Kevin Wilson
Club Lit, a fundraiser for SoLit, will feature New York Times Bestselling Author Kevin Wilson on Nov. 17. A fundraiser for SoLit, it is an evening of fun, refreshment and feeding of the body and the mind. Music, specialty drinks, and hors d’ oeuvres kick off the festivities at Chattanooga Whiskey.
Mr. Wilson will be the highlight of the event as he shares his most recent work, interacts with the guests, and signs books. Additionally, the coveted Local Distinguished Author award is presented to one of the most accomplished authors in the community.
Mr. Wilson will share his new novel, Now Is Not the Time To Panic, to be released on Nov. 8. He is also the author of three other novels, The Family Fang (Ecco, 2011), Perfect Little World (Ecco, 2017) and Nothing to See Here (Ecco, 2019), a New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna book club selection. Additionally, the short story collection Tunneling to the Center of the Earth received an Alex Award from the American Library Association and Baby You’re Gonna Be Mine received the Shirley Jackson Award. He lives in Sewanee with his wife, the poet Leigh Anne Couch, and his sons, Griff and Patch, where he is an Associate Professor in the English Department at Sewanee: The University of the South.
About Now Is Not the Time To Panic:
To be released Nov. 8, Mr. Wilson's charming, bighearted novel is about two teenage misfits who spectacularly meet one fateful summer, and the art they make that defines their lives forever. Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge—novice writer, less than impressive student, offbeat loner—is determined to make it through yet another sad summer in Coalfield, Tn., when she meets Zeke, a talented young artist who has just moved into his grandmother’s house and who is just as lonely and awkward as Frankie is.
Romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, and when the two jointly make an unsigned poster, shot through with an enigmatic phrase, it becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it. "The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us." The posters begin to appear all over town, and the quiet little community of Coalfield erupts with rumor and panic. Frankie and Zeke must determine if their art is worth the risk, and if their relationship can survive the circumstance.
Tickets are $75 or $600 for a table of eight and are available here.