An Evening with Mariah Rigg

Books & Books hosts an evening with author Mariah Rigg in conversation about her debut short story collection, Extinction Capital of the World: Stories (Ecco). Set across contemporary Hawai‘i, the collection offers ten interconnected stories exploring themes of colonization, environmental decline, queer love and complex family bonds.

Rigg brings a deeply personal perspective to the work, drawing from her background as a Samoan-Haole settler raised on O‘ahu. Her stories center on characters navigating identity, longing and grief amid the ecological and cultural pressures facing the Hawaiian Islands. The collection has been named a recommended summer read by Vulture, Oprah Daily, Our Culture and LGBTQ Reads.

Mariah Rigg’s writing has appeared in Oxford American, The Sewanee Review and Joyland, among other publications. She is a 2024 recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in creative writing, holds an MFA from the University of Oregon, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Admission is free and books will be available for purchase at the event.