WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
Meet Intisar Khanani
Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library’s 2026 Writer-In-Residence (WiR) is Intisar Khanani, the first young adult (YA) author to serve in this role.
Intisar is the author of The Sunbolt Chronicles, and the Dauntless Path novels, beginning with Thorn. Her novels, A Darkness at the Door and Memories of Ash were both Kirkus Review picks for Best Young Adult Fantasy Novels of the Year.
She is deeply honored to serve as CHPL’s 2026 Writer in Residence. In taking on the residency, Intisar hopes to give back to her community through workshops, events, open office hours, and more. She will also host this season’s WiR podcast, Inside the Writer’s Head, which can be found on Apples Podcasts and Spotify.
Intisar grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah, on the coast of the Red Sea. Now a resident of Cincinnati, much of her work for her six books were written in CHPL locations, especially at the Deer Park and Blue Ash branches.
Previously, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health and infant mortality with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.
You can learn more about Intisar and her work by visiting her website at booksbyintisar.com.
To find one of Intisar’s upcoming Writer-In-Residence events, please visit the Library’s online calendar at CHPL.org.
About Writer-In-Residence
The Writer-in-Residence serves as the Library’s literary ambassador to the community by fostering engagement between the Library and local writers, providing instruction on the craft of writing, both online and in-person, and serving as the Library’s representative in the local literary arts scene.
This program is funded by The Library Foundation, which raises private funds to support CHPL programs and services that public dollars can’t cover.
The Writer-In-Residence is chosen each year by a Selection Committee. For 2026, the Committee members are: Dan Hurley, Dani McClain, Kara Sanders, Drew Pearson, Manuel Iris, Julie Dierker, Pauletta Hansel, and Staci Dennison.
Past Writers-in-Residence