11 a.m. SHARON MALONE with Michele Norris GROWNWOMANTALK
$30
1 p.m. ANDRÉ ACIMAN with Edoardo Ballerini ROMANYEAR:AMEMOIR $30
3 p.m. EMILY WILSON with Judith Thurman THEILIAD $30
5 p.m. PAUL MURRAY with Bill Goldstein THEBEESTING $30
8 p.m. GALA EVENT BLACK AND WHITE MASQUERADE
See page 4 for details $350+
Saturday, Nov. 2
12 p.m. CHARAN RANGANATH with David Adams WHYWEREMEMBER $30
2 p.m. MICHELE NORRIS with Kerri Forrest OURHIDDENCONVERSATIONS $30
4 p.m. CLAIRE MESSUD with Georgina Godwin THISSTRANGEEVENTFULHISTORY
$30
6 p.m. JAMES SHAPIRO with Dominic Dromgoole THEPLAYBOOK
$30
Sunday, Nov. 3
12 p.m. EDDIE S. GLAUDE JR. with Joan Robinson Berry WEARETHELEADERSWEHAVEBEEN LOOKINGFOR $30
2 p.m. KATHERINE BUCKNELL with Bill Goldstein CHRISTOPHERISHERWOOD:INSIDEOUT $30
4 p.m. DAVID W. BLIGHT with Richard Brodhead YALEANDSLAVERY:AHISTORY $30
6 p.m. MAURICE SAMUELS with Adam Gopnik ALFREDDREYFUS:THEMANATTHECENTER OFTHEAFFAIR
$30
8 p.m. GRIFFIN DUNNE with Marie Brenner THEFRIDAYAFTERNOONCLUB
$30
Monday, Nov. 4
12 p.m. NIKKI GIOVANNI with Tonya Matthews ACONVERSATIONWITHNIKKIGIOVANNI
$30
2 p.m. KWAME DAWES & KIMIKO HAHN with Marjory Wentworth FORTUNATETRAVELERS
$30
4 p.m. GEOFF DYER with Geoffrey Harpham THELASTDAYSOFROGERFEDERER
$30
6 p.m. THEATER DEBATE:BALDWIN VS.BUCKLEY LIVE PERFORMANCE by the american vicarious
$35
Tuesday, Nov. 5 BREAK IN PROGRAMMING
Wednesday, Nov. 6
4 p.m. MARIE ARANA with Bilal Qureshi LATINOLAND
$30
6 p.m. BRODY MULLINS & LUKE MULLINS with Monica Langley THEWOLVESOFKSTREET
$30
8 p.m. CHRIS WHITAKER ALLTHECOLORSOFTHEDARK
$30
Thursday, Nov. 7
12 p.m. ATTICA LOCKE with Tamara Butler GUIDEMEHOME
$30
2 p.m. ANGELA SAINI with Jennet Robinson Alterman THEPATRIARCHS $30
4 p.m. ROSS BENJAMIN & MARK HARMAN with Scott Denham A KAFKA CENTENARY CELEBRATION
$30
6 p.m. MICHAEL J. SANDEL with Geoffrey Harpham DEMOCRACY’SDISCONTENT
$30
Friday, Nov. 8
2 p.m. JAYNE ANNE PHILLIPS with Ann Close NIGHTWATCH $30
2 p.m. JEAN HANFF KORELITZ with Anne Blessing THESEQUEL
$30
4 p.m. RACHEL KUSHNER with Autumn Phillips CREATIONLAKE
$30
6:30 p.m. THEATER - WORLD PREMIERE ALLTHEBEAUTY INTHEWORLD starring Patrick Bringley $45
Saturday, Nov. 9
9:30 a.m. FILM SCREENING BROOKLYN
Directed by John Crowley $10
12 p.m. COLM TÓIBÍN with Bilal Qureshi LONGISLAND $30
2 p.m. BIANCA BOSKER with Patrick Bringley GetThePicture $30
4 p.m. RAMIE TARGOFF with Regina Marler SHAKESPEARE’SSISTERS
$30
6 p.m. CATHERINE LACEY with Regina Marler BIOGRAPHYOFX
$30
Sunday, Nov. 10
12 p.m. LOTTIE HAZELL with Emmeline Clein PIGLET
$30
2 p.m. DEESHA PHILYAW with Jeannelle Perkins THESECRETLIVESOFCHURCHLADIES
$30
4 p.m. ILYON WOO MASTER,SLAVE,HUSBAND,WIFE FREE
6:30 p.m. THEATER ALLTHEBEAUTY INTHEWORLD
starring Patrick Bringley
$45
When shivers flew up and down Woo’s spine
By Andy Brack
Author Ilyon Woo’s skin tingled when she walked into the Dock Street Theatre as she researched her recent Pulitzer Prizewinning nonfiction book, Master Slave Husband Wife
More than 175 years ago, the theater was home to the Planter’s Hotel, which the protagonists of the book, Ellen and William Craft, visited briefly as they escaped slavery in Georgia.
