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Brandon Taylor in Conversation with Lily King

  • University of Southern Maine, Portland Hannaford Hall Portland, ME 04101 (map)

Maine Lit Fest Event - Day 7

Writer, editor, and essayist Brandon Taylor is well known for the emotional acuity of his writing about intimacy, race, and violence and for his ability to convey the drama underlying ordinary events. His first novel, Real Life, was a finalist for the 2020 Booker Prize and the 2021 Young Lions Fiction Award. His story collection, Filthy Animals, recently won the 2022 Story Prize.

Beloved Maine novelist Lily King (Five Tuesdays in Winter; Writers & Lovers) will talk with Brandon about his work, influences, and creative evolution from an aspiring scientist to award-winning writer and social commentator. Both authors will discuss their processes for creating unforgettable characters and bringing stories to life on the page.

Tickets for this event are $15 each, and Brandon and Lily will be available to sign books after the event. (Note: This is the only ticketed event at the Maine Lit Fest.)

Masks are required for this event.

Books will be sold by Print: A Bookstore.


Brandon Taylor is the author of the novel Real Life, which was a finalist for the 2020 Booker Prize, The National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, and the 2021 Young Lions Fiction Award, and was named a NYT Editors’ Choice and NYT Notable Book. His collection Filthy Animals, a national bestseller, won the 2022 Story Prize and was a finalist for the Dylan Thomas Prize. He is the 2022-2023 Mary Ellen von der Heyden Fellow at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.


Lily King is the award-winning author of five novels. Her most recent novel, Writers & Lovers, was published on March 3rd, 2020, and her first collection of short stories, Five Tuesdays in Winter, will be released on November 9, 2021. Her 2014 novel Euphoria won the Kirkus Award, The New England Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award. Euphoria was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2014 by The New York Times Book Review. It was included in TIME's Top 10 Fiction Books of 2014, as well as on Amazon, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, and Salon’s Best Books of 2014.

Earlier Event: October 6
Author Reception Fundraiser