The Guilded Leaf’s 16th annual Book & Author Events will feature some new looks to facilitate social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of the annual Writers at the Pavilion reception held the evening before the luncheon in the Ritz Charles garden pavilion glass building, there will now be a breakfast and a luncheon Oct. 22 in the ballroom at Ritz Charles in Carmel. Both events, which benefit the Carmel Clay Public Library Foundation, will be capped at 250 people each. The breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and the luncheon is from noon to 2 p.m.
CCPL Foundation Director Elizabeth Hamilton said there was no way to practice social distancing in the garden pavilion, so it was determined it would be better to accommodate the people who want to come by having a breakfast instead.
Hamilton said the large tables will be limited to four guests per table.
“The tables will be spread far apart,” she said. “In years past, people would pick up the table number and name tag. This year, we’ll be emailing everyone their table number, so they won’t have to stop anywhere.”
Face masks will be required except while eating.
In years past, about a quarter of the large ballroom space was used for a silent auction, autographed book sales and raffle sales, Hamilton said. This year, they will all be conducted online.
“Nothing will be set up for people to mill around,” Hamilton said.
The lineup includes five New York Times bestselling authors: Kristan Higgins, Rea Frey, Kristin Harmel, Stephen P. Kiernan and J. Ryan Stradal.
The sixth author is Lisa DeSelm, from South Bend, who recently released her debut novel, “The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice.”
Syndicated columnist/author Lori Borgman will serve as the moderator.
“Most of them focus on three things in their talk: What libraries have meant to them in their lifetime, their writing process and their most recent book that has been published,” Hamilton said.
Learn more and purchase tickets at carmelclaylibrary.org/guilded-leaf-tickets.