“Even to approach this space from the outside felt unreal — to glimpse the lacy ironwork, the dramatic facade — and yes, shivers flew up and down my spine when I went inside,” Woo said. “To stand inside the lobby, where the Crafts moved through; to mount the stairs, where Ellen rushed up, pretending to be sick; to look out windows through which they were once visible; and to behold the ornamentation that their eyes might also have touched — all was wondrous and vital.
“It will be emotional, I am sure, to journey into this space again, this time with descendants of Ellen and William Craft.”
On Nov. 10 during the Charleston Literary Festival, Woo will discuss the book with Kim Long, a member of the festival’s board, during the third annual city-wide Charleston Reads! initiative. Tickets are free but must be reserved online due to limited space.
An escape in broad daylight
Woo’s book tells the true, emotional tale of the Crafts, who pulled off one of the most dramatic escapes in U.S. history in 1848 by posing as master and slave in broad daylight. Ellen, dressed as a young, rich, disabled White gentleman was accompanied and served by her slave, who was actually her husband, William, a carpenter.
After amassing some money through extra work, they started their escape by getting on an early train in their home of Macon, Ga., for Savannah. They then boarded a steamship to Charleston, where they faced two nerve-racking tests for the light-skinned Ellen to “pass” as a White man and not be caught.
First, the “young gentleman” told a story at the hotel that he needed to rest before continuing the journey. But he and his “slave” had to make it through the registration process.
“Planter’s Hotel is pivotal, because it’s the first hotel where Ellen has to check herself in — which means signing her name, when
she is unable to read or write — and therefore a huge test in her passing as a rich, White, disabled man,” Woo said. “And what a hotel it was! The Crafts note that it was a favorite of the one-time Vice President, John C. Calhoun, who is buried nearby.”
Not long thereafter, the Crafts faced their second test — getting tickets for an outbound ship toward freedom at the nearby U.S. Custom House.
“Again, she would have to sign not only for herself but for William,” Woo said. “The standoff there is one of the most dramatic in their story: I was practically biting my nails as I wrote it.”
This experience also led to more chills for Woo.
“My chills started here, from the outside, when I spotted a plaque that described how outdoor sales of enslaved people took place north of the Exchange, which was then the Custom House.
“To think that they passed an auction site — which represented not only the fate they could encounter, should they fail, but also the trauma of separation they had each experienced as children — it’s just devastating, and underscores their bravery and heroism.”
Later she added, “That’s the thing about the story of the Crafts. Even if you know the outcome, it’s incredibly suspenseful because of how the Crafts take ownership of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Courtesy Charleston Stage
To escape slavery, Ellen and William Craft briefly stayed at Planter’s Hotel which is today known as Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
seemingly impossible situations.”
Another person has chills
West Ashley resident Gail DeCosta is the great-great granddaughter of Ellen and William Craft. She said she gets chills still when she thinks about what her grandparents went through.
“Just the courage that they had,” reflected DeCosta, who returned to Charleston about 10 years ago after a career in IT consulting. “I just can’t even imagine.
“They came close to being caught, and if they had been caught, who knows? They wouldn’t probably have lived … and we wouldn’t be here.”
DeCosta said she knew a little about her famous ancestors as a girl, but didn’t really learn about them until she received a republished copy as a young adult of their 1860 book, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom; Or, The Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery She said it was humbling to know how determined her great-great grandparents were to be free.
“There’s a quote that a lot of people say Ellen said when they got to England. Someone tried to make some comment that they had it better off when they were slaves. She said something like she would rather starve a free woman than ever go back to slavery.”
A past and future
Woo reminded that the Crafts’ connection to Charleston went far beyond their 1848 experiences at the Planter’s Hotel and Custom House.
“They had both a past and a future in the city, and in fact, one of my biggest ‘Eureka’ moments in the research process had to do with Charleston,” Woo said. “But I’ll let your readers discover more connections for themselves!”
She also added that her own visit to Charleston was essential in imagining the Crafts’ world in 1848.
“Strolling by the [old] Planter’s Hotel at sunset, walking through the nearby graveyard, paying my respects in the silence of the Old Slave Mart Museum, I felt the nearness of the nineteenth century,” Woo said. “Since my book came out, I’ve heard of readers traveling the trajectory of the Crafts’ journey, or parts of it, using my book as a guide.
“To future travelers, I’d say that one stop that must be visited for such a tour is Charleston — for the archives, for the sites, for the modern-day hospitality. I personally can’t wait to return.”
LIT UP! Events
CHARLESTON
GALA
What’s black , white and read all over this November?
