CARTHAGE PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT  VIRTUALLY HOSTS PULITZER PRIZE-  WINNING AUTHOR COLSON WHITEHEAD

Carthage Public Library District is joining more than 200 other libraries across the state to kick off the new season of Illinois Libraries Present, a collaborative effort featuring virtual events with bestselling and award-winning authors and esteemed speakers. The season opens  with a special event with Colson Whitehead, the two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The Power of Story with Colson Whitehead will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, September 6, at 7:00 p.m. Attend a Watch Party at the Carthage Public Library, or pre-register for the Zoom program through the link on the library’s website,
www.carthagepubliclibrary.com.
     Whitehead is only the fourth writer to win two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction. His book
Underground Railroad, a #1 New York Times bestseller, won the award in 2017 as well as the  National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction. Whitehead was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for The Nickel Boys.
     Whitehead’s newest book, Crook Manifesto, the second book in the Harlem Trilogy, was published in July. It’s a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family. The author’s other books include Harlem Shuffle, The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays. 
     Whitehead has received a MacArthur Fellowship and Guggenheim Fellowship and the  Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, among others. In 2023, President Biden awarded Whitehead a National Endowment for the Humanities Medal.
     Colson Whitehead will be joined in conversation with award-winning author Tochi
Onyebuchi. His books include Goliath, Riot Baby, the Beasts Made of Night series, the War Girls series, and (S)kinfolk.
     Author events are often a cornerstone of library programming. Throughout the pandemic such events continued, but in a virtual format with libraries joining together to host a variety of bestselling and award-winning authors and thought leaders. Joining forces for such events allow libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. And that’s just the point of Illinois Libraries Present. By  working together, libraries are able to bring an event to multiple and diverse communities, providing access for many library patrons to attend, while at the same time, expanding the platform for the author.  
     “We joined Illinois Libraries Present so our patrons will have access to these quality programs and we are excited to kick off the season with such an accomplished author as Colson Whitehead,” says Amy Gee, director of the Carthage Public Library District.
     Illinois Libraries Present’s season will continue in October when Stephen Graham Jones talks horror at 7:00 pm on October 4. Stephen Graham Jones is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and bestselling author.
Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events, is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library  Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility.

For more information, contact the Carthage Public Library District, 217-357-3232 or
email cartlib@mtcnow.net