An image of Emma Donoghue.
We recently announced that our 16th Annual Author’s Luncheon & Fundraiser will feature novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and literary historian, Emma Donoghue! The event will take place on Tuesday, September 10 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.
Emma Donoghue is renowned and celebrated for several of her amazing novels such as Room (2010), Frog Music (2014), The Wonder (2016), The Sealed Letter (2008, 2009, 2011), Landing (2007), Life Mask (2004), and many others.
A signed copy of her latest published novel, Akin (2019), will be available at the Author’s Luncheon!
Akin, by Emma Donoghue
An image of Emma’s new book, Akin. Image credit: @bibliotaph_bean on Instagram
Little, Brown, and Company says that Emma Donoghue’s upcoming novel, Akin, is a “funny, heart-wrenching tale of an old man and a boy, born two generations apart, who unpick their painful story and start to write a new one together.”
“Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor and widower living on the Upper West Side, but born in the South of France. He is days away from his first visit back to Nice since he was a child, bringing with him a handful of puzzling photos he’s discovered from his mother’s wartime years. But he receives a call from social services: Noah is the closest available relative of an eleven-year-old great-nephew he’s never met, who urgently needs someone to look after him. Out of a feeling of obligation, Noah agrees to take Michael along on his trip.
Much has changed in this famously charming seaside mecca, still haunted by memories of the Nazi occupation. The unlikely duo, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, bicker about everything from steak frites to screen time. But Noah gradually comes to appreciate the boy’s truculent wit, and Michael’s ease with tech and sharp eye help Noah unearth troubling details about their family’s past. Both come to grasp the risks people in all eras have run for their loved ones, and find they are more akin than they knew.” - Little Brown and Company
Image of Emma, along with the cast of Room.
Who is Emma Donoghue?
Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin, Ireland in October 1969; the youngest of eight children. In Dublin, Donoghue attended Catholic convent schools. She earned a first-class honours BA in English and French from University College Dublin in 1990. After moving to England, In 1997, Emma received her PhD from the University of Cambridge. Through her fiction, she wrote and analyzed the concept of friendship between men and women in 18th century English fiction.
Emma Donoghue’s fiction has also been translated into over forty languages. She began her career with her first published book, Passions Between Woman: British Lesbian Culture 1668-1801 in 1993. Since then, several of her fiction-genre novels consist of mid-16th to late 17th century European society.
As a mother of two, currently living in London, Ontario, Emma Donoghue continues earning her living as a writer.
Screenplay, Movie & Theatre Adaptations
Winner of the Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the year, the Salon Book Award for Fiction and many other awards, the prestigious and distinct contemporary novel, Room, was also written as a screenplay by Emma Donoghue, and adapted onto the big screen! It won the “Best Actress Academy Award and Golden Globe Best Dramatic Actress (for Brie Larson), the Canadian Screen Award for Best Film, the Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best Film.”
According to Emma Donoghue, the novel and film adaptation was inspired by having children. The idea of a “locked room” is a metaphor for the “claustrophobic, tender bond of parenthood.” The story is centered around a five-year-old boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother. His mother deprives Jack from the outside world, and keeps him inside a room, isolated from the real world until the age of five, when Jack begins to ask questions.
The New Yorker says it is “astounding, terrifying, and a testament to Donoghue’s imagination that she is able to fashion radiance from such horror.” In addition, The New York Times claims that Room is “rich in psychological, sociological and political meaning — Donoghue reveals how joy and terror often dwell side by side.”
What is the Author’s Luncheon & Fundraiser?
The Author’s Luncheon & Fundraiser is an annual fundraising event that features renowned authors such as Mary Kubica, Salman Rushdie, and Isabelle Alende. It allows attendees the chance to learn more about the author’s work of creative writing, as well as learn about the lives of authors outside of their work. This event is also an opportunity to support the work of Words Alive. Each year, the fundraiser raises over $200,000 in the aim of supporting the thousands of students and families we serve each year.
Integrating both style and intellect, the Author’s Luncheon also offers something for everyone in our marketplace, silent auction, and opportunity drawing for a chance to win prizes! Each fall, over 600 patrons attend with the aim of supporting Words Alive.
How Can I Participate in this Event?
There are multiple ways to participate in this event! This includes sponsoring the event, sponsoring a table, or donating to our silent auction. Enjoy premier seating by becoming a table sponsor, which includes seating for 10 to 12 guests! More information on the Author’s Luncheon, as well as package details on sponsorship opportunities, details about tickets, tables, and contact information can be found on our website: http://www.wordsalive.org/authorsluncheon/