Tayari Jones’s unforgettable stories are celebrated by critics and readers alike. Her books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist; been praised by Oprah and Barack Obama; and appeared on Goodreads’ Most Popular list. She is one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026, spotlighted for her richly moving novels that stand in the tradition of civil rights organizers and the late 20th century Black women’s literary renaissance. She’ll speak about Kin—a stunning portrait of two friends navigating the complexities of life in the American South, and an Oprah’s Book Club pick—alongside the rest of her acclaimed body of work. Moderated by Kimberly Bain. 

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Event Participants:

Kimberly Bain

KIMBERLY BAIN is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Literatures at the University of British Columbia—Vancouver. Her most pressing and urgent concerns have consolidated around questions of the history, theory, and philosophy of the African diaspora.

Tayari Jones

TAYARI JONES is a New York Times bestselling author of five novels, most recently Kin, an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. Her novel, An American Marriage, was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and won many awards including the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Jones is the C.H. Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University in Atlanta.