8th Annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention

The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host its 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 by the support of the Pulpwood Queens Books Club, with book sales through NeverMore Books.

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 Jr. (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 building 12 of Beaufort’s TCL campus (104 Reynolds St., Beaufort).

The Convention continues 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 trio of award-winning keynote authors are novelist Kimberly Brock (The Fabled Earth), public school librarian Amanda Jones (That Librarian), and novelist Rhonda McKnight (The Thing About Home). Each author will appear in conversation with a local interviewer, and their discussions will be followed by book signings. This is a ticketed event.

Registration for this year’s Lowcountry Book Club Convention is now open at

https://lowcountrybookclubconvention2024.eventbrite.com.

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 Jr. (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

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

1 2:30-1:30 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 KEYNOTE 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, with copies made available for early release at this year’s Lowcountry Book Club Convention.

“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 and has been selected as a September Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association.

“[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

ABOUT THE LOCAL AUTHORS PANEL

Hampton County native Michael M. DeWitt Jr. is a multiple-award-winning journalist, longtime editor of the 143-year-old The Hampton County Guardian, and author of Wicked Hampton County and, most recently, Fall of the House of Murdaugh. DeWitt’s boots-on-the-ground coverage of the Murdaugh crime saga has been published in print and online around Gannett’s nationwide USA TODAY Network, and he has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, CBS’s 48 Hours, Dateline NBC, and Netflix documentaries to discuss the case.

Virginia Hall-Apicella spent 30 years as a psychologist in the New York City court system, as a consultant in mental health agencies, and in private practice, specializing in the concerns of women and children. Her debut novel, Even A Sparrow, is a fictional account of her ancestors’ journey from Europe to America in 1815. In addition to psychology-based articles, she has published several short stories and edited a historical newsletter.

Pete Masalin was born into a Navy family and experienced all the turns and trials associated with that of a career Navy man. Drawing upon his youthful exploits and adventures, Military Brat is Masalin’s second published offering. It follows his 2016 book The Sorrow of Loss, The Wisdom of Recovery: A Narrative of an Unwanted Journey. 

Kim Poovey is an author, storyteller, and Victorian reenactress. She is the author of eight historican novels, most recently Shadows of the War, her highly anticipated sequel of Shadows of the Moss. Poovey has also written for several publications, including Beaufort Lifestyle, Bluffton Breeze, Citizen’s Companion, and the Civil War Times.

To learn more about the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, please visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.