Daniel Tam-Claiborne: Diaspora and Belonging

Daniel Tam-Claiborne is curating a panel on diaspora and belonging at the Seattle Public Library - Ballard Branch on Thursday, October 15. It's part of the library's Fall 2026 Guest Curator series, which marks the 250th anniversary of the United States by looking at the diasporas that have shaped the country's collective story. The series spans three nights, each spotlighting a different community: East African, Southeast Asian, and Nordic.

Tam-Claiborne is a multiracial author and a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow. His debut novel, Transplants, was a 2023 PEN/Bellwether Prize finalist. For this particular night, he's bringing together a panel that touches on different parts of the city's public and academic life: Marko Liias, a state senator and board trustee at Seattle Rep; author Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum; and Andrew Nestingen, a UW professor of Scandinavian Studies. Given the series' focus, this session falls into the Nordic community night.

The whole thing is supported by Seattle's Office of Arts & Culture, The Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation, The Seattle Public Library Foundation, and The Seattle Times, with free and reduced access supported by 4Culture.

The event runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 5:30 PM, at the Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Avenue Northwest. Admission is free.