A Q&A with Oakland-based author and illustrator Thi Bui, author of the award-winning The Best We Could Do. This will be followed by time to catch up with Oakland Voices alum and correspondents, and book signings by Thi Bui.

The event is for Oakland Voices alum and is located at the beautiful Chapter 510 space in Old Oakland. Note: this is an indoor event, and masking while not eating is encouraged.

Food and drinks will be provided. (Food will be available in to-go containers if you wish to not eat on site).

6pm - 30 minutes Q&A

6:30-7:30 - eat and mingle, have books signed by Thi Bui

ABOUT THI BUI

Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do (Abrams ComicArts, 2017) has been selected for an American Book Award, a Common Book for UCLA and other colleges and universities, an all-city read by Seattle and San Francisco public libraries, a National Book Critics Circle finalist in autobiography, and an Eisner Award finalist in reality-based comics. It made over thirty best of 2017 book lists, including Bill Gates’ top five picks. She illustrated the picture book, A Different Pond, written by the poet Bao Phi (Capstone, 2017), for which she won a Caldecott Honor. With her son, Hien, she co-illustrated the children’s book, Chicken of the Sea (McSweeney’s, 2019), written by Pulitzer winner Viet Thanh Nguyen and his son, Ellison. Her short comics can be found online at The Nib, PEN America, and BOOM California. She is currently researching and drawing a work of graphic nonfiction about immigrant detention and deportation, to be published by One World, Random House.

Oakland Voices Alum with Thi Bui