First Novel Friday: The High Heaven, If the Dead Belong Here, and This Is the Only Kingdom

On the first Friday of the month, join us as we celebrate and launch a selection of the best debut novels published today. Be among the first to discover boundary-pushing and world-expanding work from exciting new voices in fiction.

Kick off the weekend with a happy hour at our cash bar for ticket holders in our Members Lounge starting at 6pm. Then, at 7pm, we’ll move to our auditorium for readings from the featured debut novelists, followed by a short moderated conversation. The party continues with book signings and signature cocktails to round out the night. Go home with something new—a book, a friend, a favorite Friday night tradition.

This month’s novels traverse traditions, genres, and cultures, from Native American Southern Gothic and neo-Western sci-fi, to an epic family story set in a Puerto Rican barrio. We are thrilled to welcome award-winning author Victor LaValle (The Changeling) as the evening’s moderator. We hope you will support our featured debut novelists by purchasing their books at the event (purchase all three for 15% off). Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Presented in partnership with The Travel Agency.

We offer two in-person ticket options: the $5 Community Ticket and the $15+ Supporter Ticket. Both provide the same access, but if you’re able, we kindly suggest registering for the Supporter Ticket to help sustain our programs for emerging writers.

November’s Featured Debuts:

This Is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz
When Maricarmen falls for Rey el Cantante—a beloved local musician with a Robin Hood reputation—she begins to imagine a life beyond the confines of her Puerto Rican barrio. But the dream slips away, and one violent moment shatters everything. Fifteen years later, she and her daughter Nena are caught in the aftermath of a murder that turns their community against them. Navigating loss, betrayal, and the discovery of her sexual identity, Nena must learn to assert herself and safeguard her family in a world that can be unwelcoming. This Is the Only Kingdom is a bold, heartrending novel about mothers and daughters, survival, and the weight of generational wounds.

If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust
When six-year-old Laurel Taylor disappears without a trace, her family is left broken and searching for answers. As despair sets in, her older sister Nadine begins to experience vivid nightmares that seem to echo a deeper family history. Convinced Laurel’s disappearance is tied to long-buried tragedies, Nadine turns to her elders for guidance. Inspired by Native American folklore and family history, If the Dead Belong Here explores the enduring impact of colonization, the weight of generational trauma, and the strength it takes to face what haunts us.

The High Heaven by Joshua Wheeler
The High Heaven is a daring multigenre debut novel that follows Izzy Gently’s life after she’s orphaned during a deadly clash in the New Mexico desert on the night of the first Apollo mission. Taken in by a struggling rancher whose land is encroached by NASA rocket tests, Izzy’s journey spans tragedy, addiction, and a cast of eccentric characters across Texas and New Orleans. Blending neo-Western, picaresque, and Southern gothic, Joshua Wheeler’s novel reflects on the enduring human drive to find purpose amid vast and uncertain landscapes.