Friday 1/23: Seminary Co-op hosts a panel discussion about diversity in children’s books, 6:30 p.m.
Shermin Nahid Kruse discusses her new novel, Butterfly Stitching, at The Book Cellar. 7 p.m., free.
If you’re 21 or over, get ready to take the Beauty Bar stage for Chicago Zine Fest’s karaoke night fundraiser. The $5 admission charge will support CZF’s efforts to make independent zine-making accessible, highlight the talents of self-published artists, and give independent artists a chance to interact through tabling, community events, and workshops. Hosted by Shameless Karaoke and Quimby’s Bookstore, 9 p.m.
Saturday 1/24: John Hogan and Alex Burkholder discuss lesser known blazes and the heroes that fought them—Forgotten Fires of Chicago at the Edgewater branch library, 1 p.m.
Viv Albertine’s memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys., is the topic of this week’s Empty Bottle Book Club meeting. After their fifteen month hiatus, the group invites attendees to grab a drink or enjoy a bite over hearty discussion. 5:45 p.m., free.
The Chicago Writers Association celebrates its fourth annual Book of the Year Awards with readings and book signings by winning authors at The Book Cellar. The Hundred-Year House by Rebecca Makkai and Meaty by Samantha Irby are among this year’s honorees. 7 p.m., free.
Sunday 1/25: Happy first anniversary, Education Matters Book Club! Join the group of parents and education advocates at City Lit Books to discuss Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error. 3 p.m.
Tuesday 1/27: Tim Lacy talks Great Books and The Dream of a Democratic Culture at The Newberry Library. 6 p.m., free.
Wednesday 1/28: Dinaw Mengestu discusses All Our Names, his latest novel revolving around dislocation, identity, and belonging, with Chicago Humanities Festival program director Alison Cuddy at Old Town School of Folk Music. Unabridged Bookstore will sell books at a 10% discount at the program, which opens with a performance by musician Alex Farha and concludea with a book signing. Tickets cost $15 for the general public, $10 for CHF members, and $5 for teachers and students. 7 p.m.
Filmmaker David Grubin and poet Bob Holman teamed up to create Language Matters, a two-hour documentary about the ongoing loss of individual languages and the challenges of preserving them. Poets Peter Cook and Parsino Carlos Peynetsa join the collaborators for an evening of performances, film clips, and discussion about endangered languages in anticipation of the documentary’s airing on WTTW. The Poetry Foundation, 7 p.m., free.
Thursday 1/29: Polarity Theatre Ensemble perform scenes from The Afterlife Trilogy, a three-part performance experience that consists of two novels and a play. The Book Cellar, 7 p.m.