Columbus Summer Fun 2022: Author visits, outdoor readings highlight literary events

If you haven’t read Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Blind Assassin” or “Alias Grace,” now’s the time to get started. After several pandemic-caused delays, the award-winning Canadian author finally will appear in Columbus this summer.

Local bookstores and libraries are also getting back into presenting in-person author appearances. And the popular Thurber House summer literary picnics celebrating Ohio authors will resume.

Columbus Summer Fun 2022: Our comprehensive events guide to concerts, festivals, theater, arts and more

Reading great books can be even more fun when those books become the focus of social events shared by many other readers.

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Thurber House

77 Jefferson Ave., near Downtown

• Summer literary picnics, select dates from June 8 to Aug. 25: The six picnics will feature outdoor readings (weather permitting) by authors Donte Woods-Spikes (June 8), Dean Regas (June 30), Jessica Strawser (July 13), Leigh Lewis (July 27), Thrity Umrigar (Aug. 6), and Carter Sickels (Aug. 25).

Contact: 614-464-1032; www.thurberhouse.org

Palace Theatre

34 W. Broad St., Downtown

• Margaret Atwood, June 15: The acclaimed creator of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Alias Grace,” “The Blind Assassin” and much more will finally appear after previous COVID-canceled engagements.

Contact: 614-807-2626, www.cbusarts.com

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Gramercy Books

2424 E. Main St., Bexley

• David Lewis, June 3: The sportswriter will discuss his book, “Michael Jordan: Life Lessons from His Airness,” including secrets to success from the great basketball player.

• James Clear, June 28: The bestselling author has sold more than 7 million copies of “Atomic Habits,” his book on habit formation. He’ll be in discussion with Adam Weinberg, president of Clear’s alma mater, Denison University.

• Billy Jenson, July 19: The true-crime investigative journalist will launch his new book, “Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of America’s Opioid Epidemic” (about unsolved cases in Columbus and Cleveland), with Columbus Dispatch reporter Bethany Bruner.

• William Evans and Omar Holmon, July 26: The creators of the website “Black Nerd Problems” will chat about their pop-culture essays.

• Kerry Winfrey and Jen Devon, Aug. 9: The authors of “Just Another Love Song” (Winfrey) and “Bend Toward the Sun” (Devon) will discuss love stories and romance novels.

• David Baker, Aug. 16: The poet will celebrate his 13th collection, “Whale Fall,” in conversation with another poet, Maggie Smith.

• Mike Trigg, Aug. 30: “Bit Flip,” a high-tech thriller set in the Silicon Valley, will be  launched by the author, in conversation with tech investor Parker MacDonell.

Contact: 614-867-5515, www.gramercybooksbexley.com

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Giuseppe's Ritrovo

2268 E. Main St., Bexley

• Louis Bayard, June 21: The author will join readers of his book “Jackie & Me” for a luncheon at the Bexley restaurant. Bayard’s novel is about a young Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. A limited number of tickets are available for the Gramercy Books-sponsored event.

Contact: 614-867-5515, www.gramercybooksbexley.com

Bexley Public Library

2411 E. Main St., Bexley

• Doreen Uhas Sauer and Tom Betti, July 25: The authors will uncover “Forgotten Landmarks of Columbus” in an in-person and virtual event. The “Walk of Wonders” and the Chittenden Hotel are just two of the landmarks they’ll talk about.

Contact: 614-231-2793, www.bexleylibrary.org

Columbus Metropolitan Library

96 S. Grant Ave., Downtown

• Phil Stamper, June 2: The bestselling author of teen LGBTQ fiction (“The Gravity of Us,” “As Far as You’ll Take Me”) will give a free author talk.

• Kirk Wallace Johnson, Aug. 28: The author of the bestseller “The Feather Thief” will discuss the unlikely and weird but true story of the natural history heist of the century.

Contact: 614-645-2275, www.columbuslibrary.org

Westerville Public Library

126 S. State St., Westerville

• Scott Longert, June 11: The Ohio author will discuss his latest book, “Victory on Two Fronts: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball Through the World War II Era.”

• Laura McDermott, June 16: The Ohio author will talk about the joys of living in the natural world and her book, “Lessons from a Birdbrain.”

• Walter Sturgeon, July 13: The author of “Appalachian Mushrooms: A Field Guide” will appear, with a book sale and signing to follow.

• Phyllis Magold, July 31: The Ohio author will discuss her latest book, “The Treasured Egg,” which returns characters from Magold’s “A Beast No More.” The novel takes place in Cleveland and far-flung locations in the world.

Contact: 614-882-7277

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Summer book events in Columbus: Margaret Atwood, Louis Bayard