Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 7:00 pm at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion and Planetarium, Centerport, NY
Tickets are $50 and include a signed book, author talk, audience Q&A, and photo op
Join us for an exclusive New York appearance by New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, when she comes to the historic, 43-acre Vanderbilt Estate, Museum and Planetarium for a chat in the exquisite outdoor courtyard* overlooking the Long Island Sound. Picoult will be talking about her latest work, By Any Other Name, a novel about two women, centuries apart – one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays – who are both forced to hide behind another name.
Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.
Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire, centers on two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on, no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.
Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, including Mad Honey (co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan), Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper – and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.
Audience Q&A will follow the talk. Be sure to send your questions in advance to LILitFest@gmail.com – and then you can have a photo taken with the author!
*Weather permitting. A tent will be available on-site in case of rain.