Events

Recent and Upcoming Events (event timing local to city unless otherwise noted)

The World In One Borough (reading), An Official 2026 Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event, World’s Borough Bookshop, Queens, NYC, Wed. Sept. 23, 2026, 7pm
Tastes of Memory (reading), An Official 2026 Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event, AAWW, NYC, Tues. Sept. 22, 2026, 7pm
Prom Queens (reading), Kew & Willow Books, Fri. July 10, 2026, 7pm
Public Reading with my memoir workshop (moderator), Latimer House Museum, NYC, Sat. May 31, 2026, 2pm
Prom Queens (reading), QED Astoria, Sun. May 17, 2026, 3pm

Past Events

Queens Memoirists on Food and Culture (reading with musical guests), Lewis Latimer House Museum, Queens, Sat. December 6, 2025, 2pm
Bloody Hell (book launch with editor Mona Eltahawy and contributor Simi Hoque), the Strand NYC, Wed. Dec. 3, 2025, 7pm
Bloody Hell (book launch with editor Mona Eltahawy), Word Up NYC, Wed. Oct. 15, 2025, 7pm
Blending Art with Writing (online video conversation with Nupu Press), Narratively Academy, Fri. Oct. 3, 2025, 12pm ET
Queens Poets on Renegades (reading) (an official 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend event), World’s Borough Bookshop, Queens, NYC, Wed. Sept. 17, 2025, 7pm
The Way You Make Me Feel (conversation with author Nina Sharma), City of Asylum, Pittsburgh, Sun. Aug. 17, 2025, 3pm
Faculty presentation, FAWC Summer 2025, Provincetown, MA, Tue. Aug. 4, 2025
Much Ado About Keanu (conversation with author Sezin Devi), Clio’s Books, Oakland, CA, Wed. June 11, 2025, 7pm
Public Reading with my memoir workshop (reader, moderator), Latimer House Museum, NYC, Sat. May 31, 2025, 2pm
Must Love Memoir (reading) Cariñitos Tacos, NYC, Tue. May 13, 2025, 7:30pm

The Ordinary Chaos of Being Human (reading) World’s Borough Bookshop, Queens, NYC, Thur. Sept. 26, 2024, 7pm
Queens Poets on Revolution (recorded online reading) An official Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends event, Tues. Sept. 24, 2024, 7pm ET
Reader at the Ripped Bodice, Brooklyn, NYC, Fri. Sept. 6, 2024, 7:30pm
Reader at Ridgewood Library, Queens, NYC, Thu. Sept. 5, 2024, 6:30pm
In conversation with Nupu Press, Ananke Women’s Literature Festival, April 23, 2024

Reader for Solidarity Reading & Art Auction for Palestine, AAWW, NYC, Fri. Dec. 1, 2023, 6:30pm
Hosting the History of Queens in 7 Dishes, Lewis Latimer House Museum, NYC, Sat. Oct. 14, 2023, 2-4pm
Queens Poets on Revelation (online poetry event) A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends event, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, 7pm ET
Reader for the Bookworm Author Series with Nupu Press, Bookworm, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sat. July 22, 2023, 3:30pm
Residencies and Retreats, an online AAWW and AG panel, Mon. April 3, 2023, 1pm ET
Chaitali Sen presents A New Race of Men from Heaven with Abeer Hoque, P&T Knitwear, NYC, Sat. Jan. 21, 2022, 7pm
Speaker at 2023 Dhaka Lit Festival, Bangla Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jan. 5-8, 2023

Reader at Experiments and Disorders, Dixon Place, NYC, December 6, 2022, 7:30pm
Speaker at the 2022 Singapore Writers Festival, November 5-6, 2022
Queens Poets on Recollection (online poetry event) A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends event, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, 7pm ET
“Love in the Time of Composting” (romcom short film), Everything Change, Taliesin Arts Center, Friday, June 17, 2022, 2pm ET
Facilitator for 2022 Memoir Workshop Public Reading, Lewis Latimer House, Flushing, NYC, Sat. June 4, 2022, 2:30pm
Reader for I KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU (book launch) A Novel Idea, Philadelphia, Thursday, May 26, 2022, 6pm