Answer: Charleston Literary Festival’s Black and White Masquerade.
This fun Nov. 1 ball will be the perfect opportunity to dress up and celebrate the opening of this year’s festival with a fabulous evening of drinks, dining and dancing.
Masquerades are all about reveling in the freedom of expression. They offer moments of inspiration and invention. It is no coincidence, after all, that it is at a masquerade where Romeo kisses Juliet for the very first time.
At the heart of everything done at Charleston Literary Festival is a commitment to the free exchange of ideas — and this year’s masquerade embodies that mission.
Masks are mandatory at the 8 p.m. gala, which will be held in Festival Hall, 85 Beaufain St., Charleston. The attire? Anything, but only in black and white (hence the name).
This year’s masquerade will honor the festival’s founding artistic director and literary legend, Diana Reich. She also was founding artistic director of the prestigious Charleston Festival in East Sussex in the United Kingdom. It is based at the former home of the innovative Bloomsbury Group of writers, artists and intellectuals. Hosted by internet personality Landon Bryant (@landontalks), the event will feature literary interludes by Laurence Leamer, author of Capote’s Women; Stephen Graham, son of Washington newspaper publisher Katharine Graham; and Asiah Mae, Charleston’s poet laureate. And in best mystery masquerade fashion, the ball will feature the reveal of an extra special mystery guest.
To learn more, visit: charlestonliteraryfestival.com/masked-literary-feast
From Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s The Iliad to Nikki Giovanni’s iconic love poetry to Geoff Dyer’s meditations on endings — this year’s Charleston Literary Festival is a heady feast of human experience. With 37 events over 10 days, Charleston Literary Festival is a hotbed of ideas and conversation that you cannot miss.
This year’s offerings range from two 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners to the writer of Oprah’s Book Club pick of the summer. With record-breaking popular thriller fiction alongside the high art of Kafka’s stories alongside world premiere theater — Charleston Literary Festival is a melting pot of literary invention. We welcome all to join us this year — find your session, find your people, and embrace the conversation!
SHARON
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
MALONE with Michele Norris
GrownWomanTalk
11 a.m. / $30
“Dr. Sharon Malone is one of the smartest, funniest, and most charismatic women I know.” —Michelle Obama. A leading expert on women’s health, Sharon Malone, M.D., joins us to discuss Grown Woman Talk. This New York Times bestseller dives into what we’re not talking about as women: our health. Inspired by questions her friends and family have asked her, Dr. Malone shows us that we’re in charge of our own health — not anyone else! She also shares how we can advocate for ourselves and march to the beat of our own drum (or in her case, her custom playlist!). Sharon Malone will be in conversation with journalist and broadcaster, Michele Norris.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
ANDRÉ ACIMAN
RomanYear:AMemoir
1 p.m. / $30
with Edoardo Ballerini
EMILY WILSON
TheIliad
3 p.m. / $30
Award-winning author of Call Me by Your Name, André Aciman revisits Rome in a memoir that reads like a novel. On the cusp of adulthood, Aciman and his family were expelled from their hometown, Alexandria, Egypt, for being Jewish. In the book, Aciman describes his experience in the “Eternal City.” Woven into Aciman’s amusing style is a story of trauma and displacement. He will be in conversation with world-class audiobook narrator, Edoardo Ballerini, who performs the voice of André Aciman in Roman Year
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
PAUL MURRAY with Bill Goldstein
TheBeeSting
5 p.m. / $30
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE. Paul Murray joins us from Ireland to discuss his novel The Bee Sting — a dazzling multi-generational family drama about a wealthy Irish family’s financial ruin. Told from multiple perspectives, we learn of the struggles of adolescence and the devastating effects of secrets — set against concerns of climate change. The Bee Sting was a New York Times top ten Book of the Year for 2023, and has been featured in New Yorker, The Sunday Times, and The Washington Post. According to The Guardian, “It is a tragic-comic triumph. You won’t read a sadder, truer, funnier novel.” Paul Murray will be in conversation with Bill Goldstein, author and interviewer with NBC’s Weekend Today.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
with Judith Thurman
Emily Wilson, Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses her “sparkling and buoyant” translation of The Iliad (New York Times). This effervescent version — a vivid retelling of Homer’s great war story for modern times — conveys the timeless battlefield epic’s emotional impact. Named one of the best books of 2023 by The Guardian and The Washington Post, this contemporary translation has been lauded as a revelation and a cultural landmark. Emily Wilson will be in conversation with New Yorker essayist and cultural critic, Judith Thurman.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
CHARAN RANGANATH
WhyWeRemember
12 p.m. / $30
Professor Charan Ranganath, neuroscientist and psychologist, discusses groundbreaking new research that radically reframes how we think about memory and reveals the powerful role it plays in our lives; from recalling faces and names to learning, decision-making, and healing. “Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they’ll also never forget this life-changing book,” — Siddhartha Mukherjee Professor Ranganath, who plays in punk bands when not studying the mind, will be in conversation with Dr. David Adams, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Surgery MUSC.
