Hernan Diaz — Ply - with Tope Folarin

Hernan Diaz presents *Ply*, his third novel, in conversation with Tope Folarin. Set centuries in the future at the beginning of a new historical era, the novel follows an orphan who survives loss and upheaval before becoming a “pincher,” stealing electricity from the grid to sell on the black market. Her work powering underground concerts draws her into a vibrant art and music community and eventually connects her to a monumental scientific invention capable of altering reality.

The event will explore the novel’s combination of family drama, speculative fiction, scientific thriller, and questions about technology, identity, social bonds, and humanity’s relationship with nature. Diaz is the Pulitzer Prize–winning, *New York Times* bestselling author of *Trust*; Folarin is a Nigerian-American writer and Washington-based literary and policy leader.

When: Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Venue: St. Paul’s, 4900 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.

Format: Hernan Diaz will appear in conversation with Tope Folarin.

Lineup: Hernan Diaz, author of *Ply*, *Trust*, and *In the Distance*; Tope Folarin, Nigerian-American writer, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies, and Lannan Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at Georgetown University.

Author: Diaz’s honors include the Pulitzer Prize, the John Updike Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Kirkus Prize, a Whiting Award, and a fellowship from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center. His work has been translated into 37 languages.

Conversation Partner: Folarin has received the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Whiting Award for Fiction, and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. He serves on the boards of the Avalon Theater and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, is part of Pathfinder’s President’s Council, and is slated to become the inaugural critic-at-large for *The Georgia Review* in 2025.

Tickets: Price not available. The event is ticketed, partnered, and held offsite.

Signing: All books will be pre-signed by the author. Attendees may join a post-event signing line if they would like their books personalized.

Event Book: *Ply: A Novel* by Hernan Diaz is available for preorder in hardcover for $32.00. It is scheduled for publication on September 29, 2026, with ISBN 9780593719541.