Literary Cafe

The Cary Library Foundation, in partnership with Cary Library, is excited to announce the launch of an innovative new series, the Literary Cafe, in 2022. Modeled on the very popular Science Cafe, this regular series features a roundtable discussion with a wide variety of critically acclaimed authors of both fiction and nonfiction works. The program's format is an hour-long conversation, which includes time for an audience question and answer session.

If you have a speaker recommendation for the Literary Cafe, please contact Mary Ellen Ringo, the Foundation's Director of Development.

Upcoming Literary Cafes

Romance Writers Talk Happily Ever After (Mon Feb 10)

Today’s romance novel has come a long way and is one of the hottest genres in publishing. Readers agree—romance novels made up several of the most popular reads at Cary Memorial Library in 2024.

Cary Library's first Literary Café of 2025 will take place on Monday February 10 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, and will feature three romance authors—Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat and Darcy), Thien-Kim Lam (Happy Endings, Full Exposure, and the forthcoming Something Cheeky), and Nikki Payne (Pride and Protest and Sex, Lies, and Sensibility)—to discuss writing happily ever afters (HEAs) that pull readers in, creating love stories that sizzle, and subverting old ideas about what a romance novel is and can be. Our panelists will also address what drew them to writing romance and how their writing careers have developed. Hosted by Cary Library Foundation Board Member Kimberly Hensle Lowrance.

This is a virtual-only event, and registration is required to get the Zoom link for the event. Copies of the authors' books are available for purchase through Book Ends in Winchester, MA.

Kate Cochrane grew up in rural New Hampshire and played Division I ice hockey at Dartmouth College. She received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and practiced as an attorney for four years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her two children while her wife completed her residency and fellowship. Now, she works as a Law Librarian. In 2017, she was a fellow in the Lambda Literary Writer's Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices in the YA cohort.

Thien-Kim Lam writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Her debut book Happy Endings was a Washington Post Romance Novel of the Year. Her Mardi Gras romance Full Exposure is a love letter to her Vietnamese community in Louisiana. She also coaches writers of color and is an EDSE certified sex educator and the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on Jezebel, Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, and Oprah Daily.

Nikki Payne is an anthropologist who can. not. turn. it. off.
"I love to force my characters into new environments  new cultures and in finding love, they change the way they see the world. Church, cemeteries and romance novels are still the most segregated places in America. My romances, inspired by the classics turn expectations on their head. It's cultural commentary, for the hopeless romantic."  

Registration for all Literary Cafes can be made online through the Cary Library Events and Programs page. You must register if attending via Zoom. Although registration is not required to attend an in-person program, it enables us to notify you if a program is postponed or cancelled.

Past Literary Cafes

Recordings of past Literary Cafes are available on Cary Library's YouTube channel. There is also a Literary Cafe playlist on the YouTube channel.