with David Adams
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
MICHELE NORRIS
OurHiddenConversations
2 p.m / $30
From Michelle Norris, award-winning journalist and the first African-American female host for NPR, is a profound project on race that began with a simple note on a card, “Race. Your Thoughts. Six Words. Please Send.” Over half a million people submitted their responses to what we now know as The Race Card Project. Her resulting book, Our Hidden Conversations, was a New York Times bestseller. Norris discusses her transformative national project on race and identity — a unique, moving compilation of personal stories, essays, and photographs providing a window into real-life experiences of race in the United States — with Kerri Forrest.
with Kerri Forrest
CLAIRE MESSUD
ThisStrangeEventfulHistory
4 p.m. / $30
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
with Georgina Godwin
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024, as well as an Oprah most anticipated book of 2024, Claire Messud’s seventh novel traces three generations of an itinerant French family with roots in colonial Algeria. “One of those rare novels that a reader doesn’t merely read but lives through with the characters…”
Yiyun Li. Inspired by the displacement of her own ancestors, the novel charts the odyssey of a family torn apart by war, politics, and religion. She discusses the joys and pitfalls that come from fictionalizing one’s own relatives with Monocle journalist and broadcaster Georgina Godwin.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
JAMES SHAPIRO with Dominic Dromgoole
ThePlaybook
6 p.m. / $30
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
EDDIE S. GLAUDE JR. with Joan Robinson Berry
WeAreTheLeadersWeHaveBeenLookingFor
12 p.m. / $30
World-famous Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro joins us to discuss his vivid and stirring account of a 1930s culture war over the role of theater in American society. He recounts the 1935 foundation and 1938 demise of the Federal Theatre Project which toured groundbreaking productions across America, until it was finally destroyed by the head of the newly formed Un-American Activities Committee. He discusses the contemporary relevance of the artistic project with Dominic Dromgoole, Former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, who staged Hamlet in every country of the world.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. discusses his new book — a politically astute, lyrical meditation on how ordinary people can break loose from their reliance on a small group of professional politicians and assume individual responsibility for a more just and perfect democracy. The New York Times bestselling author and distinguished professor of African-American Studies at Princeton draws from the lives and work of James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Toni Morrison (among others) to inspire ordinary citizens towards greater social impact.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
KATHERINE BUCKNELL
ChristopherIsherwood:InsideOut
2 p.m. / $30
with Bill Goldstein
DAVID W. BLIGHT
YaleAndSlavery:AHistory
4 p.m. / $30
Join us for an in-depth discussion of the transcendent author Christopher Isherwood — best remembered for his 1939 novel, Goodbye To Berlin, which inspired the musical Cabaret. He died in 1986 an icon of gay liberation in California. His 1964 novel, A Single Man, was made into a period romantic film by designer Tom Ford. He might also be known as the only person in recorded history who turned down an invitation to Truman Capote’s legendary 1966 Black and White Ball. Katherine Bucknell discusses Isherwood’s life and legacy with Bill Goldstein, author of the forthcoming biography of Larry Kramer.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
with Richard Brodhead
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of biography Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, David W. Blight, answers the call to investigate Yale University’s historical involvement with the slave trade and abolition. His findings take the form of a compelling narrative account of the role of slavery in the university’s past, based on the premise that the history of Yale is aligned with the history of the United States, and therefore American slavery. He considers the implications of his findings with Richard Brodhead, former Dean of Yale College and Emeritus President of Duke University.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
MAURICE SAMUELS
with Adam Gopnik
AlfredDreyfus:TheManAtTheCenterOfTheAffair
6 p.m. / $30
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
GRIFFIN DUNNE
TheFridayAfternoonClub
8 p.m. / $30
In France, 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus’s treason charge — for passing secret documents to the enemy — split the country, dividing families (including that of Proust), friends, and artists; such as Claude Monet, who was pro Dreyfus, and Paul Cézanne, who was anti. Emile Zola’s famous manifesto J’accuse was written to rally the country in favor of Dreyfus. Although Dreyfus was eventually exonerated when the true culprit confessed, the Dreyfus Affair’s repercussions continued to echo around the world. Maurice Samuels, Director of the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism, discusses the significance of the Dreyfus Affair with Adam Gopnik, New Yorker essayist and author.
with Marie Brenner
An instant New York Times bestseller, Griffin Dunne discusses his warm, dramatic, and moving family story — full of twists and turns growing up among larger-than-life characters in Hollywood and Manhattan, including his Aunt Joan Didion and close friend Carrie Fisher. At the core of his memoir is the heart-breaking story of the murder of his younger sister and the controversial court case that followed. He will be in conversation with Vanity Fair journalist and author Marie Brenner, who played a part in his story.
