First In Fiction Reading Series

Live! September 17, 2026

A Night of North Carolina Fiction

Six Authors. Two Hosts. One Stage. Unforgettable Storytelling.

Join us on September 17, 2026 in downtown Raleigh for a multi-genre reading series featuring some of North Carolina’s legends of the page, experienced as literature should be: accompanied by booze and good company.

📅 The Details

  • When: Thursday, September 17th, 2026 at 8:00 PM
  • Where: The Berkeley Cafe | 428 S Dawson St., Raleigh, NC
  • Admission: Free
  • Family Rating: Readings will range from PG to R in terms of content; recommended for ages 16 and up.

📚 About the Event

North Carolina has always been home to incredible storytelling. On September 17th, we are bringing together six of the state’s voices for a special literary showcase at Raleigh’s iconic Berkeley Cafe. From contemporary prose to horror to speculative fiction, First In Fiction offers a vibrant cross-section of the stories shaping our region’s celebrated literary landscape. Whether you are a die-hard fiction reader, an aspiring writer, or just looking for a great night out surrounded by good company, this is the room you want to be in. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event.

✍️ Featured Authors for September 17, 2026:

Richard Dansky

Richard Dansky is an award-winning video game writer who is widely regarded as an industry expert on game narrative and writing. He is the author of nine novels and two short story collections, as well as the nonfiction book The Video Game Writer’s Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You. His upcoming works include the graphic novel Bridgewater, co-authored with French comics industry legend Matz, and the novel Nightmare Logic. Richard was also a core contributor to White Wolf’s classic World of Darkness setting, so if you have ever run into a bunch of people dressed as vampires in your favorite coffee shop, that’s partially his fault.

Mimi Herman

Mimi Herman is the author of The Kudzu Queen, A Field Guide to Human Emotions, Logophilia and The Art of Learning. Her novel, The Kudzu Queen, was selected by the North Carolina Center for the Book for the 2023 Library of Congress “Great Reads from Great Places” and was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and short listed for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Mimi is a co-director of Writeaways writing workshops in France, Italy, Ireland, New Mexico and North Carolina. She holds a BA from the University of North Carolina and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson. 

Carrie Knowles

Along with nine books, Carrie has published dozens of short stories, newspaper, and magazine articles, and received numerous awards for her writing. She was named the North Carolina Piedmont Laureate for Short Fiction in 2014. Carrie has published five novels: Lillian’s Garden, Ashoan’s Rug, A Garden Wall in Provence, The Inevitable Past, and A Musical Affair, as well Black Tie Optional, a collection of 17 of her short stories. Her memoir, The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s, has been described as a “must read” for family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. During her time as the 2014 Piedmont Laureate, conducting writing workshops across five counties in North Carolina, she wrote a writing workbook aimed at providing the basic tools a new writer would need to get started: A Self-Guided Workbook and Gentle Tour on Learning How to Write Stories from Start to Finish. From 2019-2026, she wrote a personal perspectives column for Psychology Today and has recently published a collection of the first 50 stories from her column entitled: Shifting Forward: Fifty Reflections on Everyday Life. Carrie is also a playwright. In 2024, her one-act play about a conversation between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Cassatt won the second-place prize in the William Faulkner Literary Competition for One-Act Plays. To learn more about Carrie, go to her website: cjanework.com.

Jes Malitoris

Jes Malitoris is a horror and dark fantasy author from Durham, NC with a PhD and an unruly garden. Xie is active in the HWA-Carolinas chapter and as a first reader for Necksnap magazine, and you can find xer short fiction in a number of mags and anthologies, most notably forthcoming in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year, Volume 18. Xer debut novella, Flame A-Kindle, will be published next year by Laughing Man House Publishing.

Jacky Days Otto

Jacky is a long- and short-form storyteller, writing both prose and screenplays. He also publishes essays and short stories, intermittently, on his Substack “We Talk About Nothing So Bare With Me.” There you can read chapters of his most current work “Icarus After Death,” a Greek mythology story about Icarus’ journey from the Underworld to Olympus with an ambition bigger than his own head to change his embarrassing story of flying into the sun. For work, Jacky has had the pleasure of being an Adjunct English Professor and TLC Tutor at Wake Tech. He loves writing and editing, so if you have work you would like help with, feel free to send an email to him at Jackydaysotto@gmail.com.

Jon Carroll Thomas 

Jon Carroll Thomas is a dark fiction writer, event coordinator, and illustrator based in Raleigh. He lives in a little log house with his sweet and lovely wife, creepy son, and six spoiled rescue cats. He is co-chair to the North Carolina Horror Writers Association, and leads the venerable Quails From The Crypt horror book club through Quail Ridge Books, which is now in its ninth year. His recent works have mostly appeared through Pittsburgh’s ReddUp Press, where he is 2026’s Writer in Residence. He is also a coffee addict, insomniac, and an anxiety and ADHD case. It took him over an hour to write this short bio.

✍️ Past First In Fiction Readers:

John Kessel

John Kessel is a master of speculative and science fiction, renowned for his rich world-building, and sharp, human-centered narratives. His stories have twice received the Nebula Award, given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. His numerous other honors include the Shirley Jackson award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, the Paul Green Playwright’s Prize, and more.

Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty is an award-winning sci-fi author and podcaster, known for her thrilling, inventive storytelling. She has won a Hugo and the Astounding Award, as well as two Manly Wade Wellman Awards among other honors. She was also an inaugural member of the Podcast Academy Hall of Fame.

Natania Barron

Natania Barron writes lush, historical fantasy and speculative fiction, weaving intricate tales of myth, magic, and forgotten histories. She is a Manly Wade Wellman award winner and was nominated for a Hugo.

Katy Munger

Katy Munger is a NC-based mystery writer who served as North Carolina’s 2015 Piedmont Laureate. She is also the co-editor of the neo-noir journal Dark Yonder and numerous short story anthologies, and served as a book reviewer for the Washington Post. Her award winning fiction includes the iconic Casey Jones mystery series, the Hubbert & Lil cozy series, and the Dead Detective series for a total of 18 novels.

Isaac Hughes Green

Isaac Hughes Green is the author of fiction that explores deep, contemporary themes with a unique stylistic flair and evocative narrative drive. He is an adjunct instructor of composition at North Carolina Central University. He won the 2021 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers and the 2021 Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize.

Danae Windsor

Danae Windsor is a Wilson, NC-based author who brings vibrant, sharp prose to the stage, capturing complex characters and modern perspectives that resonate long after the final page.