In Conversation with Nadifa Mohamed (online interview) Jaipur Lit Fest New York 2021, Wed. Oct. 20, 2021, 3pm ET
Queens Poets on Ritual, (online poetry event) A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends event, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, 7pm ET
Final Class Reading of a Queens Memoir Workshop, hosted by Latimer House, Saturday, May 1, 2021, 2-4:30pm
Speaker at Asian American Plural, APIA Studies, William & Mary College, Thurs. April 15, 2021, 9:30am-10:50am ET
Reader at the Red Door Series (poetry) St. Marks Church, Jackson Heights, NY, Wed. March 17, 2021, 6:30-7pm
“The Straight Path” (online table read of TV pilot) Saturday, March 13, 2021, 3-5pm ET
“Future Visions by Queens Writers” (online reading) Maple Grove Reading Series, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, 5:30pm ET

“A Reckoning” (online poetry panel) A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends Event, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, 7pm ET
LIC Resort’s Poolside Publishing Chat, (online) Friday, July 17, 2020, 1:30pm ET
“Stories of Failure” (online video interview) Inked Studios, June 2020
Poet for the ENTER project by the Onassis Foundation, curated by the Queens Museum, Monday, May 18, 2020
Reader for the Digital Edition of the Miss Manhattan Nonfiction Reading Series (online) Monday, May 4, 2020, 7:30pm ET
Storyteller on 80 Minutes around the World, Caveat NYC, Saturday, February 8, 2020, 4pm

Panelist at a Literary Soiree, Jatra Biroti, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, December 30, 2019, 5pm
Featured reader for Multiverse Reading Series, Buuuni Coffee, Washington Heights, NYC, Thursday, November 7, 2019, 7pm
Featured Reader at First Tuesdays Reading Series, Espresso 77, Jackson Heights, Queens, Tuesday October, 1, 2019, 7pm
Queensbound Reader for the 2019 BackLot Literary Festival, Mar’s Astoria, Saturday, September 21, 2019, 3:15pm
Reader for the Future of Desi Lit, a BkBF Bookends event, AAWW NYC, Friday, September 20, 2019, 7pm
Reader for Jackson Heights Writers, a BkBF Bookends event, Queens Library at JH, Thursday, September 19, 2019, 6pm
Storyteller at the 2019 Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, St. Andrews, Scotland, June 30-July 20, 2019
Reader for Immigrant Heritage Month, NYPL Parkchester, the Bronx, NYC, Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 4:30pm
Featured Reader at The Rally, Pete’s Candy Store, Williamsburg, NYC, Thursday, May 2, 2019, 7pm
Olive Witch featured in Adult Battle of the Books, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Friday, April 5, 2019, 6pm
“The Passage” Poetry Reading, Queens Pride House, Jackson Heights, NYC, Saturday, February 16, 2019, 2pm
Valentine Show by Emotive Fruition, Caveat, NYC, Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 7pm
Reader for This Alien Nation, Joe’s Pub, NYC, Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 7pm

Reader for Queensbound, 1st car on the 7 train at Vernon-Jackson, Saturday, November 3, 2018, 2-4pm
Reader at Queens Writers Resist, Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, Queens, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, 4-6pm
Author Spotlight Reader for NAMI Pennsylvania, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, Wednesday, July 25, 2018, 7pm
Reader at Miss Manhattan On The Rocks, The Scratcher, NYC, Saturday, April 21, 2017, 6pm
Guest host for This Alien Nation, Joe’s Pub, NYC, Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 7pm
Reader for Friends of Maple Grove Literary Sundays reading series, Kew Gardens, NYC, Sunday, April 8, 2018, 1pm (see photos!)
Reader for This Must Be The Place reading series, Dear Mama Coffee, UES, NYC, Monday, April 9, 2018, 6pm
Critical Walk-Through at the American Folk Art Museum, Queens, NYC, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. (see photos!)
Speaker at the Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, January 24-29, 2018 (read my roundup!)
- “Poetry Hour,” Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, Saturday, January 27, 2018, 5:15pm
- “Women Writing Memoir,” Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, Sunday, January 28, 2018, 5:15pm
- “The Afropolitans,” Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, Monday, January 29, 2018, 2:30pm
Speaker at Wonder of Words, JECRC University, Jaipur, India, Thursday, January 24, 2018, 2pm (video clips here and here)
Speaker at the Apeejay Literary Festival, St. Paul’s Cathedral Lawns (Future Tent), Kolkata, India, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, 1pm
Spotlight speaker at the 2018 Saarang Festival at IIT Madras, Chennai, India, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, 11am