Events
MONDAY, NOV. 4
NIKKI GIOVANNI
with Tonya Matthews
AConversationWithNikkiGiovanni
12 p.m. / $30
Nikki Giovanni is a generation-defining poet, writer, and activist renowned for her conviction, humor, and devotion to telling her truth as a Black woman.
In this marquee event, Prof. Giovanni will be in conversation with Tonya Matthews, CEO of IAAM. This is an important opportunity for audiences to embrace a conversation with one of the most important poets of our time. Prof. Giovanni has been awarded seven NAACP awards, a Grammy nomination, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. This event is in collaboration with the International African American Museum (IAAM), made possible by the generosity of TD Bank.
MONDAY, NOV. 4
KWAME DAWES & KIMIKO HAHN
with Marjory Wentworth FortunateTravelers
2 p.m / $30
MONDAY, NOV. 4
GEOFF DYER
with Geoffrey Harpham
TheLastDaysOfRogerFederer
4 p.m. / $30
“I define retirement as the phase of life in which I will do nothing but watch tennis,” writes Geoff Dyer in The Last Days of Roger Federer. The book is his meditation on things coming to an end and an examination of the late achievements of a range of writers, painters, athletes and musicians.
Geoff Dyer once again melds commentary and observation with intellect and wit.” —Steve Martin. He muses on last performances and last works, with plenty of lively detours along the way, together with Geoffrey Harpham, author of Citizenship on Catfish Row.
Join poet, Kwame Dawes, current poet laureate of Jamaica, and Kimiko Hahn, distinguished Creative Writing & Literary Translation professor at Queens College, CUNY, in conversation. Dawes is the author of twenty books of poetry and numerous other books of fiction, criticism, and essays. His work often centers on his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica. This talk is moderated by former poet laureate to South Carolina, Marjory Wentworth. Hahn is the author of nine books with many honors, including the PEN/Voelcker Award for poetry and the American Book Award.
MONDAY, NOV. 4
LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCE
DEBATE:BALDWINVS.BUCKLEY by the american vicarious
6 p.m. / $35
To commemorate the centenary of the birth of James Baldwin, we re-create the legendary Cambridge University debate between two intellectual titans:
“The American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro,” —James Baldwin.
Experience a live staging of the historic 1965 Cambridge Union debate, televised across the world, between James Baldwin, leading literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., the US’s most influential conservative intellectual. Following the re-enactment, members of the audience will be invited to have their say regarding the contemporary relevance of the debate.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
MARIE ARANA
with Bilal Qureshi
Latinoland
4 p.m. / $30
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
BRODY MULLINS & LUKE MULLINS
with Monica Langley
TheWolvesOfKStreet
6 p.m. / $30
Peruvian-American author and Former Literary Director of the Library of Congress, Marie Arana discusses her sweeping book Latinoland with broadcaster, editor and critic, Bilal Qureshi. Arana conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews about the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. Her family arrived in Miami in the 1950s, back when Latinos officially made up 2 percent of the United States. That number is closer to 20 percent today, an enormous and increasing population that is also growing in its diversity. A central tension of Latinoland is how to navigate these demographic differences while holding 60 million people to a single, collective identity.
On K Street, a few blocks from The White House, sit the offices of the most powerful men in Washington. Join brothers and co-authors Brody Mullins, an investigative reporter in the Washington, D.C., bureau of The Wall Street Journal and Luke Mullins, a contributing writer at POLITICO magazine as they discuss their book The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government, a dazzling, yet infuriating, portrait of fifty years of corporate influence in the U.S. capital. Brody and Luke will be in conversation with board member, Monica Langley, former VP of Salesforce and former Wall Street Journal reporter.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
CHRIS WHITAKER
AllTheColorsOfTheDark
8 p.m. / $30
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
ATTICA LOCKE
GuideMeHome
12 p.m. / $30
British author Chris Whitaker discusses his New York Times Bestseller All the Colors of the Dark — a gripping thriller and love story that delves into the shadows of a small town, where secrets, betrayal, and haunting pasts converge in a tense, emotionally charged narrative of survival. A Read With Jenna book club pick, People magazine says it “melds tense suspense with a powerful exploration of devotion, obsession, and love.”
