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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T093000
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SUMMARY:Monthly Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
DESCRIPTION:On the first Saturday of every month\, you can join the student volunteers of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization for a Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd.). In collaboration with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, high school and college student volunteers from the Beaufort-based chapters of DAYLO gather at the gazebo in Naval Heritage Park from 9:30 a.m. to noon to read diverse\, inclusive picture books to children and their families\, inspiring a love of stories\, books\, reading\, and peer-to-peer mentoring.  \nCozy blankets\, a plethora of stuffed animals\, and some snacks help the students make a welcoming environment in this free community literacy program. Several times a year\, National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman also joins in for Read with a Ranger\, a literacy and art project thematically connected to the missions of DAYLO\, the Conroy Center\, and the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.  \nDAYLO is a student-led diversity themed book club and community service group founded at Beaufort High School and now with chapters across South Carolina. Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/DAYLOBFT. \nThe Pat Conroy Literary Center is a nonprofit interpretive and learning center advancing the legacy of beloved\, bestselling writer\, educator\, and mentor Pat Conroy (1945-2016)\, author of The Water Is Wide\, The Great Santini\, The Prince of Tides\, and more. Learn more at: www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/monthly-teddy-bear-picnic-read-aloud-with-daylo-6/
LOCATION:Port Royal Farmers Market
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T183000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224514Z
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SUMMARY:An Evening with Elaine Neil Orr\, Author of Dancing Woman\, in Conversation with Bren McClain
DESCRIPTION:NeverMore Books and the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with visiting novelist Elaine Neil Orr\, author of Dancing Woman\, in conversation with fellow novelist Bren McClain\, award-winning author of One Good Mama Bone. Free and open to public\, this in-person event will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) on Tuesday\, October 7\, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.\, with books available for sale and signing through NeverMore Books. Seating is limited; please call the store to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025. \nABOUT THE BOOK\nElaine Neil Orr\, born in Nigeria to expat parents\, brings us an indelible portrait of a young female artist\, torn between two men and two cultures\, struggling to find her passion and her purpose. It’s 1963 and Isabel Hammond is an expat who has accompanied her agriculture aid worker husband to Nigeria\, where she is hoping to find inspiration for her art and for her life. Then she meets charismatic local singer Bobby Tunde\, and they share a night of passion that could upend everything. Seeking solace and distraction\, she returns to her painting and her home in a rural town where she plants a lemon tree and unearths an ancient statue buried in her garden. She knows that the dancing female figure is not hers to keep\, yet she is reluctant to give it up\, and soon\, she notices other changes that make her wonder what the dancing woman might portend. \nAgainst the backdrop of political unrest in Nigeria\, Isabel’s personal situation also becomes precarious. She finds herself in the center of a tide of suspicion\, leaving her torn between the confines of her domestic life and the desire to immerse herself in her art and in the culture that surrounds her. The expat society\, the ancient Nigerian culture\, her beautiful family\, and even the statue hidden in a back room—each trouble and beguile Isabel. Amid all of this\, can she finally become who she wants to be? \n“Sure to become a popular book club pick.”—Southern Review of Books \n“Brimming with vivid description\, deeply rooted in time and place\, and with a fascinating cast of complicated\, enigmatic characters\, Dancing Woman is ultimately a story of longing—for a sense of self\, community\, redemption\, and healing—and a profound exploration of the transformative power of art in its many forms.”—Charles Frazier\, Cold Mountain and The Trackers \n“The urgency of protagonist Isabell Hammond’s voice and her desires mixed with the dreaminess and other-worldliness of the setting creates a singularly spellbinding and original read. I literally could not put this book down!”—Lee Smith\, Silver Alert and The Last Girls \nABOUT THE AUTHOR\nThe author of six books\, Elaine Neil Orr was born and grew up among the forests and rivers of Southwestern Nigeria. Her explorations of home and exile and spiritual connection are rooted in those rich formative years. She comes to the American South by way of that other South in West Africa. After devoting herself to literary scholarship in the early part of her career\, Elaine could no longer resist the call of creative writing. She first published a memoir\, Gods of Noonday: A White Girl’s African Life\, followed by two novels\, A Different Sun and Swimming Between Worlds\, finalist for the 2019 Phillip H. McMath Post-Publication Book Award in fiction. Dancing Woman is her third novel. \nElaine has received numerous prizes and awards\, including most recently the 2023 John Ehle Prize\, North Carolina Literary