D.C. Noir at the Bar – Past Events

About D.C. Noir at the Bar

Since 2014, many of the DMV’s best crime fiction writers have participated in D.C.’s Noir at the Bar readings. Hosted by E.A. Aymar, the standing-room only, long-running series is traditionally held at the Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights, but the event has been included in the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference and even the National Book Festival. For those unfamiliar with this series, this article in CrimeReads is a terrific resource in explaining the Noir at the Bar concept, and why it’s such a good fit for the nation’s capital.

And, in 2020, D.C.’s Noir at the Bar reading series went virtual in support of DC/MD/VA independent bookstores.

Readers had the chance to connect with DMV crime fiction writers and support the local bookstores they love, like One More Page, Politics and Prose, Kramerbooks, Loyalty Books, and more.

As a special treat, noir-themed songs were performed by local jazz sensation Sara Jones, and local mixologist Chantal Tseng crafted custom cocktails for viewers to make at home, based on one of the books each evening.

I wrote about the series for the Washington Independent Review of Books, and you can read that column HERE. And DCist interviewed me and Sara Jones about the series in a wonderful write-up! Check it out HERE. You can also read Oline Cogdill’s (one of crime fiction’s best reviewers and journalists) 3-part series about the rise of virtual events, with a focus on Noir at the Bar, HERE and HERE.

Check out the history of the series in its iconic flyers below. Almost all of the flyers were made by Angela Del Vecchio (the cool ones, anyway).