When: Friday September 27, 2024 5:00-7:00 pm EDT and Saturday, September 28, 2024 10:00 am – 3:00 pm EDT
Where:Friday: Technical College of the Lowcountry, Bldg 12, 104 Reynolds St., Beaufort | Saturday: Culinary Institute of the South | 1 Venture Dr, Bluffton, SC 29910
Registration: Eventbrite
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host the 8th annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention on Friday, September 27, at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort, and Saturday, September 28, at the Culinary Institute of the South at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Bluffton. Ideal for book club members, those interested in joining a book club, or anyone who simply loves the joy of reading, the Lowcountry Book Club Convention is made possible in part the support of the Pulpwood Queens Books Club.
The Lowcountry Book Club Convention will begin on Friday evening with a panel discussion among four authors: novelist Virginia Hall-Apicella (Even a Sparrow), journalist Michael DeWitt (The Fall of the House of Murdaugh), novelist Pete Masalin (Military Brat), and novelist Kim Poovey (Shadows of the War). Moderated by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt, this opening session will be followed by a book signing and reception, catered by Debbi Covington. This is a ticketed event, held in bldg 12 of Beaufort’s TCL campus (104 Reynolds St., Beaufort).
The Convention continues on Saturday at the Culinary Institute of the South in Bluffton (1 Venture Dr.), with three author keynote conversations and gourmet box lunches catered by Debbi Covington. This year’s keynote authors are award-winning novelist Kimberly Brock (The Fabled Earth), award-winning public school librarian Amanda Jones (That Librarian), and award-winning novelist Rhonda McKnight (The Thing About Home). Each author discussion will be followed by a book signing. This is a ticketed event.
Registration: Eventbrite
Website: Facebook Event Page
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, September 27 — TCL bldg 12, Beaufort
5:00-6:00 p.m. Local author panel discussion, featuring novelist Virginia Hall-Apicella (Even a Sparrow), journalist Michael DeWitt (The Fall of the House of Murdaugh), novelist Pete Masalin (Military Brat), and novelist Kim Poovey (Shadows of the War)
6:00-7:00 p.m. Book signing and reception, catered by Debbi Covington
Saturday, September 28 — Culinary Institute of the South, Bluffton
9:30-10:00 a.m. Check-in Begins
10:00-11:00 a.m. Keynote conversation with award-winning novelist Kimberly Brock, author of The Fabled Earth
11:00-11:30 a.m. Book signing break
11:30-12:30 p.m. Keynote conversation with award-winning public school librarian Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian
12:30-1:30 p.m. Book signing break & lunch: gourmet box lunches, catering by Debbi Covington. (Register by September 22 for lunch)
1:30-2:30 p.m. Keynote conversation with award-winning novelist Rhonda McKnight, author of The Thing About Home
2:30-3:00 p.m. Final book signing break
About the Featured Authors
Kimberly Brock is the bestselling author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Townsend Prize for Fiction, and The River Witch, recipient of the Georgia Author of the Year Award. Brock is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and national writing workshops including at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. A native of North Georgia, she now lives near Atlanta. Her latest novel, The Fabled Earth, will be published on October 1:
“The Fabled Earth is a brilliantly layered, unforgettable story of memory, myth, and found family. Off the coast of Georgia, on Cumberland Island, three separate women search for belonging in the wake of incomprehensible loss. Weaving a stunning Southern landscape, Gilded Age glamour, and the societal turmoil of the late 1950s, Brock takes readers on an epic journey that conjures the longing of forgotten youth while simultaneously reminding us of its dangers. I have never read a novel where the author’s love of storytelling shines more brightly than this one.”–Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Matchmaker’s Gift
Amanda Jones has been an educator for 23 years, at the same middle school she attended as a child. She has served as president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians and won numerous awards for her work in school libraries, including School Library Journal Librarian of the Year. A sought-after keynote speaker, Amanda is a frequent volunteer for state and national library associations, as well as a co-founder of the Livingston Parish Library Alliance and founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. She lives in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
That Librarian is her first book: “[Jones] is frank, open, emotionally raw, and unwavering. What she endured is every librarian’s worst nightmare, yet she perseveres, offering tips and playbooks for how readers can defend books about LGBTQIA+ topics of interest, sexual health, and more in their own public libraries. A must-read in order to understand the deep and lasting impact of online smear campaigns and enduring need to stand up for books. Jones is an inspiration to everyone combating book bans and her memoir/guidebook should be available to all to help us defend our right to read.” –Booklist (Starred Review)
Rhonda McKnight is the author of several bestselling novels, including An Inconvenient Friend and What Kind of Fool. She is the winner of the 2015 Emma Award for Inspirational Romance of the Year. She loves reading and writing books that touch the heart of women through complex plots and interesting characters in crisis. Themes of faith, forgiveness, and hope are central to her stories. Originally from a small coastal town in New Jersey, Rhonda writes from the comfort of her South Carolina home.
The Thing About Home is her most recent novel: “In this zippy outing from McKnight, a humiliated social media influencer rediscovers her roots . . . McKnight lays out some vivid lowcountry history, and her fully realized characters ring true.”–Publishers Weekly
FEATURED LOCAL AUTHORS
Virginia Hall-Apicella
Michael Dewitt
Pete Masalin
Kim Poovey