Review\, and the 2021 Denny C. Plattner Award in Creative Writing\, Appalachian Review. She has won grants from the NEH\, the North Carolina Arts Council\, and North Carolina Humanities. Elaine received her Ph.D. from Emory University and is Professor of English at North Carolina State University. She also serves on the faculty of the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing. She lives in Raleigh\, North Carolina\, with her husband\, Andy\, and their beloved pup\, Sam. \nABOUT THE INTERVIEWER\nBren McClain’s critically acclaimed debut novel One Good Mama Bone won the 2017 Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction and the 2018 Patricia Winn Award for Southern Literature. It was also named Pulpwood Queen 2017 Book of the Year\, a 2017 Great Group Reads by the Women’s National Book Association\, a Southeastern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA) Okra pick\, longlisted for SIBA’s Southern Book Prize and a finalist for the 2018 Crook’s Corner Prize. Most recently\, the French translation (retitled Mama Red) was selected for the 2021 Prix Maya\, an award given for France’s best animal novel. Bren is now working on her next novel\, which has already received the gold medal for the William Faulkner Novel-in-Progress. Bren hails from upstate South Carolina\, Anderson\, where her novel is set.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-elaine-neil-orr-author-of-dancing-woman-in-conversation-with-bren-mcclain/
LOCATION:Pat Conroy Literary Center
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T193000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
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SUMMARY:Open Mic Night--Featuring Debut Novelist Mary J. Nestor\, Author of Bus No. 7
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday\, October 9\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured novelist will be Mary J. Nestor\, author of Bus No. 7. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author\nMary J. Nestor attended Marquette University in Wisconsin\, and has a bachelor of Business Administration from Washington Adventist University. She has previously published a children’s book\, Emily’s Best Birthday Party Ever! Her career as a manager\, consultant\, and human resources director inspired her second book\, Say It Now! Say It Right! How to Handle Tough and Tender Conversations. Nestor enrolled in a writer’s conference in 2016\, resulting in Bus No. 7\, a finalist in the Novel-In-Progress category of the 2022 William Faulkner Literary Competition.\nNestor lives on Hilton Head Island\, where she also sings with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Hilton Head Choral Society. \n“Mary Nestor’s debut novel introduces a collection of unsavory and dangerous characters that sweep the reader into a dark landscape of crime and addiction where even the savvy detective has to play catch-up. Bus No. 7 has readers wondering—what awaits when they turn the next page?”—Karen Dove Barr\, author of Burnt Pot Island  \n“Bus No. 7 is an action-packed ride filled with high-voltage suspense and characters who aren’t always what they seem. The twists and turns in this edgy thriller had me riveted past my bedtime. Mary J. Nestor is a masterful storyteller\, and I hope she’s writing a sequel.”—Helen P. Bradley\, author of Breach of Trust
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-debut-novelist-mary-j-nestor-author-of-bus-no-7/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
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SUMMARY:Let Freedom Read Day at Witness Tree Park
DESCRIPTION:“Here is all I ask of a book- give me everything. Everything\, and don’t leave out a single word.”—Pat Conroy\, My Reading Life \nUpdate: Due to weather\, this event will be held inside the Conroy Center. \nOn Let Freedom Read Day\, Saturday\, October 11\, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the South Carolina chapter of Authors Against Book Bans\, and the DAYLO student book club will host a reading at Witness Tree Park from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Honoring the final day of Banned Books Week\, this special event will feature brief readings by local writers and students from frequently challenged and banned books as well as works about pro-literacy advocacy\, and original works responding to censorship and erasures. Scheduled to appear: novelist Rebecca Dwight Bruff\, poet Tim Conroy\, essayist Jonathan Haupt\, poet Miho Kinnas\, memoirist Carol Lucas\, poet Susan Madison\, poet Jacquelyn Markham\, novelist Valerie Sayers\, and DAYLO. \nWitness Tree Park is located across King Street from the Conroy Center’s location at 601 Bladen Street in Beaufort. The Center and DAYLO will also host the monthly Silent Book Club Beaufort meet-up that same afternoon\, afterwards from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/let-freedom-read-day-at-witness-tree-park/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T183000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
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SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort
DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will meet on Saturday\, October 11\, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization). \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book.  \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome.  \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-2/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T183000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
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SUMMARY:Lowcountry Writers' Symposium: Fundraiser Supporting P.E.O.