with Tamara Butler
Attica Locke, award-winning author and screenwriter, discusses her third and final book in the Highway 59 trilogy. Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is back to investigate a Black college student who goes missing from an all-white sorority. Described as “timely and evocative” by NPR, Guide Me Home is a searing portrait of political and racial tensions in contemporary America. This mystery book is for readers who appreciate excellent writing and storytelling, not just mystery readers. Locke’s screenwriter credits include the Emmy-nominated Little Fires Everywhere, for which she won an NAACP Image award for television writing. She will discuss her writing career with Dr. Tamara Butler, Executive Director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
ANGELA SAINI with Jennet Robinson Alterman
ThePatriarchs
2 p.m / $30
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
ROSS BENJAMIN & MARK HARMAN
AKafkaCentenaryCelebration
4 p.m. / $30
For centuries, societies have treated male domination as a natural state. Join Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and lecturer in science writing at MIT, as she debunks this idea by exploring the roots and various iterations of patriarchy and shows how more equal societies are structured and flourish. Analyzing the latest research findings in science and archaeology, and tracing cultural and political histories from the Americas to Asia, she discusses why ideas about patriarchy are so difficult to dismantle with Jennet Robinson Alterman, women’s rights advocate.
A century from Franz Kafka’s death, ‘Kafkaesque’ is an adjective, a meme, and a Simpson gag. International fascination with the German language writer from Prague shows no signs of abating: new translations of his diaries and short stories just published in English, a TV serialization of his life produced in Germany, and a Polish director working on a biopic. Ross Benjamin, translator of The Diaries of Franz Kafka, and Mark Harman, translator of Kafka’s Selected Stories, will discuss Kafka’s surreal worlds and lasting impact. In collaboration with Kafka2024 (coordinated by the Adalbert Stifter Association and the Prague City Library).
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
MICHAEL J. SANDEL with Geoffrey Harpham Democracy’sDiscontent
6 p.m. / $30
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
JAYNE ANNE PHILLIPS
with Ann Close NightWatch
2 p.m / $30
Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel explores themes from his recent works, Democracy’s Discontent: A New Edition for Our Perilous Times and The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good? Sandel has been described as “a rock star moralist” (Newsweek) and “the world’s most influential living philosopher” (New Statesman). He analyzes the challenges to democracy and the pursuit of common good following the 2024 U.S. election, and the turbulent international times in which we live, with Geoffrey Harpham, Emeritus Director of the National Humanities Center.
Join Jayne Anne Phillips in conversation with her long-time editor at Knopf, Ann Close, on her haunting novel about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War, whose perilous circumstances lead them to a lunatic asylum in West Virginia. With meticulous research, Phillips has crafted a mesmerizing portrait of family suffering and endurance against the odds.
Jayne Anne Phillips is the author of six highly regarded novels.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
JEAN HANFF KORELITZ
TheSequel
2 p.m / $30
with Anne Blessing
RACHEL
CreationLake
4 p.m. / $30
Jean Hanff Korelitz discusses her latest novel, The Sequel, a gripping follow-up to The Plot (currently in development for a limited TV series). In what Stephen King describes as “insanely readable,” Korelitz continues the story of Anna WilliamsBonner, the widow of a successful writer who committed suicide and then goes on to become a bestseller, attracting nasty rumours about her past. Experience the psychological suspense and literary intrigue at the heart of this page-turning book that explores the nature of storytelling. She discusses her twisty new thriller with Anne Blessing, Charleston Literary Festival Board member.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
KUSHNER with Autumn Phillips
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024. Join Rachel Kushner as she discusses her wickedly funny and unnerving book, Creation Lake. A reimagination of the spy novel, it explores environmental destruction and the complexities of survival in a rapidly changing world. The novel revolves around an unlikely female spy tasked with infiltrating a group of eco-activists in rural France, where she follows a trail from Neanderthals to modernity. “A novel this brilliant and profound shouldn’t be so much fun,” —Hernan Diaz. She discusses her novel of espionage and ideas with Autumn Philipps, Post and Courier Editor at Large.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
ALLTHEBEAUTYINTHEWORLD
starring Patrick Bringley
DirectedbyDominicDromgoole
6:30 p.m. / $45
We’re excited to announce the world premier of the monologue play All The Beauty In The World by Patrick Bringley, adapted from his book of the same name. Directed by Dominic Dromgoole, Former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and produced by Charleston Literary Festival, with the help of Spoleto Festival USA, the play is a story of grief, healing, and the power of art. Prepare to be moved, enthralled and entertained.
FILM SCREENING
BROOKLYN
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
Starring Saorise Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters
“You have to think like an American. You’ll feel so homesick that you’ll want to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won’t kill you. And one day the sun will come out — you might not even notice straight away, it’ll be that faint.”
Brooklyn, adapted from Colm Tóibín’s novel, follows Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant in 1950s New York, as she navigates homesickness, love, and identity. Torn between two countries and two lives, she ultimately must choose one path forward. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film 2015, and was nominated for three Academy Awards.
