Pat Conroy Literary Center

Dana Ridenour Book Launch- All the Hidden Pieces
2026-09-05 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Saturday September 5, 5:00-7:00PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Refreshments will be served and space is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dana Ridenour is a retired FBI agent and the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery thriller series. Behind the Mask was named one of the best indie books of 2016 by Kirkus
Reviews, while Beyond the Cabin won the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller or suspense novel, and Below the Radar was the 2020 Readers’ Favorite gold-medal winner in
the thriller genre as well as the 2021 Feathered Quill Book Awards gold/first-place winner for best adult fiction. Dana has also written two television screenplays. Her screenplay for Below
the Radar was a finalist for an Atlanta International Screenplay Award.
An avid kayak angler and hiker, Dana lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she is working on her fifth novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Julia Chandler’s husband dies in a late-night car crash, grief and betrayal drive her to do something impulsive: hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Joined by three of her oldest friends, each carrying secrets of their own, Julia sets out to rediscover herself. What begins as an escape soon becomes a test of endurance, courage, and trust. As the friends tackle brutal climbs, raging storms, and dangerous wildlife encounters, they begin to shed the layers of guilt, fear, and regret that have long defined them. But when a heart-stopping accident
occurs on the trail, their strength and courage are pushed to the next level. From Georgia to Maine, each mile forces them to face the truths they’ve buried for years. An emotional, heart pounding story about the unbreakable bonds that carry us through life’s roughest miles and the transformative power of nature, All the Hidden Pieces invites readers to reflect on the hidden pieces we all carry and the beauty of finding wholeness again.

Author Event: An Evening with Susan Beckham Zurenda in Conversation with Cassandra King
2026-09-10 17:00 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Thursday September 10 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Her latest novel, No Way Out but Through, scheduled for August 2026, continues her exploration of Southern life and human connection. Two women of different generations—one scarred by an abusive teen marriage and the other by an alcoholic husband—come together to grapple with their inner demons and confront their untold stories.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Susan Beckham Zurenda- taught English for 33 years on the college level and at the high school level to AP students. Her debut novel, Bells for Eli (Mercer University Press, March 2020; paperback edition March 2021), was selected the first place winner for Best First Book—Fiction in the 2021 IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards), a Foreword Indie Book Award finalist, a Winter 2020 Okra Pick by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, a 2020 Notable Indie on Shelf Unbound, a 2020 finalist for American Book Fest Best Book Awards, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for 2021. Susan has won numerous awards for her short fiction, including winning the South Carolina Fiction Prize twice. Her second novel, The Girl From the Red Rose Motel (Mercer University Press, September 2023), was the recipient of the 2024 Patricia Winn Award in Southern Fiction, Gold Medal winner in the 2024 IPPY Awards for Southeast Fiction, a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, a Shelf Unbound 2023 Notable 100 books, and a finalist in the American Book Fest Awards. The author lives in Spartanburg, SC.
CASSANDRA KING- is the award-winning author of two books of non-fiction and five novels, Making Waves, The Sunday Wife, The Same Sweet Girls, Queen of Broken Hearts, and Moonrise, as well as numerous short stories and articles.The Sunday Wife was a Book Sense Pick and a People magazine Page Turner of the Week; on release, The Same Sweet Girls was the number one Book Sense selection nationwide. Queen of Broken Hearts, was a Book of the Month Club and Literary Guild selection. Her latest book, Tell Me a Story, was named SIBA’s non-fiction Book of the Year. In 2025, Cassandra was the recipient of the Harper Lee Prize, a lifetime achievement award presented by the Harper Lee Foundation. A native of L. A. (Lower Alabama), Cassandra resides in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she is honorary chair of the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

10th Annual Book Club Convention-Save the Date!
2026-09-26 10:00 - 18:00 | Beaufort, South Carolina, Beaufort, SC, US
Mark your calendars for the 10th Annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention, hosted by the Pat Conroy Literary Center, on September 25–26, 2026!
For ten years, book clubs, book lovers, authors, and literary friends have gathered to celebrate stories that connect us, inspire us, and spark unforgettable conversations. This milestone year promises engaging author discussions, memorable keynote speakers, opportunities to connect with fellow readers, and plenty of literary magic along the way.
Whether you’ve joined us from the beginning or this will be your very first convention, we can’t wait to celebrate a decade of books and community together.
📚 Save the dates: September 25–26, 2026
📍 More details and featured guests coming soon!

Author Event: Book Launch and Lowcountry Celebration with Author Lynn Seldon
2026-10-01 16:00 - 18:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Thursday October 1 – 4:00-6:00 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Refreshments from the Pat Conroy Cookbook will be served and space is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Join us for a book launch and lowcountry celebration in honor of Lynn Seldon’s new book:Pat Conroy’s Lowcountry.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Discover the landscapes, culture, and communities that shaped one of the South’s most beloved literary voices through an immersive journey across South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry. From the tidal marshes and historic streets of Charleston to the quiet charm of Beaufort, readers are invited to explore the places that inspired a lifetime of storytelling by Pat Conroy. This engaging history and travel narrative highlights the region’s rich heritage, coastal beauty, and vibrant culture while tracing the author’s deep personal connection to the communities he called home.
Follow the path through beloved Lowcountry destinations including Fripp Island, St. Helena Island, and Daufuskie Island―locations that appear frequently in Conroy’s novels and memoirs. The journey also explores formative chapters of his life, from his time as a cadet at The Citadel to his years teaching in Beaufort County schools and on remote coastal islands.
Blending literary history, regional storytelling, and practical travel inspiration, this richly detailed guide offers readers a unique perspective on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Along the way, it highlights historic landmarks, Gullah Geechee heritage, scenic waterways, renowned coastal cuisine, and authentic local experiences that continue to define this extraordinary region.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lynn Seldon is a veteran travel journalist who has written for Southern Living, Garden & Gun, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and hundreds of other print and online publications. He has also authored or coauthored more than a half dozen books, including 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die, 100 Things to Do in Charleston Before You Die, and 100 Things to Do in Savannah Before You Die (with Cele Seldon);
Our Vanishing Americana: A South Carolina Portrait (with Cele Seldon and Mike Lassiter); and Virginia’s Ring and Carolina’s Ring, the first two novels of his “Ring Trilogy.” Seldon’s friend and mentor Pat Conroy called Virginia’s Ring “a triumph and a tour de force,” while Cassandra King called Carolina’s Ring “an unforgettable story of love, loss, and redemption.” Seldon and his wife, fellow travel journalist Cele Seldon, live in Beaufort, South Carolina

11th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival
2026-10-22 17:00 - 2026-10-25 16:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Go ahead and hold the dates.
The 11th Annual Conroy Festival will be held on Thursday October 22,through Sunday, October 25, as a series of free and ticketed events in Beaufort, SC, featuring author discussions, writers workshops, poetry readings, a screening of one of a film adaptation of one of Pat’s beloved novels, and more.
Held in locations throughout Beaufort and surrounding lowcountry, this is sure to be an amazing journey.