DESCRIPTION:The Lowcountry Writers’ Symposium is now an annual event—supporting P.E.O.\, an organization with a mission to motivate\, educate\, and celebrate women through scholarships\, grants\, loans\, and stewardship. This year’s event will feature a conversation between poet Tim Conroy\, travel writers Lynn and Cele Seldon\, and biographer Nancy Thode\, in conversation with Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. Books by all of the writers will be available for sale and signing through NeverMore Books.  \nThis special event will be held on Wednesday\, October 15\, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Park House at Habersham (2 Habersham Park\, Beaufort). Advance registration required: $50/person\, includes complimentary wine and charcuterie. For tickets\, please contact P.E.O. directly at ChapterAMpeoSC@gmail.com.  \nAbout the Authors \nTim Conroy\, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route\, is a former special educator. His poems have been included in numerous journals\, compilations\, and anthologies. His poems often explore themes of family and nature\, incorporating philosophical elements. In 2022\, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines\, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center\, established in his brother’s honor\, Tim recently moved with his wife Terrye to the beautiful town of Beaufort\, South Carolina. \nTravel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon have spent more than 30 years capturing the world through words and photography for hundreds of magazine\, newspaper\, and online features\, specializing in culinary\, cruise\, and adventure travel. They have co-authored several guidebooks\, including 100 Things to Do in Charleson Before You Die\, 100 Things to Do in Savannah Before You Die\, and their new book\, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die. Lynn is also a published novelist and was mentored by Pat Conroy. \nNancy Thode is the author of Ahead of Her Time\, a biography honoring her mother Ann Head’s enduring literacy legacy as author and as a mentor to Pat Conroy. A Beaufort native and longtime psychotherapist\, Nancy is passionate about community theater and fellowship\, dividing her time between Connecticut and Fripp Island. Ahead of Her Time is her debut book.  \nAbout the Interviewer \nJonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press\, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy\, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. Under Jonathan’s leadership\, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark\, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum\, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/lowcountry-writers-symposium-fundraiser-supporting-p-e-o/
LOCATION:2 Habersham Park\, Beaufort\, SC 29906-9130\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T190000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
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SUMMARY:Pat Conroy as Nature Writer -- Presented by Jonathan Haupt & Tim Conroy
DESCRIPTION:“My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of an indrawn tide.”—Pat Conroy\, The Prince of Tides \nAn encore presentation! Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and poet Tim Conroy will discuss the nature writing of Pat Conroy\, the bestselling author of The Water Is Wide\, The Great Santini\, The Prince of Tides\, and more. From his obscure boyhood poetry to his beloved lyrical adult prose\, Conroy wrote about the beauty of our natural world as both wondrous and perilous\, using the lowcountry not only as a setting but as the central character of his many books. This presentation will highlight representative examples of Conroy’s nature writing from across the span of his writing life\, drawing attention to how Conroy’s relationship with nature is also ultimately a relationship with his deeply felt spiritual and humanistic faith.  \nThe presenters will be assisted by students from DAYLO (the Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, who will be reading from Pat Conroy’s work and sharing some original creative pieces in response.  \nThis event will be held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center (310 Okatie Hwy) on Tuesday\, October 21\, at 5:30 p.m. $10/person. To register\, visit portroyalsoundfoundation.org and click the orange “Book A Program” button. \nAbout Our Presenters\nJonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press\, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy\, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. Under Jonathan’s leadership\, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark\, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum\, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership. \nTim Conroy\, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route\, is a poet and retired educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines\, Blue Mountain Review\, Jasper Magazine\, Marked by the Water\, Sheltered\, Twelve Mile Review\, Poetry on the Comet\, The Post and Courier\, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth\, DWG Anthology\, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022\, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines\, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/pat-conroy-as-nature-writer-presented-by-jonathan-haupt-tim-conroy/
LOCATION:Port Royal Sound Foundation\, 310 Okatie Hwy\, Okatie\, SC\, 29909\, US
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251023T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251026T160000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
UID:10001369-1761220800-1761494400@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Tenth Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival
DESCRIPTION:“I’ve come home to the place I was always writing about. I’ve tried to make Beaufort\, South Carolina my own.”—Pat Conroy\, The Death of Santini \nHosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, this year’s Tenth Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival will celebrate Pat Conroy’s 80th birthday with a weekend of special events featuring author panels\, book signings\, workshops\, readings\, tours\, exhibits\, and gatherings. \nFEATURING BESTSELLING AUTHORS: Adriana Trigiani (The View from Lake Como)\, Patti Callahan Henry (The Story She Left Behind)\, National Book Award Winner Jason Mott (People Like Us)\, Chris Pavone (The Doorman)\, Chris Whitaker (All the Colors of the Dark)\, John Hart (The Unwilling) and more \nCELEBRATE PAT CONROY AT 80 with Conroy’s family\, friends\, and fellow lowcountry authors: Cassandra King\, Tim Conroy\, Valerie Sayers\, John Warley\, Cliff Graubart\, Bernie Schein\, Stephanie Austin Edwards\, Ellen Malphrus\, and Lynn & Cele Seldon — plus special festival guest\, Academy Award-nominated actor Michael O’Keefe (scheduled to appear) \nThe Pat Conroy Literary Festival is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of the Robert S. Handler Charitable Trust; the South Carolina Arts Commission; Apollon Wealth Management; Publix Super Markets Charities; Bank of America Private Bank; Oyster Cay Collection; Rebecca Dwight Bruff\, Author; Gilbert Law Firm; Bay Street Jewelers; Lynn & Wheeler\, CPAs\, PA; Carolina Air\, Inc.; Lowcountry Real Estate; Eugene A. Rugala & Associates; Palmetto State Bank; Alice and Gene Howard; Alphagraphics; Lowcountry Weekly; the Rhett Gallery; the Beaufort Bookstore; and NeverMore Books. \n~ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ~ \nTHURSDAY\, OCTOBER 23\nNoon to 4:00 p.m. TOURS: Pat Conroy Literary Center open to the public for guided tours. Free. (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) \n5:30-8:00 p.m. Fundraiser event with special guest Academy Award-nominated actor Michael O’Keefe at Tidalholm\, benefiting the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center — with catering by Debbi Covington and appearances by festival authors and friends. $500+/person https://conroyfest2025previewparty.eventbrite.com \nFRIDAY\, OCTOBER 24\n10:00 to 11:30 a.m. WORKSHOP: Firing the Clay poetry workshop with Tim Conroy\, Susan Madison\, and special guest Michael O’Keefe. $60/person (Conroy Center\, 601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Register: https://firingtheclayworkshop2.eventbrite.com \n11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. TOUR & TASTINGS: Taste of the Lowcountry Crawl walking tour led by Lynn and Cele Seldon. $75/person (Meet at McIntosh Book Shoppe\, Beaufort) Register: https://tasteofthelowcountrycrawl.eventbrite.com \nNoon to 4:00 p.m. TOURS: Pat Conroy Literary Center open to the public for guided tours. Free. (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) \n12:30 to 2:00 p.m. WORKSHOP: Thriller Writers Playbook led by John Hart with Sean A. Scapellato. $75/person (Conroy Center\, 601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Register: https://thethrillerwritersplaybook.eventbrite.com \n2:00 to 3:00 p.m. POETRY IN THE PARK: Tim Conroy\, Susan Madison\, Jacquelyn Markham\, Jason Mott\, Brea Parker\, and more. Free. (Witness Tree Park\, across King Street from the Conroy Center\, 601 Bladen St.) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n5:00 to 6:30 p.m. AUTHOR EVENT: National Book Award winner Jason Mott (People Like Us) in conversation with DAYLO on the Air podcast hosts Emily Alaia and Hernando Rizo\, with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. $10/person. (Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce\, 711 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \nSATURDAY\, OCTOBER 25\n10:00 to 11:00 a.m. AUTHOR EVENT: Pat Conroy at 80 panel\, moderated by USC Beaufort Writer in Residence Ellen Malphrus\, in conversation with authors Stephanie Austin Edwards\, Cliff Graubart\, Valerie Sayers\, Bernie Schein\, and John Warley. $25/person. (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts\, 805 Carteret St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n11:30 to 12:30 p.m. AUTHOR EVENT: Writing for the Thrill of It All panel\, moderated by Conroy Center board chair Sean A. Scapellato\, in conversation with bestselling writers John Hart (The Unwilling)\, Chris Whitaker (All the Colors of the Dark)\, and Chris Pavone (The Doorman). $25/person. (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts\, 805 Carteret St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. FOOD TRUCK: Grub by Jay’s. (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts\, 805 Carteret St.\, Beaufort) \nNoon to 4:00 p.m. TOURS: Pat Conroy Literary Center open to the public for guided tours. Free. (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) \n12:30 to 2:00 p.m. WORKSHOP: Walking and Writing\, led by Valerie Sayers $50/person (Conroy Center\, 601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Register: https://walkingandwriting.eventbrite.com \n2:00 to 3:00 p.m. AUTHOR EVENT: Lowcountry Literary Ladies panel with bestselling authors Patti Callahan Henry (The Story She Left Behind) and Conroy Center honorary chair Cassandra King (Tell Me a Story)\, moderated by Lowcountry Weekly editor Margaret Evans. $25/person (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts\, 805 Carteret St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n3:30 to 4:30 p.m. PUBLISHING EVENT: Join New York Times bestselling author Chris Pavone (The Doorman) in conversation with literary agent Marly Rusoff and publishing executive Sara Nelson\, (senior VP and executive editor of Harper Collins) as they engage in a wide-ranging discussion of the art\, the craft\, and the business of writing and publishing