COLM TÓIBÍN
LongIsland
12 p.m. / $30
with Bilal Qureshi
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
BIANCA BOSKER
GetThePicture
2 p.m. / $30
Celebrated author Colm Tóibín, currently Laureate for Irish Fiction, discusses his latest novel, Long Island, a sequel to his awardwinning novel Brooklyn, which reunites the reader with Eilis Lacey in the 1970s, as she returns to Ireland and tries to reconcile lost love with current reality. Set mainly in Enniscorthy, the small town in Ireland where Colm Tóibín was born and still has a home, the novel foregrounds some of the minor characters in Brooklyn. He discusses the themes of abandonment, loss, lust and denial in the novel with Bilal Qureshi, broadcaster, editor and critic.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
with Patrick Bringley
Join Bianca Bosker as she plunges deep inside the world of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators and, of course, artists themselves — the kind who work multiple jobs and let their paintings sleep soundly in the studio while they wake up covered in cat pee on a friend’s couch. Bosker details her experiences stretching canvases until her fingers blister, attending A-list parties full of billionaire art collectors, and staring at a single sculpture for an hour straight while working as a museum security guard — all on a journey to discover why art matters and what it does for us.
From ancient cave paintings to Instagram posts, Bianca Bosker will discuss art and its role in our lives with her friend, author and former museum guard at The Met, Patrick Bringley.
RAMIE TARGOFF
Shakespeare’sSisters
4 p.m. / $30
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
with Regina Marler
CATHERINE LACEY
BiographyOfX
6 p.m. / $10
Ramie Targoff, Professor of Humanities at Brandeis University, presents her groundbreaking book, Shakespeare’s Sisters. This illuminating work uncovers and celebrates the overlooked lives and contributions of women writers in Shakespeare’s era, offering fresh insights into their impact on literature and the challenges they faced and surmounted. Taking her cue from Virginia Woolf’s famous essay, A Room of One’s Own, Targoff refutes Woolf’s argument that the voice of Shakespeare’s mythical sister would have been suppressed. Ramie will be in conversation with Regina Marler, editor of the Letters of Vanessa Bell.
Biography of X, named one of The Great American Novels by The Atlantic, and “a Russian Doll of a book” by the Financial Times, is a novel disguised in biographical form. When “X”, an iconoclastic artist dies suddenly, her grief stricken widow begins to realize how little she knew the woman she loves. Together with Regina Marler, New York Review of Books essayist, Lacey will discusses the figure of the artist and how our own stories impact our experience of art.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
with Regina Marler
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
LOTTIE HAZELL
with Emmeline Clein Piglet
12 p.m. / $30
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
DEESHA PHILYAW
TheSecretLivesofChurchLadies
2 p.m / $30
As Piglet takes on the task of preparing an elaborate dessert for her wedding day, she is faced with the fact that, just days before the ceremony, her fiancé has confessed to a terrible secret. Lottie Hazell joins us to discuss her stunning, delicious début Piglet with literary critic Emmeline Clein. The pair will dive into the luscious world of Piglet and tease out the commentary that the novel has on our relationships with food, diet culture, and questions about what women are allowed to have an appetite for.
Deesha Philyaw joins us to discuss her acclaimed story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. These nine stories explore the inner lives of Black women—often caught between their religious upbringing and their personal desires. The collection highlights perceived tensions between tradition and freedom, creating a powerful and nuanced exploration of Black womanhood and spirituality.
Deesha Philyaw will be in conversation with Jeannelle Perkins, a psychotherapist and licensed family therapist who specializes in intimacy in Black relationships.
with Jeannelle Perkins
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
ILYON WOO
with Kim Long Master,Slave,Husband,Wife
4 p.m. / FREE
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCE
ALLTHEBEAUTYINTHEWORLD
starring Patrick Bringley DirectedbyDominicDromgoole
6:30 p.m. / $45
WINNER OF THE 2024 PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY. This event is our 3rd annual CHARLESTON READS! program: a city-wide reading initiative run in tandem with the Mayor’s Book Club. Ilyon Woo appear in conversation about her novel Master Slave Husband Wife — winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Biography — in a historic location with deep significance, The Dock Street Theatre. Woo’s book is the true story of Ellen and William Craft who pulled off one of the most dramatic escapes in U.S. history by performing, in broad daylight, as master and slave. In 1848, the couple fled in the early hours of the morning by train from Macon, Geogria. In Charleston, they stayed at the Planter’s Hotel, which today is the Dock Street Theatre. So, we will listen to the couple’s story in the exact building where they were hiding in plain sight 176 years ago.
We’re excited to announce the world premier of the monologue play All The Beauty In The World by Patrick Bringley, adapted from his book of the same name. Directed by Dominic Dromgoole, Former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and produced by Charleston Literary Festival, with the help of Spoleto Festival USA, the play is a story of grief, healing, and the power of art. Prepare to be moved, enthralled and entertained.
