Author Events

Did you know we have the biggest, number one author event series in the country? Each month the St. Louis County Library Foundation brings bestselling and award-winning authors from a variety of genres to the library, offering readers exclusive opportunities to meet and engage with their favorite writers.

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Seating is limited; early arrival is highly recommended. Books for signing will be available for purchase at the events. For more information, please call 314-994-3300.

Ticketed Events      April Events     May Events     June Events

By Audience
By Date
Amy Tan - "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" book cover and color author photo

Ticketed Event: Amy Tan

Overwhelmed by the state of the world, beloved novelist Amy Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window, and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater–an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired. Featuring her lovely colored pencil illustrations, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” is Tan’s charming, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty that surrounds us in plain sight.

Saturday, May 11, 2024
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Ethical Society of St. Louis
Bob-Drury and Tom-Clavin - "Throne of Grace" book cover and color author photos

Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

Bestselling historians and co-authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin share the explosive true saga of the early exploration of the American frontier. It is the early 19th century, and the land recently purchased by President Thomas Jefferson stretches west for thousands of miles. Pathfinder Jedediah Smith and the Mountain Men’s explorations into the forested frontiers all the way to the West Coast would become the stuff of legend. Thanks to painstaking research, the story of the making of modern America is told through the eyes of both the ordinary and memorable men and women, settlers and Indigenous people, who witnessed it.

Monday, May 13, 2024
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Daniel Boone Branch
Helen Simonson - "The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club" book cover and color author photo

Helen Simonson

From the bestselling author of “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand,” Helen Simonson presents a whip-smart comedy of manners and historical fiction of the highest order. It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill has taken a position as a lady’s companion at a seaside hotel. She befriends Poppy Wirral, the local baronet’s daughter, who wears trousers, operates a taxi, and runs a ladies’ motorcycle club. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Grant's View Branch
Mary Kay Andrews - "Summers at the Saint" book cover and color author photo

Mary Kay Andrews

Beloved author Mary Kay Andrews presents a summer mystery full of romance, betrayal, and long-buried secrets. Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions and scandals run deep. If you grew up vacationing at the St. Cecelia, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders, but one fateful summer she took a job at the Saint and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days. But new information about a long-ago drowning threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Thursday, May 16, 2024
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Grant's View Branch
Jas Hammonds - "Thirsty" book cover and color author photo

Jas Hammonds

Award-winning author of “We Deserve Monuments,” Jas Hammonds presents an unflinching novel about young adult addiction. It is the summer before college and Blake Brenner has one goal: join the exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful women of color. As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks pedigree and confidence. She begins to seek courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. Success has never felt so much like drowning–and Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success.

Friday, May 17, 2024
6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Grant's View Branch
Rachel Khong - "Real Americans" book cover and color author photo

Rachel Khong

Award-winning author of “Goodbye, Vitamin,” Rachel Khong presents an exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family. “Real Americans” begins on the precipice of Y2K, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution, meets easygoing and effortlessly attractive Matthew - heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Twenty one years later, Lily’s son Nick sets out to find his biological father, a journey that threatens to raise more questions than it answers. Exuberant and explosive, “Real Americans” weaves a profound tale of class and striving, race and visibility, family and finally coming home.

Monday, May 20, 2024
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Daniel Boone Branch