today. $25/person. (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts\, 805 Carteret St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n5:00 to 7:00 p.m. RECEPTION: Join us at the Pat Conroy Literary Center after hours to meet and mingle with festival authors and friends. Wine and refreshments. $40/person. (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \nSUNDAY\, OCTOBER 26\nNoon to 2:00 p.m. AUTHOR BRUNCH featuring Adriana Trigiani and the Beaufort Mass Choir. Join us for a gospel brunch featuring a performance by the Beaufort Mass Choir and a discussion with bestselling author Adriana Trigiani (The View from Lake Como)\, with catering by Her Table — and an 80th birthday cake for Pat Conroy. Registration fee also includes a copy of The View from Lake Como and a donation in support of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center’s annual Camp Conroy and annual Storybuilders program at Lady’s Island Elementary School. $125/person. (Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce\, 711 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) Followed by a book signing. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \nNoon to 4:00 p.m. TOURS: Pat Conroy Literary Center open to the public for guided tours. Free. (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) \n~ FRIDAY & SATURDAY FESTIVAL PASS: $125 (a $25 savings)\, includes all author presentation events on Friday (Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce) & Saturday (USC Beaufort Center for the Arts) + Saturday evening reception (Pat Conroy Literary Center). Does not include any Thursday or Sunday events\, any writers workshops\, or the Taste of the Lowcountry Crawl\, all of which can be reserved separately. Register: https://patconroyliteraryfestival2025.eventbrite.com \n~STUDENTS: All author events at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce on Friday\, 10/24\, at the USC Beaufort Center for the Arts on Saturday\, 10/25\, are free to high school and college students with student IDs.  \nwww.patconroyliterarycenter.org
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/tenth-annual-pat-conroy-literary-festival/
LOCATION:Beaufort\, South Carolina\, Beaufort\, SC\, US
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251026T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251026T170000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
UID:10001368-1761490800-1761498000@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Pat Conroy's Great Love of Poetry
DESCRIPTION:On Pat Conroy’s 80th birthday\, Sunday\, October 26\, at 3:00-5:00 p.m.\, join Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt at Village Social of Habersham for an engaging exploration of Pat Conroy’s lifelong relationship with poetry as a reader\, as a self-described “failed poet\,” and as a writer who found a creative outlet for his Great Love of poetry in his lyrical and descriptive prose. Through discussion of Pat’s teachers\, mentors\, and favorite poets\, and through published and unpublished writings spanning the breadth of his life\, this presentation fosters a new appreciation for Conroy’s admiration of poetry\, his dedication to the writing craft\, and the myriad ways in which poetry shines through his storied prose. \n– – –\nBy popular demand\, this program is now being offered twice: October 26 AND 27.\n– – – \nThe $25 registration fee includes the presentation\, refreshments\, and a donation in support of the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. Register in advance for this event and others in this series at\nhttps://www.villagesocialhabersham.net/upcoming-events \nAbout Our Presenter:\nJonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press\, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy\, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. He has been honored with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award\, and the South Carolina Association of School Librarians President’s Award. Under Jonathan’s leadership\, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark\, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum\, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership. With Claire Bennett\, Jonathan also serves as co-mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization\, who in turn have been recognized with a national commendation from the American Association of School Librarians\, the South Carolina Education Association’s Richard W. Riley Award for Human and Civil Rights\, and an honorable mention for the South Carolina Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Award.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/pat-conroys-great-love-of-poetry-2/
LOCATION:21A-1 Market Street. Beaufort\, SC 29906
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22989_image_539189321_1192600979568041_8221231723787057953_n.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251027T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251027T200000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
UID:10001367-1761588000-1761595200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Pat Conroy's Great Love of Poetry
