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

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026 at 02:00 pm UTC-08:00

Village Books in Fairhaven | Bellingham

Village Books in Fairhaven
Publisher/HostVillage Books in Fairhaven
Celebration of Unofficial Languages- A Whatcom Reads Event with Se\u00e1n Dwyer
Advertisement
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!

FREE TO ATTEND, BUT PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT: www.eventbrite.com/e/1967686724963

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/partners/
https://www.whatcomreads.org/
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Village Books in Fairhaven, 1010 Mill Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225-7007, United States

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Discover more events by tags:

Art in BellinghamLiterary-art in Bellingham

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Bellingham

Andy Frasco & The U.N.
Sat, 07 Feb at 04:00 pm Andy Frasco & The U.N.

Wild Buffalo - Bellingham

Chairs for Giants
Sat, 07 Feb at 07:30 pm Chairs for Giants

Mount Baker Theatre

OPEN AUDITIONS - Kodachrome
Sun, 08 Feb at 07:00 pm OPEN AUDITIONS - Kodachrome

1600 H St, Bellingham, WA, United States, Washington 98225

IN-PERSON Building Science Principles (E088)
Tue, 10 Feb at 08:30 am IN-PERSON Building Science Principles (E088)

Building Performance Center

Hayes Carll & Ryan Montbleau
Thu, 12 Feb Hayes Carll & Ryan Montbleau

Wild Buffalo - Bellingham

Emily Nemens- Clutch
Thu, 12 Feb at 06:00 pm Emily Nemens- Clutch

Village Books and Paper Dreams

Hayes Carll in Bellingham
Fri, 13 Feb at 07:00 pm Hayes Carll in Bellingham

Wild Buffalo House Of Music

Steve Forbert
Fri, 13 Feb at 07:30 pm Steve Forbert

104 N Commercial St, Bellingham, WA, United States, Washington 98225

Bellingham is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Bellingham Events