Join us for our fourth annual Lit Stroll! This literary event brings readers together to meet and celebrate Illinois authors.

Participants will be split into two groups to accommodate crowd size. Both groups will see all the authors and be able to purchase books to be signed at the culmination of the event. Register with up to 3 friends to ensure you are in the same Stroll Group. 

You will be emailed your schedule on Monday, June 23.  

Our featured authors this year are:

• Sonali Dev, is the author of 12 novels in which many have been on Library Journal, NPR, Washington Post, and Kirkus’s Best Books of the year lists. She has won the American Library Association’s award for best romance, the RT Reviewer Choice Award for best contemporary romance, multiple RT Seals of Excellence, is a RITA® finalist, and has been listed for the Dublin Literary award. Shelf Awareness calls her “Not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two teens, and the world’s most perfect dog.

• Charlie Donlea, is the USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 International bestselling author of critically acclaimed, propulsive thrillers including The Girl Who Was Taken, Don't Believe It, Twenty Years Later, and Those Empty Eyes. His eighth thriller, LONG TIME GONE, explores the science of forensic genealogy and was released in June 2024. Published in 40 countries and translated into nearly twenty languages, his books have sold 2.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and have been optioned for film and television. He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children. 

• Nancy Johnson, is an Emmy-nominated journalist, is the author of People of Means, a story of race, class, and legacy set in 1960s Nashville and 1992 Chicago. The novel was named one of PEOPLE's most anticipated books of 2025. Her debut novel, The Kindest Lie, was a Target Book Club Pick and received critical acclaim from numerous publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, as well as magazines such as Woman’s World and Real Simple. She currently resides in Chicago and is the director of communications and brand journalism for a health care nonprofit.

Each author will be featured at a downtown Arlington Heights venue: Mago Grill & Cantina, Hey Nonny, and Arlington Ale House. Hear about their books and writing, grab a drink, enjoy complimentary appetizers, and mingle with other literary lovers as you stroll from location to location. The event will culminate in a book signing at Arlington Ale House with books available for sale courtesy of The Book Stall. 

Lit Stroll is open to adults 21 and older. Space is limited. 

Find full event details at ahml.info/litstroll.

Registration opens June 1.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation, please call 847.392.0100, text 847.665.1491 or email us at accessibility@ahml.info   

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