DESCRIPTION:On Monday\, October 27\, at 6:00-8:00 p.m.\, join Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt at Village Social of Habersham for an engaging exploration of Pat Conroy’s lifelong relationship with poetry as a reader\, as a self-described “failed poet\,” and as a writer who found a creative outlet for his Great Love of poetry in his lyrical and descriptive prose. Through discussion of Pat’s teachers\, mentors\, and favorite poets\, and through published and unpublished writings spanning the breadth of his life\, this presentation fosters a new appreciation for Conroy’s admiration of poetry\, his dedication to the writing craft\, and the myriad ways in which poetry shines through his storied prose. \n– – –\nBy popular demand\, this program is now being offered twice: October 26 AND 27.\n– – – \nThe $25 registration fee includes the presentation\, refreshments\, and a donation in support of the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. Register in advance for this event and others in this series at\nhttps://www.villagesocialhabersham.net/upcoming-events \nAbout Our Presenter:\nJonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press\, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy\, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. He has been honored with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award\, and the South Carolina Association of School Librarians President’s Award. Under Jonathan’s leadership\, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark\, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum\, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership. With Claire Bennett\, Jonathan also serves as co-mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization\, who in turn have been recognized with a national commendation from the American Association of School Librarians\, the South Carolina Education Association’s Richard W. Riley Award for Human and Civil Rights\, and an honorable mention for the South Carolina Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Award.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/pat-conroys-great-love-of-poetry/
LOCATION:21A-1 Market Street. Beaufort\, SC 29906
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22857_image_531751420_1178453480982791_3309228533673040772_n.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251028T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251028T183000
DTSTAMP:20260506T191558
CREATED:20260427T134523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T224513Z
UID:10001366-1761670800-1761676200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelist Carla Damron\, Author of The Weird Girl
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with award-winning novelist Carla Damron\, author of The Weird Girl\, on Tuesday\, October 28\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Damron will be in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and DAYLO student leader E Achurch. Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025. \nABOUT THE WEIRD GIRL\n“A riveting read that will fill you with outrage and hope.”—Catherine Matthews\, author of Releasing the Reins \nAward-winning social worker turned award-winning novelist Carla Damron writes crime fiction to make a difference—humanistic cautionary tales populated by believably engaging characters confronting real-world dilemmas.  \nThe Weird Girl heralds the return of Georgia Thayer\, the social worker protagonist of Damron’s 2022 novel The Orchid Tattoo\, winner of the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence. Georgia has spent her career fighting for the vulnerable\, but nothing could prepare her for being a foster mom to Tessa—a teenager haunted by her traumatic past. Determined to give her a normal life\, Georgia’s hopes are crushed when a neighborhood party spirals into disaster\, leaving one girl fighting for her life and another who vanishes without a trace. \nAs Georgia undertakes a frantic search for the missing girl\, she uncovers a dangerous fentanyl trade that snakes from hospital emergency rooms to high school hallways to the darkest corners of her city. She is up against a charismatic candidate for attorney general and a ruthless drug kingpin\, two powerful men willing to use lethal means to bury their secrets. \nWith her chosen family threatened\, her faith in herself shaken\, and an unexpected ally emerging from the shadow\, Georgia’s efforts to save one girl puts her own in danger. The clock is ticking. The truth is deadly. And every second lost could mean another life destroyed. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR\nCarla Damron is a fiction writer and social worker. Her first Georgia Thayer novel\, The Orchid Tattoo\, won a 2023 PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence. Damron is also the author of The Stone Necklace\, which winner of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s Star Award for best novel\, and of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels: Keeping Silent\, Spider Blue\, and Death in Zooville. Her novels explore social issues like addiction\, homelessness\, mental illness\, and human trafficking.Her short stories have appeared in Fall Lines\, Six Minute Magazine\, Melusine\, In Posse Review\, and other journals. In 2014\, Damron was recognized as the South Carolina Social Worker of the Year\, and in 2017\, she was honored with the Pioneer Award by the University of South Carolina College of Social Work for her advocacy on the state and national levels. She holds a Master in Social Work (USC) and an MFA in creative writing from Queens University. She lives and writes in Columbia\, South Carolina.  \nABOUT THE INTERVIEWERS\nJonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press\, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy\, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Charleston Post and Courier and a mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization. \nE Achurch is junior at the Complete Student\, where she is founding president of her school’s chapter of DAYLO: The Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization. She is a counselor for the Conroy Center’s Camp Conroy summer writing and art program and a past participant in the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities summer program.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelist-carla-damron-author-of-the-weird-girl/
LOCATION:Pat Conroy Literary Center
CATEGORIES:Other
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