Silent Reading Party, A New Exhibit, and More August Arts Events at The Seattle Public Library
release date: August 6, 2025
Enjoy a silent reading party at the Seattle Center, a KUOW Book Club event with environmental journalist Lynda Mapes, an exhibit celebrating the African American Collection, and more late-summer arts events at The Seattle Public Library.
All Library events are free and open to the public. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar. You can also find many wonderful summer programs for kids and families at our Kids and Families calendar.
Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. Registration is not required unless noted.
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS AND EXHIBITS
- Silent Reading Party at Seattle Center. Saturday, Aug. 9, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Seattle Center, Mural Amphitheatre. Grab a blanket, pack your favorite snacks, and join fellow book lovers for Seattle Arts & Lectures’ Silent Reading Party. Lounge on the lawn, meet local booksellers, enter to win fun prizes, swap and shop great reads, celebrate the 2025 Summer Book Bingo program, and just soak up the quiet joy of reading surrounded by community. With Seattle Arts & Lectures, Third Place Books, KCLS and other partners.
- Rooted & Rising: Stories from the African American Archive. From Aug. 11 to Oct. 5. Level 8 Gallery, Central Library. This new exhibit features a selection of powerful archival materials that capture the depth and diversity of Black life in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit is curated by local interdisciplinary artist Imani Sims of Vivid Matter Collective, who worked with local artists to bring a personal and innovative lens to the Douglass Truth Branch's African American Collection. It will be accompanied by workshops and a live performance. The opening celebration is Sunday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m.
- Ray Nayler and Nicola Griffith discuss "Where the Axe is Buried." Thursday, Aug. 14, from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 – Microsoft Auditorium. Following the success of his debut novel, "The Mountain in the Sea," Ray Nayler launches readers into a thrilling near-future world of geopolitical espionage. "Where the Axe is Buried" combines the story of a near-impossible revolutionary operation with a blistering indictment of the many forms of authoritarianism that suffocate human freedom. Registration is required.
- Book Bingo Celebration. Sunday, Aug. 17, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Green Lake Branch. The end of this year’s Book Bingo is near! Are you racing to finish? Do you want to talk with other readers about what you’ve read? Join us to get suggestions for (short) titles to complete your bingo, chat with fellow readers, and enjoy a bookish afternoon.
- Isabel Cañas discusses “The Possession of Alba Díaz” with Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann. Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Set in 1765 Zacatecas, Mexico, the bestselling author’s latest novel stars a demonic presence that awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine. When a young woman fleeing her plague-ridden region is seized by the demon, she must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust in a fight for her life. Registration is required.
- Watercolor Class with Vaquero Azul. Saturday, August 23, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Central Library, Level 4, Room 1. Join us for a watercolor workshop with artist in residence Vaquero Azul focusing on Trans and gender non-conforming icons in MesoAmerican communities.
- Rainbow City Orchestra Concert. Sunday, Aug. 24, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Central Library Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium. Join us for a performance of the Rainbow City Orchestra's "Summer Strings" concert. Rainbow City Orchestra's talented strings players will be performing classical arrangements of popular music from the 1970s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
- Lynda Mapes discusses “The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forest.” Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. At the final event in our summer book club series with KUOW, Seattle Times environmental journalist Mapes will discuss her latest work, which is already being hailed as essential reading for anyone interested in environmental stewardship. Registration is required.
- ZAPP Zine Collection Open Hours. Saturdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., through Aug. 23. Central Library’s Level 7 Zine Room. This summer, visit the Library’s ZAPP Zine Collection during open hours on Saturdays to explore its collection of over 30,000 zines, minicomics, and other small press periodicals.
- Magnolia StoryWalks. Through Aug. 31. For the fifth year, the Magnolia Branch is partnering up to offer StoryWalks® at three locations in the neighborhood: outside the Magnolia Branch, at the Magnolia Farmers’ Market, and at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center. Each trail features a picture book by Indigenous authors, chosen by Daybreak Star preschool teachers. This year, we also partnered with the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) to transcribe all books into Braille.
MORE INFORMATION
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and empower community. Find more events at www.spl.org/Calendar.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.