We encourage all community members to join us this fall and winter as we come together to read, discuss and reflect upon The Namesake, a moving work of fiction by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. A story of parents and children, of cultural heritage and family values, The Namesake speaks to us all, exploring the ways in which communities, families, and individuals establish their own identities as they are shaped by both internal and external forces.
In recognition of her important contributions to contemporary literature, Ms. Lahiri will become the recipient of Wilton Library’s very first Castafiori Award for Outstanding Writing when she arrives to speak to us on October 19, 2008.
We are most grateful to our lead sponsor, The Wilton Bank, for their generous contribution to underwrite our distribution of 250 free books, publicity and fees associated with the Wilton Reads! program. In addition, we thank The Wilton Bulletin for media support. The 2008 activities we have planned for Wilton Reads! are:
| Day | Date | Time | Description |
| Sunday | 6/15/08 | 4 pm | Distribution of 100 free books at WLA Annual Meeting |
| Saturday | 9/13/08 | 10 am | Distribution of 150 free books at WLA Discovery Day |
| Thursday | 10/2/08 | 1:30 pm | Movie The Namesake (register now) |
| Thursday | 10/2/08 | 7 pm | Movie The Namesake (register now) |
| Tuesday | 10/7/08 | 11 am | Book Discussion of The Namesake with Joanna Ecke (register now) |
| Wednesday | 10/15/08 | 7 pm | Book Discussion of The Namesake with Susan Boyar (register now) |
| Sunday | 10/19/08 | 4 pm | Author Appearance: Jhumpa Lahiri (register now) |
If you’re a member of a book discussion group, please tell your fellow book group members about what we’ve got in store. This year, we’re planning a new twist for book groups – I’ll be available to visit a number of groups and contribute to their discussions of The Namesake. If you are interested in scheduling a talk, just let me know via email (kcleeds@wiltonlibrary.org) or phone (762-3950 x215) and we’ll get a date and time on the calendar.
We’ve purchased extra copies of The Namesake for you to borrow, and have large print and audio versions of the book as well. If you’d like to see the movie at home, borrow one of our DVDs to watch. You can reserve any of these versions and have them waiting for you at the front desk or the drive-up window on Godfrey Place.
Want to learn more about the author and novel? Explore these sites:
- Voices from the Gaps Artist Lahiri Biography
- Wikipedia Article on Jhumpa Lahiri
- My Two Lives, by Jhumpa Lahiri, Newsweek
- For Pulitzer Winner Lahiri, A Novel Approach, by Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today
- The Writer Who Began with a Hyphen, by Teresa Wiltze, Washington Post
- Out of the Overcoat, by Stephen Metcalf, New York Times
- The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, a review by Amy Reiter, Salon
- The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, a review by CJ Gillen, Sawnet
- Or search the Biography Resource Center online for extensive articles and references on Jhumpa Lahiri (Wilton Library card required)
