Bookstores and event presenters are hosting bigtime writers as well as local authors this month. Here’s a list of notable September happenings. To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
Sept. 5
Ahmed Al-Sheikh: The Bay Area writer and fantasy fan celebrates his self-published 2016 young adult science fiction adventure, “Lunen Triblood.” [7 p.m., Books Inc. Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #600, Campbell]
Sept. 7
Julia Park Tracey: The California writer speaks about “The Bereaved,” a work of historical fiction set in the 19th century based on her research into her grandfather’s past as an adopted child and revealing the dark side of the so-called Orphan Train, an American welfare program that transported children from Eastern cities to foster homes in the rural Midwest. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
Sept. 7
Molly Giles: The Pushcart Prize-winning local short story writer reads from her new satirical novel “The Home for Unwed Husbands,” which describes the adventures of a woman who divorced her deadbeat husband, finished college and has a library job she loves, as well as one unconquered addiction. [7 p.m. Sept. 7 at Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco; also at 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 7
Hank Rosenfeld: The former news department staffer of the 1960-70s era KSAN speaks about his new book “The Jive 95: An Oral History of America’s Greatest Underground Rock Radio Station, KSAN San Francisco” with journalism professor Peter Laufer. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]
Sept. 8
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: The Oakland writer discusses her 1950s-set novel “On the Rooftop,” about a mother seeking show business success for her daughters during San Francisco’s Fillmore jazz era, with writer Eirinie Carson. [7 p.m. at Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma, also at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 at Books Inc, 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley]
Sept. 8
Ann Patchett: City Arts & Lectures presents the author of “Bel Canto,” “The Patron Saint of Liars,” “The Dutch House” and “Commonwealth” in conversation with Steven Winn; tickets are $49. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., S.F., cityarts.net]
Sept. 9
Bill W. Jones: The Marin man discusses “Bachelor Father: The first single man to legally adopt a child in America,” which he began in conjunction with taking a memoir writing class in his mid-80s. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 9
Lara Love Hardin: The writer speaks about her memoir “The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing” in which describes how she went from soccer mom to drug addict to jailhouse influencer before embarking on a successful career as a ghostwriter. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 10
James McBride: The winner of National Book Award for “The Good Lord Bird” discusses his new novel “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” which tells the story of neighborhood where African Americans and Jews lived side by side. [4 p.m. at Dominican University of California, 20 Olive Ave., San Rafael, $40 includes book; also at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco]
Sept. 11
Alan Barillaro: The Oscar-winning Pixar animator is promoting his debut book, “Where the Water Takes Us” (which he also illustrated), a middle-grade, coming-of-age tale about an anxious girl living at her grandparents’ island home who tries to break a curse by caring for orphaned bird eggs. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
Sept. 12
Jane Hirshfield: The award-winning poet whose work has been translated into 17 languages reads from “The Asking: New and Selected Poems,” a compilation of work from nine previous books and decades of writing. [6 p.m. Sept. 12 at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera; also at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Copperfield’s, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]
Sept. 12
Jenna Miles: The Bay Area writer and registered dietician speaks about her novel “The Catch,” which she calls a “San Francisco second chance romance for women who’ve been there, done that, burned the T-shirt!” [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
Sept. 13
Marcie Bianco: The California writer, editor, lecturer and cultural critic appears at a ticketed ($7-$40) event to discuss her new book “Breaking Free: The Lie of Equality and the Feminist Fight for Freedom.” [7 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, #100, Menlo Park]
Sept. 13
Sierra Godfrey: The Santa Cruz-born Bay Area author appears in conversation with Lauren Parvizi to launch “The Second Chance Hotel,” her armchair getaway vacation read about a woman who resets her life after moving to a Greek island. [7 p.m. Sept. 13, Mrs. Dallloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley; registration required here]
Sept. 13
Joe Posnanski: The New York Times best-selling sportswriter, author of “The Baseball 100,” which detailed heroes and pioneers of the sport, is on tour to launch his latest book “Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments,” a countdown of memorable people and events, including unheralded players, trick plays, unforgettable errors, slick steals, and no-hitters. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa]
Sept. 16:
How They Do It-5 women authors on publishing and the writer’s life: Novelists Cristina García (“Vanishing Maps”), Hannah Michell (“Excavations”), Ilana DeBare (“Shaken Loose”), Rita Chang-Epping (“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea”) and Yael Goldstein-Love (“The Possibilities”) all releasing new books, discuss their creative work and the business of writing at the $25 ticketed event organized by the nonprofit LitCamp. [3 p.m., 297 Page St., San Francisco]
Sept. 19
Bettina Love and W. Kamau Bell: The abolitionist educator discusses her new book “Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal,” detailing the impact of decades of racist public-school policies on Black lives, with the comedian, author and television host; tickets are $39. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., S.F., cityarts.net]
Sept. 21
Matt Guttman: The author and ABC News national correspondent describes his personal journey in his newest non-fiction title “No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks.” [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Sept. 22
Zadie Smith: Appearing in conversation with Cathy Park Hong, who wrote “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning,” the award-winning author of “White Teeth,” “Swing Time,” “The Autograph Man,” “On Beauty” and “NW” speaks about her new historical fiction title “The Fraud,” detailing the infamous Victorian England Tichborne case in which a man claimed to be the missing heir to a baronetcy; $49 tickets include a copy of the book. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., S.F., cityarts.net]
Sept. 27
Leslie Jones: The former “Saturday Night Live” comedian and actress speaks about her new memoir “Leslie F*cking Jones” with prolific Bay Area romance novelist Jasmine Guillory; $49 tickets include a copy of the book. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., S.F., cityarts.net]
Sept. 29
Amy Chua: The author of the best-selling memoir “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” speaks about her Bay Area-set first novel “The Golden Gate,” a historical thriller about a homicide detective investigating the assassination of a presidential candidate in Berkeley’s Claremont Hotel in 1944. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 29
C Pam Zhang: The award-winning author of “How Much of These Hills is Gold” appears in conversation with “The Incendiaries” author R.O. Kwon to discuss her new novel “Land of Milk and Honey,” about a young chef who leaves a dreary city job for a seemingly tranquil mountaintop colony. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
Sept. 30
Michael Bourne: The Northern California-bred writer speaks about his Mill Valley-set first novel “Blithedale Canyon,” which considers whether a deeply flawed, self-destructive man can redeem himself. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 30
Aparna Nancherla: The comedian, actor and writer is promoting her new collection of personal essays, “Unreliable Narrator,” at a ticketed ($35-$99) event. [7 p.m., Great Star Theater, 636 Jackson St., San Francisco]
To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.