Celebration of Unofficial Languages- A Whatcom Reads Event with Seán Dwyer

Free to attend, but please register in advance to save your seat!

A Celebration of Unofficial Languages is just that: a celebration of the sounds and unique nuances of speech that English cannot contain within its broad linguistic scope. Join us as we read selections of prose in several different languages!

Translations of the works will be provided so you can enjoy the messages of any of the languages you have not yet learned.

We will read in:

• Spanish
• Lummi
• Mandarin
• French
• German
• Russian
• Japanese
• Tagalog
• Arabic
• Italian
• Hebrew
• Portuguese
• Simultaneous ASL interpretation
• and more!

Seán Dwyer teaches Spanish at Western Washington University. Named a Village Books Literary Citizen in 2024, he has published numerous short stories and a memoir, A Quest for Tears. Seán will be joined by a number of his colleagues in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Western.

Poet Maureen Sandra Kane will read her erasure poem derived from the text of the executive order that fostered this celebration.

Whatcom READS is a county-wide program that encourages everyone to read and discuss the same book. It is organized by all the public and academic libraries in Bellingham and Whatcom County and our community partner, Village Books. We receive significant funding from Friends of the Bellingham Public Library and Whatcom County Library Foundation, and support from other local businesses and organizations.

Each year, a new book is selected by Whatcom READS organizers. Community members are encouraged to read or listen to the book, share it with family, friends and neighbors, and participate in programs and special events that follow the book’s themes. Each series culminates with a visit by the author of the selected book, who makes numerous free-of-charge public presentations at locations throughout the county. Whatcom READS operates in partnership through a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a governing board that includes a representative from each partner organization.

https://www.whatcomreads.org/

*Feel free to call Village Books and Paper Dreams for further assistance at 360-671-2626!*