reads is celebrating its 25^th anniversary! This annual event -- a city-wide book group -- is an invitation from The Seattle Public Library (SPL) to build connections with friends, neighbors, and community by reading and discussing the featured book.

Seattle Reads was the brainchild of author, librarian, and Archie McPhee Action Figure Nancy Pearl when she was executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library. Originally launched in 1998, it had a mouthful of a title: If All Seattle Read the Same Book program.

The Seattle Reads 2023 book is The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka, a best-selling and award-winning author. The novel interweaves powerful themes of mothers and daughters, estrangement, dementia and caregiving, the solace of daily routines, the role of community spaces, memories of childhood, and Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Click here for The Swimmers Discussion Guide.

There are several community events and programs planned, including discussions with the author. Additionally, the Central Library is featuring an exhibit celebrating 25 Years of Seattle Reads in the Level 8 Gallery through June 26, 2023. Look below for a calendar of events.

Seattle Reads 2023 is presented in partnership with Densho; Frye Art Museum, Creative Aging Programs; The Memory Hub, a program of the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center; Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Greenwood Senior Center. It is made possible by The Seattle Library Foundation and The Wallace Foundation, with additional support from the media sponsor The Seattle Times, Anchor Books.

Community Events, Programs, and Exhibits
 

May 4, 4:30 – 6 PM – Seattle Reads Gallery Tour & Talk, Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Avenue – Free, Registration required through link above

Through Mary 14 – Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 – 5 PM – Flying Woman: The Paintings of Katherine Bradford – Admission is always free; registration not required

Julie Otsuka discusses The Swimmers 

Registration is requested. More information at www.spl.org/seattlereads 

May 19, 1:30 PM – SouthEast Seattle Senior Center / 4655 S. Holly Street

May 19, 7:00 PM – Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium / 1000 4^th Ave.

May 20, 11:00 AM – Lake City Branch / 12501 28^th Ave NE

May 20, 3:00 PM – Greenwood Senior Center / 525 N, 85^th Street

About dementia-friendliness and the Seattle Public Library and resources and programming for Adults 50+:  Seattle Public Library (SPL) is in the process of becoming a dementia-friendly library system. In recent months SPL has held a staff training with Dementia Friends Washington and created internal resources to help assist staff in finding resources for patrons. The Seattle Public Library Foundation helped to purchase books for the Memory Hub library. They are working behind the scenes to start some dementia programming and will be hosting Dementia Caregivers workshops in the fall at branches across the city. This year they will also be highlighting Older Americans Month, Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, and Family Caregivers Month. For more information, contact Emily Billow, Older Adult Program Manager, Emily.Billow@spl.org

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