DeKalb Library Foundation logo

Events

Books+Bites 2026

/images/BB.lynnv2.png

Jan­u­ary 202026

The DeKalb Library Foun­da­tion rang in 2026 with a mem­o­rable evening cel­e­brat­ing Lynn Cullen and her newest nov­el, When We Were Bril­liant. Held at the Callan­wolde Fine Arts Cen­ter, the event drew a stand­ing-room-only crowd eager to hear Cullen dis­cuss the fas­ci­nat­ing, lit­tle-known rela­tion­ship between cul­tur­al icon Mar­i­lyn Mon­roe and pio­neer­ing pho­to­jour­nal­ist Eve Arnold. 

/images/DLF_BooksBites_Unstuck_EventBrite-Banner_3.jpg

March 122026

In March, Stephanie Stuck­ey dis­cussed her book Unstuck: Rebirth of an Amer­i­can Icon. Stephanie shared her jour­ney of unex­pect­ed­ly becom­ing CEO of her family’s com­pa­ny, and her mis­sion to revive both the busi­ness and her family’s legacy. 

/images/BBstacialongv2.png

August 132026

In August, Books+Bites atten­dees received a his­to­ry les­son about the Geor­gia Gold Rush from author Sta­cia Pel­leti­er. Sta­cia spoke about her his­tor­i­cal fic­tion nov­el, The Deliv­er­ance of Bark­er McRae

Books+Bites 2025

Three photos left to right: a person is sitting behind a table displaying books and interacting with a woman standing on the other side; Hannah S. Palmer holding her book titled 'The Pool is Closed'; two people are talking to Hannah S. Palmer who is sitting behind a table

In June, local author Han­nah S. Palmer dis­cussed her recent book, The Pool is Closed: Seg­re­ga­tion, Sum­mer­time, and the Search for a Place to Swim with a packed crowd at the Callan­wolde Fine Arts Cen­ter. She shared local pool his­to­ry and poli­cies, as well as images of var­i­ous pools past and present from her exten­sive research. 

Two photos left to right: Matt Hogan standing in front of a book display table holding his book Foot in Mouth Disease: Musings of an Unfiltered Physician; Matt Hogan seated behind a table interacting with fans

The first Books+Bites event of 2025 with Matt Hogan, author of Foot in Mouth Dis­ease: Mus­ings of an Unfil­tered Physi­cian, is fea­tured in The Cham­pi­on. Read the sto­ry about Matt Hogan and the Books+Bites event in The Cham­pi­on.

Books+Bites 2024

Three photos left to right: author Lynn Cullen (seated) with guests standing behind her holding her book The Woman with the Cure; author Kate Kennedy speaking at a podium; author Sara A. H. Butler signing a book for a fan

Thanks to a part­ner­ship with the Callan­wolde Fine Arts Cen­ter, the DeKalb Library Foun­da­tion host­ed three Books+Bites author events in 2024. In June, Lynn Cullen, author of The Woman with the Cure, shared the often over­looked sto­ry of Dorothy Horstmann and her role in the race for the polio cure. In August, Sara A. H. But­ler recount­ed an intrigu­ing scan­dal involv­ing Asa Can­dler as she talked about her book For­tune and Fol­ly: The Weird and Won­der­ful Life of the South’s Most Eccen­tric Mil­lion­aire. In Octo­ber, Kate Kennedy, author of Once Upon a School: A Sto­ry of Dream­ing Big, Falling Hard, and Bounc­ing Back, reflect­ed on her time start­ing a school for the unhoused and the ups and downs asso­ci­at­ed with that endeav­or. More than 50 peo­ple attend­ed each event which also fea­tured small bites and drinks. Sup­port­er Beth G. attend­ed all three events and expressed her appre­ci­a­tion for the Foun­da­tion host­ing such pro­grams: I enjoy hear­ing direct­ly from authors about their lat­est work,” she said. And these events are always fun with a live­ly audi­ence who ask insight­ful ques­tions.” Read our fall newslet­ter to learn more.