Attention Bookworms: The Free Library Will Host a Lineup of 24 Star-Studded Authors for Its Upcoming Author Series
The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation has announced its much-anticipated Fall 2025 Author Events lineup, promising a season filled with some of the most dynamic voices in literature, politics, history, and social justice. Beginning September 3 with acclaimed novelist Miriam Toews and running through November 12, the series will welcome at least 24 celebrated authors to Parkway Central Library’s stage at 1901 Vine Street.
“This fall season represents everything the Author Events Series stands for,” said Daniel Blank, Managing Director of Public Programs for the Free Library Foundation. “We’re bringing meaningful, timely voices directly to Philadelphia audiences. From a sitting Supreme Court Justice to Pulitzer Prize winners, from local leaders to international bestsellers, this lineup has something to offer for every curious mind.”
The roster spans genres and generations, offering audiences the chance to hear directly from some of the most influential thinkers and storytellers of our time.
Highlights of the Fall Season
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor presents her new children’s book Just Shine! on September 16.
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Bestselling novelist Ken Follett returns September 22 with Circle of Days, his ambitious new novel exploring Stonehenge and the dawn of civilization.
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Congressional leader Jim Clyburn closes the season on November 12 with The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation.
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Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre discusses her book Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines on October 22.
Additional marquee events include conversations with Steven Pinker, Jill Lepore, Bryan Washington, and Miriam Toews, alongside Philadelphia voices such as Blondell Reynolds Brown and Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, founder of Down North Pizza.
The series continues to highlight Philadelphia’s cultural fabric, bringing local leaders into dialogue with national and international figures. Highlights include former Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown discussing her memoir Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels with 6ABC’s Tamala Edwards, and Abdul-Hadi reflecting on his journey as a social entrepreneur and community builder.
Building on the spring season’s success, most events remain just $5 per ticket, with some offered for free and others bundled with books. “We’ve seen a very positive response to our affordable pricing,” Blank noted. “This fall, we’re proud to be able to offer several free events alongside our $5 tickets, making these powerful conversations available to the broadest possible audience.”
Tickets & Schedule are available at freelibraryfoundation.org/events
Current Authors Include:
Miriam Toews | A Truce That Is Not Peace
Wednesday September 3, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Russell Shorto and Molly Beer | Angelica & Taking Manhattan
Thursday September 4, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Trymaine Lee | A Thousand Ways to Die : The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America
Thursday September 11, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Sonia Sotomayor | Just Shine!
Tuesday September 16, 2025
6:00pm-7:30pm
Blondell Reynolds-Brown | Walking A Tightrope Backwards in High Heels
Wednesday September 17, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Ken Follett | Circle of Days
Monday September 22, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Jill Lepore | We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution
Wednesday September 24, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Steven Pinker | When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .
Thursday September 25, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Nicholas Boggs | Baldwin: A Love Story
Tuesday September 30, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Jeannine A. Cook | It’s Me They Follow
Wednesday October 1, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Souvankham Thammavongsa | Pick a Color : A Novel
Thursday October 2, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Muhammad Abdul-Hadi | We the Pizza : Slangin’ Pies and Savin’ Lives
Wednesday October 8, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
The Aeneid: Translating the Classics with Emily Wilson, Scott McGill, and Susannah Wright
Tuesday October 14, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Nic Stone | Boom Town
Thursday October 16, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Harmonia Rosales | Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic
Tuesday October 21, 2025
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Karine Jean-Pierre | Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines
Wednesday October 22, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Keisha N. Blain | Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights
Monday October 27, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Jaquira Diaz | This Is the Only Kingdom
Thursday October 30, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Ray Didinger | The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions II
Tuesday November 4, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Bryan Washington | Palaver: A Novel
Thursday November 6, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Jim Clyburn | The First Eight : A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation
Wednesday November 12, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis | Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department
Thursday November 13, 2025
7:00pm-8:30pm
