Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing is bold, elegant and fiercely honest. His remarkable debut novel, “The Sympathizer,” won the Pulitzer Prize, was a Dayton Literary Peace Prize winner and made the finalist list for the PEN/Faulkner award.

Viet and his family came to the United States as refugees during the Vietnam War in 1975. The New York Times says that his novel “fills a void … giving voice to the previously voiceless while it compels the rest of us to look at the events of forty years ago in a new light.” His voice is refreshing and powerful as he urges readers to examine the legacy of that tumultuous time and its aftermath from a new perspective. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and the author will sign them.

Celebrate the opening of the 2025/2026 Professional Touring Artists Series with a reception in the Community Room. Light fare will be served.

Tickets for the 2025/2026 Professional Touring Artists Series go on sale to Reston residents and employees of Reston businesses on Friday, August 1, in person or by phone through the RCC Box Office. The RCC Box Office will be open Friday, August 1, 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sales to the public and online open on Friday, August 8 at 9:00 a.m.