Charleston Literary Festival Unveils First Group of 14 World-Class Authors for November Line-up

Charleston Literary Festival Unveils First Group of 14 World-Class Authors for November Line-up

The Charleston Literary Festival, a cornerstone of Charleston’s cultural and intellectual scene, released the first batch of authors to grace their stage at this year’s festival. Spanning from November 1st to November 10th, the event will take place at Dock Street Theatre in downtown Charleston, offering a line-up of over 35 renowned authors.

Authors Announced

The first 14 authors released include literary giants like Nikki Giovanni, Colm Tóibín, Jayne Anne Phillips, and more, reflecting a rich tapestry of narratives and experiences. This preliminary announcement does not yet include all participating authors for the 2024 festival – the full list of over 35 authors and the sale of all tickets will begin in the first week of September.

The Diverse Line-up

The participants of the Charleston Literary Festival are renowned for their literary works, and their upcoming presentations at the festival promise to be just as exciting. Colm Tóibín, with an international reputation for his powerful emotional narratives, will discuss his latest novel, Long Island, a sequel to his award-winning book, Brooklyn.

Recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for 2024, author Jayne Anne Phillips will engage in a discussion about her novel, Night Watch, a gripping tale of a mother-daughter survival during the aftermath of the Civil War.

Taking its place in the Charleston READS! program for its third year is the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Master, Slave, Husband, Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo.

In an interesting pairing, the festival will feature cultural critic and author Emmeline Clein in conversation with debut writer Lottie Hazell about Hazell’s novel Piglet and its literary depictions of food and disordered eating.

Partnership and Mission

This year, the festival is aligning its mission of fostering diverse literary excellence and innovation with the International African American Museum. This strategic partnership underscores the festival’s commitment to illuminate untold stories of the African American experience. Their collaboration will feature acclaimed poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, known for articulating the African American experience in the 1960s and 1970s through her poetry.

Commitment to Free Exchange of Ideas

With rising instances of book bans and censorship, the Charleston Literary Festival remains steadfast in its commitment to the free exchange of ideas and open conversations. This theme anchors the festival and is central to James Shapiro’s work, The Playbook: A Story of Theatre, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War, where he draws parallels between the emergence of a culture war surrounding the Federal Theatre Project in the 1930s and our present cultural milieu.

Tickets and Information

For those interested in attending the festival, a limited number of Early Bird All Session Access Passes are currently available for purchase. The full roster of authors and ticket sales for all sessions will be released in the first week of September. For further updates and festival-related information, please visit the Charleston Literary Festival’s official website.

About Charleston Literary Festival

The Charleston Literary Festival is an annual event focused on promoting literary excellence on an international scale. By connecting readers and thinkers with a wide range of quality speakers, the Festival aims to champion the power of excellent writing, ideas, and the free exchange of thoughts. The festival also celebrates its eighth year of serving as a platform for people to convene, converse, and experience the transformative power of books and ideas.