Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington — In Person: How Working Together Fuels Creativity, Productivity, and Growth — At The Wharf
Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington present their research-driven book *In Person: How Working Together Fuels Creativity, Productivity, and Growth*, examining how organizations can balance remote-work flexibility with the creative, social, and professional benefits of being together. Drawing on years of analysis across industries, they argue that remote work can be effective for completing individual tasks but may diminish collaboration, creativity, work quality, and mental well-being, while in-person interaction can significantly strengthen idea development, mentorship, and innovation.
The authors will discuss practical ways to determine the right number of in-office days, preserve flexibility without losing the benefits of collaboration, and avoid the common failures of return-to-office mandates. Emanuel and Harrington hold PhDs in economics from Harvard and completed postdoctoral work at Princeton. Emanuel is a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Harrington is an economics professor at the University of Virginia. Their research has appeared in leading academic journals and has been covered by outlets including the BBC, *The New York Times*, *The Wall Street Journal*, *The Economist*, *The Atlantic*, and NPR’s *Planet Money*.
When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
Showtime: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024.
Tickets: Free.
Seating: Seating is first come, first served.
Authors: Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington.
Book: *In Person: How Working Together Fuels Creativity, Productivity, and Growth* is available for preorder as a $30 hardcover. Its listed publication date is October 13, 2026.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The organizers will try to accommodate requests made up to the event.