Reader at LIC Reading Series, LIC Bar, Queens, NY, Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 8pm
Reader at Miss Manhattan Nonfiction Reading Series, Niagara, NYC, Monday, December 4, 2017, 7:45pm
Reader at The Sunday Salon, Von Bar, NYC, Sunday, November 19, 2017, 7pm
Reader at Women of Letters, City Winery, New York City, October 19, 2017, 8pm
Reader at Diwali Fest Writers Panel, The Woodland, Maplewood, NJ, Sunday, October 22, 2017, 3pm
Reader at Catherine’s East Village Salon, NYC, October 6, 2017, 7pm
Reader for Queens Writers Resist, Terraza 7, Queens, NY, September 27, 2017, 7pm
Dispatches from the Ministry of Truth, 61 Local, Brooklyn, Thursday, June 8, 2017, 7-10pm
The Lantern, Chapter 2, HiFi Bar, NYC, Wednesday, June 7, 2017, 7:30-9pm
Women of Letters, Boston Book Festival, Cambridge, Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 7:30pm
PEN World Voices Festival: Literary Quest, Westbeth Edition, NYC, Thursday, May 4, 2017, 6:30pm-10pm
The Freya Project: April 2017, Ramona Bar, Brooklyn, NYC, Thursday, April 27, 2017, 7:30pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, Penn Bookstore, Philadelphia, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 6pm
Women’s Month Reading, New York City, Sunday, March 26, 2017, 4:30pm-6pm
Shadinota Bangladeshi Women’s Liberation, New York City, Sunday, March 26, 2017, 9:30am-6pm
Author event at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Oakland Branch, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 6:30pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, City Books, Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 18, 2017, 7:30pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, Skylight Books, Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 7:30pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, Verbatim Books, San Diego, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, 7:30pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Friday, March 10, 2017, 7pm
Author event, The Octopus Literary Salon, Oakland, CA, Friday, March 3, 2017, 2pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, Book Passage, SF Ferry Building, Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 7pm
Book Launch for Olive Witch, Astoria Bookshop, NYC, Friday, February 24, 2017, 7pm
Manhattan Launch for Olive Witch, AAWW, NYC, Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 7pm
Panelist on Transnational Hybrid Memoirs Panel, AWP, Washington, D.C. Saturday, February 11, 2017, 1:30pm
Reader at the NY Writers Workshop reading series, Red Room at KGB Bar, NYC, Thursday, February 2, 2017, 7pm

Participant at the 2016 Goa Arts and Literature Festival, Goa, India, Dec. 8-11, 2016
Reader at Pace University’s Vox magazine launch, Pleasantville, NY, November 30, 2016, 12:30pm
Reader at NYFA-PEN America reading series at Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, NYC, August 16, 2016, 7:30pm
Participant at the USF Emerging Writers Conference, San Francisco, USA, April 12-13, 2016. See FB Highlights
Reader at the Women of Letters program co-presented by Millay Colony, Joe’s Pub, New York City, March 9, 2016, 7pm
Dhaka Book Launch for Olive Witch: a memoir (HarperCollins India) at EMK Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 7pm
Speaker at the Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, January 21-25, 2016
- “Sex and the Revolution,” (panel session video), Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, January 25, 2016
- “First Novels,” (panel session video), Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, India, January 25, 2016
Delhi Book Launch for Olive Witch: a memoir (HarperCollins India) at The Toddy Shop, New Delhi, India, Monday, January 18, 2016 at 6:30pm

Participant at the 2015 Goa Literary Festival, Goa, India, Dec. 10-13, 2015
Book Launch for the Lovers and the Leavers (HarperCollins UK) Rich Mix London, UK, December 5, 2015
Reader for Transitions Bangladesh, Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York City, November 19, 2015
Reader at Adult Contemporary, Creative Time, New York City, October 15, 2015
Book Party for the Lovers and the Leavers (HarperCollins India) New York City, August 8, 2015
Reader at Bohubachan Poetry Reading (Livestream by SANM), Jamaica, Queens, NYC, April 26, 2015
Reading from the Lovers and the Leavers, the New York Public Library, January 12, 2015

Panelist at 2014 Hay Festival Dhaka, Bangla Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 22, 2014
Book launch of the Lovers and the Leavers (Bengal Lights Books) Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 14, 2014
Reader at Rumour Occasional House Readings, Unnameable Books, NYC, September 30, 2014
Reader at Morsels on the Mic, Brooklyn, NYC, September 20, 2014
Reader at Lit Crawl NYC for PEN America & Guernica, NYC, September 13, 2014
Panelist for “Novelists and Research” Lecture, New York Public Library, July 17, 2014
Reading and Slideshow, Huckleberry NYC, April 10, 2014

Book Party for The Long Way Home, New York City, April 6, 2013
Reader and Performer at Agore Poetica Cultural Show, Barcelona, Spain, 2006
Podcast for Writers Block on KQED, November 23, 2005
Wrote, directed, and starred in the performance of the play “On Losing Faith” at APAture, Fall 2002