2024 contributors
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
Judy and Bernard Cornwell
Geraldine and Walter Fiederowicz
The McCausland Foundation, Bonnie and Peter McCausland
Thomas F. Taft Sr. and Kathleen Parramore
SUSTAINING SPONSORS
Summer and Clyde Anderson
Sarah Beardsley and Christopher Randolph
Lee Bell and Fotios Pantazis, Rodney B. & Marjorie S. Fink Foundation
Sam Easley and Jason Owen
Marion Cato
Elizabeth Hazard and Ted Dintersmith
Carol and Roch Hillenbrand
Michael Johnson
Teresa and Roger Jones
Deborah Kennedy Kennard and William Kennard
Dr. Ann Maners and Dr. Alex Pappas
Mrs. Peter Manigault
Leigh and John McNairy
Wenda Harris Millard and Jay Millard
Pallotta Family Foundation
EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
20 South Battery and Dr. Jack Schaeffer
Martha and Orton Jackson
Pat and James Marino
Richard Wilson and David Trachtenberg
SENIOR SPONSORS
Kay Bachmann
Joan Robinson Berry and Chris Berry
Laura Gates
Russell Holliday
Ala and Ralph Isham
Betsy and Rusty Kellogg
Sigrid and Mike Laughlin
Vickie and Pete Neighbour
Dr. Jeannelle Perkins-Muhammad
Peter R. and Cynthia K. Kellogg Foundation
John Rhodes
Anne and Ken Tidwell
PARTNER SPONSORS
Bessent-Freeman Family Foundation
Miranda Brooks and Stephen Webb
Christina and Ernst Bruderer
Jennifer Chestnut Comer
Donatella and Giulio Della Porta
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
E. Vernon Glenn
Guffrey Family Foundation
The Hubbell Difference Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Levy
Julie Bell Lindsay
Dr. Kim Cliett Long and Dr. Jonathan Green
Martha Rhodes McLendon
Caroline and Jerry Milbank
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation
Debora and Samuel Peretsman
Debbie and Jay Robison
Laura and Klaus Said
Tara Shannon
Peggy and Brian White
PREMIER SPONSORS
David Adams
Martie Adams
Almeida Foundation
Kamal Ayyildiz
Butter and Balint Birkas
Margie and Dick Bondy
June Bradham
Kathleen Brady and Bruce Lydiard
Margi and Bill Brenizer
Francine and Stephan Christiansen
Judy and Jim Cooper
Tanny Crane and John Wolff
Kathleen Cudahy
Missy and Andrew Dewing
Ann Dibble
Sheila and Paul Galvani
Anne and Neil Garfinkel
Belinda Gergel
Ruthann Granito
Barbara and Richard Hagerty
Elizabeth Hall
Elizabeth Hancock and Didi Summers
Dr. Elizabeth Harden and Dr. Richard Hoefer
Beth and Bill Hobbs
Deb and Mark Isaacs
Anne and Dick Keigher
Donald E. King
Monica Langley
Leilani Brown, LLC
Cindy Mabry
Debbie McRacken
Ann and Jerrold Mitchell
Ronda Muir
Nancy Noyes
Kathleen Parramore
Anne and Scott Perper
Dr. Linda Plunkett and Mr. Ron Plunkett
Emily J. Ramsay and Elizabeth S. Lipscomb
Susu Ravenel and Robert Kirby:
Kirby Family Foundation
Nicole Rubin
Nedenia Rumbough
Monica M. and Kenneth T. Seeger
Sally Self
Susan Simons and John Hagerty
Ellis and Matt Sisto
Alison Spear and Alex Reese
Anne Tinker and John Henderson
Jacqueline and Richard Trezza
Cindy and Richard Urquhart
Asha and Ravi Veeraswamy
Ellen and Chris White
Ann and Fred Willis
Barbara Wind
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
Dr. Renee D. and Mr. Ivan V. Anderson
Lyn and Paul Attaway
Charlotte Beers
Sandie and Archer Bishop
Drs. Anne and Bo Blessing
Patricia Bliss
A.B. Babanoury
Katherine Ford
Caroline Forgason
Frederick and Patricia Supper Foundation and Cynthia Chace
Lucinda and Benjamin Lenhardt, Jr.
Renee Levow
Sally Lovejoy
Terry Monell
Laura and Bruce Monrad
Emily Morrison
Nan and Tom Morrison
Dee Myers
Elizabeth and George Peper
Barbara Riordan
Jen and Patrick Robinson
Tyler Rollins
Darlene Shaw
Teri Siskind
Suzanne Togna and David Haythe
Victor C. Young
FRIENDS OF CLF
Jasmine Burns
Ellen M. Costello and Michael D. Judge
Kathleen Ferrell and Arthur Ferrell
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Fridholm
Deborah Gage
Kathryn Haas
Lewis McKee
Kitty and Randal Robinson
Peter Stonefield
UPS
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters. Without you, the festival would not be possible.
