2026 Maury A. Bromsen Humanistic Literary Arts Lecture: Ann Patchett (virtual seats available; in-person registration and waitlist are closed)

About this event

In person in Rabb Hall and online over Zoom Webinar. More virtual seats are available, thank you to the BPLF! Please register for online/virtual seats only as the in-person registration and waitlist are completely full. Join the Boston Public Library and the Boston Public Library Fund as Author Ann Patchett headlines the 2026 Maury A. Bromsen Lecture. Ann Patchett will be joined in conversation by her friend, Katrina Kenison who is a writer, editor and yoga teacher. Ann Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Humanities Medal and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Her novel, The Dutch House, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Times bestsellers, and her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. The Maury A. Bromsen Lecture Series at the Boston Public Library was established to celebrate authors whose work illuminates the depth, dignity, and complexity of the human experience. In its renewed form, the series will foreground literature that brings individual lives fully into view—work that reflects Maury Bromsen’s vision of humanistic bibliography by exploring how personal narratives, lived experience, and moral imagination shape our collective understanding of history, culture, and community. The lecture offers a space for distinguished writers to reflect on their creative journeys, share insights into their recent work, and consider how storytelling can deepen empathy and understanding in a complex world. Programming at the Boston Public Library is funded through private support. To learn more about supporting the Library, please visit the Boston Public Library Fund's website.

Description from bpl.bibliocommons.com