The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center is hosting its inaugural public lecture on April 4th, 2023 at 6:30pm.

Named after its sponsor, Busboys and Poets, this series of annual lectures will cover literature, culture, and global affairs.

This year's lecture will be delivered by Azar Nafisi, the New York Times best-selling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran. Reflecting on current events to support women's rights in Iran, Nafisi’s speech will touch on the two countries she calls home, and how totalitarianism in one country and totalitarian tendencies in another should be confronted through imagination and ideas. The evening will include a book signing and reception framed by the work of Mojdeh Rezaeipour, an Iranian-born Northern Virginia artist.

Nafisi, the author of six books, has long been hailed for her mix of cultural awareness, political reportage, human values, and literary insights. In her book, The Republic of Imagination, Nafisi challenges us to be truer to the words and spirit of America's founders, who understood that their democratic experiment would never thrive or survive unless they could foster a democratic imagination. Nafisi invites committed readers everywhere to join her as citizens of the “Republic of Imagination,” a country with no borders and few restrictions, where the only passport to entry is a free mind and a willingness to dream.

The event is free.

Free public parking is available on site and next door. Masks are requested, but optional.

Introductions by Andy Shallal, founder of Busboys and Poets. Following the lecture, longtime NPR correspondent Jacki Lyden will have a conversation with Nafisi. Afterward, there will be a reception, book signing, and pop-up art exhibition by Mojdeh Rezaeipour.

Register here.