Join us today for the Northern Virginia Writers Book Club at Elaine’s Literary Salon: Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 6:30-9pm — Meet this month’s featured author, Anita Nahal
When: Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 6:30-9pm
Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
About the Northern Virginia Writers Club: Established in November 2007, the Northern Virginia Writers Club is an affiliate of the Virginia Writers Club serving aspiring and published authors alike in the northern Virginia region. Currently, meetings are hybrid or entirely virtual, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of every month. The club offers workshops, panel discussions, and expert speakers designed to assist members in the art and craft of writing, as well as to support members with the business side of writing. Club meetings, a discord server, social media and a members-only Facebook Group offer members the opportunity to exchange ideas and establish contact with other writers having similar interests. We also have critique groups and beta readers. Learn more here.
Meet this month’s featured author, Anita Nahal, Ph.D., CDP: Anita is a Pushcart Prize-nominated Indian American author and academic. She has one novel, four books of poetry, one of flash fiction, four for children, and five edited anthologies to her credit. Her third book of poetry, What’s wrong with us Kali women? (Kelsay, 2021), was nominated by Cyril Dabydeen, Guyanese Indian Canadian, Ottawa poet laureate emeritus, and novelist as the best poetry book in 2021 for Ars Notoria. It’s also mandatory reading in an elective course on multicultural society at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Anita’s first novel, Drenched Thoughts was released in 2023 by Authorspress and is also prescribed reading in the above university. Her latest poetry release is a collection of ekphrastic prose poetry, Kisses at the espresso bar (Kelsay, 2022). Anita’s poems have appeared in numerous journals in the US, UK, Asia, and Australia and have been anthologized in many collections, including The Polaris Trilogy,which will be sent to the moon in the Space X launch. Her poetry is also part of a recent anthology released by India’s National Academy of Letters, the Sahitya Akademi, Twenty Contemporary Indian English Poets. Anita has a Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, a master’s, and M.Phil. from Delhi University, plus a Fulbright postdoctoral scholar-in-residence from Binghamton University, NY. Currently, Anita teaches at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC. Anita is the editor of the Newsletter, Poetry Virginia Society and secretary of the Montgomery Chapter, Maryland Writers Association. She is the daughter of Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novelist and professor Late Dr. Chaman Nahal and educationist Late Dr. Sudarshna Nahal. Her family includes her son, daughter-in-law, and goldendoodle girl. More: anitanahal.com
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Elaine’s Literary Salon
About Elaine’s: A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selection is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt — a combination of Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12 growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was previous home for 38 years of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.
About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host 
And meet the PR Director for Elaine’s Literary Salon, InkandescentPR.com’s founder, Hope Katz Gibbs. With her team of award-winning journalists, illustrators and video producers, they help writers up their PR and marketing game with professionally produced podcasts on 
