First Season for Community-sponsored, Nonprofit Series
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kepler’s today announced the launch of its first community-sponsored Arts & Lectures series produced under the umbrella of its new nonprofit organization, which is committed to featuring literary and cultural events. The Fall 2012 series presents a diverse range of enriching sessions with leading authors, including five premium events.
“We’re delighted to build on Kepler’s tradition of offering high-quality literary events to the community,” said Praveen Madan, who is leading the project to reinvent Kepler’s bookstore. “Based on extensive community feedback we have planned an active events season with many author events, book-club discussions, writing classes, book swaps, and author visits to local schools. And thanks to extraordinary community support, most of these events are free to the public.”
Kepler’s has been closed for renovations in preparation for reopening later this month, however the Kepler’s Arts & Lectures Series is launching in support of the bookstore’s nonprofit, public education mission. The bookstore will be one of the first independent bookstores operating under a hybrid business model with an affiliated nonprofit organization. Other programs being considered for the bookstore include an e-book-friendly in-store browsing experience, and concierge services to provide “literary matchmaking” for customers.
Kepler’s Arts & Lectures September premium events include Salman Rushdie in conversation with Tobias Wolff, on Tuesday Sept. 25. The distinguished writer discusses his memoir about life underground after a fatwa was issued against him by the Ayatollah Khomeini. On Wednesday, Sept. 26, T.C. Boyle, highly acclaimed author of twenty-three books of fiction, will introduce his new historical novel San Miguel.
In October, Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon introduces his new book, Telegraph Avenue, on Thursday, Oct 25. Set in Oakland, the book is about the intertwined lives of two families—one black, one white—through the world of pop culture. Cory Doctorow will introduce his new book, Pirate Cinema, Wednesday, Oct 3, which continues his exploration of technology and teens in a new tale of brilliant young people resisting tyranny. Author of the bestselling Thursday Next mysteries and Nursery Crime books, Jasper Fforde, will introduce two new books on Oct 18 including his first book for kids.
For more information about the Kepler’s Arts & Lectures series and to purchase tickets for premium events, visit www.keplers.com.
About Kepler’s Bookstore
Founded in 1955, Kepler’s has been deeply entrenched in the local community as an iconic bookstore and cultural center, distributing millions of books, hosting thousands of author events and raising funds for nonprofit organizations. Noted authors including Amy Sedaris, Caroline Kennedy, George R.R. Martin, and Rick Riordan have sold out ticketed events to help support non-profit organizations such as Family and Children Services, Breast Cancer Connections and the Peninsula College Fund.
Earlier this year, Kepler’s Transition Team, a group of local business and community leaders, announced the launch of “Kepler’s 2020,” an initiative to transform Kepler’s into a next-generation community literary and cultural center. Since then the group has restructured Kepler’s old debt, overseen a change of ownership, helped raise over $750,000 of new capital, and organized a successful Future Search community planning workshop to lay the foundation for the new Kepler’s.
Contacts
Corman Communications, LLC Patrick Corman, 650-326-9648