"Seattle Reads" author finally set to visit after lengthy delay

The Seattle Public Library's "Seattle Reads" program peaks this week with a visit to Seattle by its featured author, Marjane Satrapi.

Each year "Seattle Reads" picks one book for the city to read, discuss, praise, criticize and pontificate upon. This year "Seattle Reads" chose "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood" by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon), her memoir in graphic-novel form about growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution.

Satrapi was originally scheduled to visit the city in March, but her visit was postponed until she could receive final authorization of her French citizenship (she lives in Paris).

The library has already held several "Persepolis" -related events.

Here are appearances by the author scheduled for this week:

• 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lake City library branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E.

• 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Bellevue Community College auditorium, building N-201, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue.

• 11 a.m. Friday at Seattle Central Community College's Erickson Theater, 1524 Harvard Ave.

• 7:30 p.m. Friday Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., Seattle.

• 11 a.m. Saturday at the Columbia library branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S.

All events are free and open to the public.

Call 206-386-4636 or consult the library's Web site at www.spl.org for details.

Mary Ann Gwinn,

Seattle Times book editor