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The Eudora Welty Foundation Lecture

A lecture with Elizabeth Strout, introduction by Ann Patchett

Booking and details

This event has passed.

Dates Thursday, March 23, 2023, 7:30pm

Tickets $25

Duration 60 minutes

This event is in person at the National Press Club and in partnership with the Welty Foundation.

Find out what drives author Elizabeth Strout, when she joins with the Folger and the Eudora Welty Foundation to receive the 2023 Eudora Welty Prize. Staged at Washington DC’s famed National Press Club, Elizabeth Strout will present her lecture after receiving the Award. Ann Patchett, who received the Award in 2022, will present Elizabeth with the Welty Prize. Elizabeth Strout will sign books after the discussion. We invite you into this intimate moment steeped in literary history.

Elizabeth Strout is widely known for her works in literary fiction and her descriptive characterization. She was born and raised in Portland, Maine which has served as inspiration for her novels–the fictional “Shirley Falls, Maine” is the setting of four of her seven novels. Strout’s novels include Amy and Isabelle, Abide with Me, Olive Kitteridge for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Burgess Boys, My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, and Olive, Again. Her latest book Oh, William! was just published.

Ann Patchett is the author of seven novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, and Commonwealth. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction—Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy; What Now?, an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College; and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment. In 2019, she published her first children’s book, Lambslide, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.

The Eudora Welty Foundation was established to assist the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to achieve its goals of celebrating the legacy of Eudora Welty, enhancing appreciation of her work, and encouraging reading and the efforts of young writers. The Foundation’s broad mission is to fund educational and research activities and to develop programs that will enhance Eudora Welty’s legacy and ensure that her work continues to be recognized as among the greatest in American literature. To visitors from across America and around the world, the WeltyHome provides a literary experience to enhance the understanding of Welty’s life and work. Welty’s fiction affirms that the imagination can be a powerful force to combat suffering, both physical and spiritual. Programming emphasizes Welty’s striking intellect and creative powers, her devotion to the humanities, the place of literature in our lives, and the role of the writer in our society. Learn more about the Eudora Welty Foundation.

Masks required

Please note: All attendees are required to wear a mask. Fully vaccinated artists will not be wearing masks while performing. The Folger is committed to maintaining the highest level of health and safety precautions around COVID-19. Learn more about how we are keeping our audience and performers safe: COVID-19 safety protocols

This event has passed.