Whatcom READS

Whatcom READS Celebrating reading, readers and community through the shared experience of a book. Our community partner is Village Books. Read the book. Join the conversation.

Whatcom READS celebrates reading, readers and community through the shared experience of a book. It is organized by staff at Bellingham Public Library and Whatcom County Library System and the academic libraries at Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College, Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College. Whatcom READS receives significant funding from Friends of the Belli

ngham 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 themes in the book selection. Each series culminates with a visit by the author of the selected book, who makes numerous free-of-charge presentations at locations throughout the county. In 2023, Whatcom READS celebrates its 15th anniversary. 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.

05/02/2026

ALERT: Website Maintenance, Sunday, May 3, 2026, 5-9 p.m.
Our website will be undergoing planned maintenance from 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 3. Intermittent outages should be expected during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What a beautiful night for poetry! Thank you to the Whatcom WRITES crew who read their work on a gorgeous spring evening...
04/24/2026

What a beautiful night for poetry! Thank you to the Whatcom WRITES crew who read their work on a gorgeous spring evening in Fairhaven. Thank you to the fine folks at Skylark's Hidden Cafe. for hosting our stop on the Fairhaven poetry crawl, to the 50 or so people who listened to and applauded for the readers, and to the creative souls at the Salish Sea Poetry Festival who invited us. We had a great time!

Writers published in three recent Whatcom WRITES anthologies will read their work at the Salish Sea Poetry Festival pop-...
04/20/2026

Writers published in three recent Whatcom WRITES anthologies will read their work at the Salish Sea Poetry Festival pop-up event this Thursday, April 23. The Whatcom READS/Whatcom WRITES stop is 6:30 p.m. at Skylarks Cafe in Fairhaven. Learn more about the poetry crawl: https://www.whatcompoetryseries.com/news-events

Counting down to the Thursday, April 23 Salish Sea Poetry Crawl in Fairhaven. We're hosting the 6:30 p.m. stop at Skylar...
04/17/2026

Counting down to the Thursday, April 23 Salish Sea Poetry Crawl in Fairhaven. We're hosting the 6:30 p.m. stop at Skylark's Cafe. Writers featured in the 2026 Whatcom WRITES anthology will read their work. Drop in for poetry. Show Whatcom WRITERS some love. Thanks for including us, Salish Sea Poetry Festival!

It's been a little over a month since our big event and we're still basking in the joy and community of the experience!...
04/14/2026

It's been a little over a month since our big event and we're still basking in the joy and community of the experience! Do you want to read (or reread) Solito? The English version of the book is available now. The audiobook is narrated by Javier Zamora and it is worth the wait!

Looking forward, our 2027 selection I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. Check it out and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe — Whatcom READS’ amazing 2024 featured author — will be in conversation with KUOW Book Club hos...
03/19/2026

Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe — Whatcom READS’ amazing 2024 featured author — will be in conversation with KUOW Book Club host Katie Campbell, Monday, March 23 at Seattle Public Library. They will be talking about Sasha’s essay collection “Thunder Song.” Didn’t you just say you were ready for a road trip? Here’s your invitation. Registration link at Eventbrite or KUOW Book Club’s Instagram bio.

Image credit: KUOW Book Club

Thank you to everyone who made the 2025-2026 Whatcom READS season one of our most memorable yet. On Friday, March 13, a ...
03/16/2026

Thank you to everyone who made the 2025-2026 Whatcom READS season one of our most memorable yet. On Friday, March 13, a nearly full house at the Mount Baker Theatre welcomed Javier Zamora to our final author event of this season. Hundreds more joined online for our first-ever livestream. We have many people to thank. Most importantly, the readers who enthusiastically support our annual literary program and author Javier Zamora, who generously shared his thoughts and his time with us. Thank you!

We are grateful to our financial sponsors: Friends of Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom County Library Foundation, Whatcom County Library System, Village Books, Joan and Keith Magee, the libraries at Western Washington University and the Bellingham Technical College Foundation.

Thank you to our partners City of Bellingham, Allied Arts Of Whatcom County, Bellingham Public Schools, The Bushwick Book Club and Hotel Leo.

Whatcom READS is presented by Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom County Library System, the libraries at Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, Lummi Library at Northwest Indian College and Village Books. Our 2027 selection is I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. Read the book. Join the conversation.

Per our tradition, at the close of tonight's author event at , this year's featured author Javier Zamora revealed next s...
03/14/2026

Per our tradition, at the close of tonight's author event at , this year's featured author Javier Zamora revealed next season's title. We will be reading I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. The Whatcom WRITES prompt is Light in the Dark. Read the book. Join the conversation.

TONIGHT! Mount Baker Theatre now has a limited number of in-person tickets available for tonight’s author event with Jav...
03/14/2026

TONIGHT! Mount Baker Theatre now has a limited number of in-person tickets available for tonight’s author event with Javier Zamora in conversation with Claudia Castro-Luna. Visit mountbakertheatre.com to get tickets. Tonight’s event is presented in English and Spanish. We can’t wait to see you at the beautiful Mount Baker Theatre.

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5205 Northwest Drive
Bellingham, WA
98226

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