During a two week stretch this September, University of Georgia Libraries will host three acclaimed authors (and some notable musicians) for fun, free events open to the community, as well as UGA students, faculty, and staff.
The first event celebrates Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Brandon Som and acclaimed Jordanian writer Siwar Masannat to campus to celebrate their recent publications with the Georgia Review Books, an imprint by the Georgia Review with the University of Georgia Press. Som's book Tripas was a finalist for the National Book Award before winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Masannat's book cue was released in the spring of 2024.
The reading, which has been named to the UGA Signature Lectures series, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16 in partnership with the Georgia Museum of Art in the museum’s auditorium. The event is part of the Asian American Literature Festival, a festival running in September with coordinated events happening across the world.
Requests for accommodations for those with disabilities should be made as soon as possible but at least 7 days prior to the scheduled event. To request an accommodation please notify Aria Curtis at garev@uga.edu.
Later the same week, the UGA Libraries will host a curator talk by Jason Thrasher, who curated an exhibition version of his 2017 photography book Athens Potluck, which showcases the lives of local musicians. The Hargrett Library event will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20 at the UGA Special Collections Libraries.
The next day, the UGA Press and Avid Bookshop will host a book launch for Thrasher’s new book, Murmur Trestle, featuring performances from many of the musicians featured in the exhibit. This ticketed event, which will benefit Nuci’s Space, will be held at the 40 Watt Club starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21.
The following week, author Barbara Brown Taylor will participate in a conversation about writing with musician John Bell of Widespread Panic. The event, held at the UGA Special Collections Libraries Building at 7 p.m. Sept. 26, will serve as the religion writer’s induction into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. Tickets are free but they are limited. Please make a reservation on the Libraries’ website.
For more information about the authors and the events, visit libs.uga.edu/events.