Des Moines Public Library Celebrates 25 Years of AViD with Star-Studded 2026 Author Lineup

Julia Quinn, Tayari Jones headline a milestone anniversary lineup featuring a groundbreaking new partnership

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The Des Moines Public Library (DMPL) is proud to announce the 25th anniversary season of Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD), featuring six events that bring world-class literary talent to the heart of Iowa this spring and summer. The milestone season kicks off April 7 with #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn, whose Bridgerton novels inspired the hit Netflix series and have sold more than 20 million copies in the United States alone. The season also features Tayari Jones, whose novel An American Marriage was an Oprah's Book Club selection and earned the Women's Prize for Fiction; Shannon Chakraborty, author of the rip-roaring pirate novel The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi; and Maria Semple, bestselling author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Why it matters

This 25th anniversary season reflects everything AViD has always stood for. The program is bringing exceptional authors to Des Moines and creating moments that celebrate reading and the arts in the community.

The details

This year's season marks the first time AViD will be part of the Des Moines Arts Festival, in a program happening in partnership with the Des Moines Arts Festival and Des Moines Art Center. On Saturday, June 27, Patrick Bringley will take part in AViD. Bringley is the bestselling author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Des Moines Public Library will also once again be taking part in the DSM Book Festival on Saturday, May 2, with a headlining AViD author to be revealed.

  • The 25th anniversary season of AViD kicks off on April 7, 2026.
  • The AViD event with Patrick Bringley will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in partnership with the Des Moines Arts Festival and Des Moines Art Center.
  • The Des Moines Public Library will participate in the DSM Book Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with a headlining AViD author.

The players

Julia Quinn

A #1 New York Times bestselling author whose Bridgerton novels inspired the hit Netflix series and have sold more than 20 million copies in the United States alone.

Tayari Jones

An author whose novel An American Marriage was an Oprah's Book Club selection and earned the Women's Prize for Fiction.

Shannon Chakraborty

The author of the rip-roaring pirate novel The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi.

Maria Semple

The bestselling author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Patrick Bringley

The bestselling author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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What they’re saying

“This 25th anniversary season reflects everything AViD has always stood for. We are bringing exceptional authors to Des Moines and creating moments that celebrate reading and the arts.”

— Aaron Gernes, Marketing and Communications Manager (dmcityview.com)

What’s next

The full lineup for the DSM Book Festival, including the headlining AViD author, will be revealed in the coming months.

The takeaway

For 25 years, the Des Moines Public Library's AViD program has brought world-class literary talent to the heart of Iowa, fostering a love of reading and the arts in the community. This milestone season continues that tradition with a star-studded lineup of bestselling authors, including a new partnership with the Des Moines Arts Festival.