Press Release
Book lovers and intellectual adventurers will converge on Charleston this November when the third annual Charleston to Charleston (C2C 2019) Literary Festival returns. Headlined by Joyce Carol Oates, author of 58 novels and winner of numerous writing awards, the three-day festival will celebrate the written word and the Holy City's connection with a British literary locale.
C2C 2019 will take place November 7th to November 10th, 2019, with events scheduled primarily at the Dock Street Theatre and the Charleston Library Society building in downtown Charleston. The festival provides unrivaled access to the intellectual workings and creative processes behind the work of celebrated international writers.
The transatlantic literary festival was launched in 2017 as collaboration by the Charleston Library Society and The Charleston Trust in England. The annual event celebrates a diverse lineup of celebrated, established authors as well as up-and-coming writers making considerable impacts in the literary universe.
“Charleston to Charleston celebrates the power of the written word to shape our thoughts and actions,” Leah Rhyne, Executive Director of the festival, said. “We love the mix of famous writers and emerging voices who will participate in these intimate events, and encourage all of our fans to discover their next favorite author at the festival.”
The full C2C 2019 lineup includes novelists, academics, biographers, historians and more:
- Jill Abramson, former executive editor of The New York Times, and author of Merchants of Truth: Inside the News Revolution.
- David Blight, Sterling Professor of American History at Yale and winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History for his work, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom.
- Jung Chang, internationally bestselling author whose new book, Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister tells the story of three influential women in 20th century China.
- Nigel Hamilton, biographer/historian whose work has earned him the Whitbread Prize for Biography and the Templar Medal for Military History.
- Philip K. Howard, writer, lawyer and founder of non-profit Common Good whose latest book, Try Common Sense was published in January 2019.
- Nathaniel Kahn, Academy and Emmy award nominated documentary filmmaker who will host a viewing of his 2018 film, The Price of Everything.
- Karen Kukil, scholar and lecturer at Smith College and editor of The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath.
- Rebecca Makai, 2018 National Book Award Finalist and 2019 Pulitzer Prize runner-up for her work, The Great Believers.
- Virginia Nicholson, President of England's Charleston Trust and author of How Was It For You? Women, Sex, Love and Power in the 1960's.
- Joyce Carol Oates, a critically and commercially acclaimed American author who has written more than 50 novels and won a multitude of awards including The National Book Award and The Pushcart Prize.
- Lionel Shriver, author of New York Times best sellers including So Much for That, The Post-Birthday World, and the winner of the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction, We Need to Talk About Kevin.
- Jeffrey C. Stewart, professor of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara and winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his work, The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke.
- Bart Van Es, Professor of English at the University of Oxford and winner of the 2018 Costa Book of the Year for The Cut Out Girl: A Story of War and Family, Lost & Found.
- Carl Zimmer, Science Professor at Yale, New York Times Columnist and author of one of 2018's most lauded science books, She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Story of Heredity, Its Past, Present and Future.
As the first transatlantic festival of its kind to celebrate the crossroads of literature, creativity, and intellectual discourse, C2C will once again provide a platform for attendees and special guests to engage in stimulating discussions that provide new perspectives and challenge their points of view. When the day's events wrap up, C2C 2019 attendees can attend elegant receptions and speak directly with other attendees and literary guests.
Ticket options include individual event admission starting at $25; a $300 All Access Pass covers admission to every event at The Dock Street Theatre and the Charleston Library Society (at a savings of $50 from individual tickets,) and a $400 VIP badge that includes:
- Access to every lecture, discussion and conversation at the Dock Street Theatre and the Charleston Library Society.
- A ticket to the Charleston to Charleston Annual Gala featuring DJ Femi Oyediran.
- Official festival book bag and free delivery of books on the Charleston peninsula.
Tickets can be purchased here. For more information about C2C 2019, visit http://www.
