The Fairfield Public Library - along with its community partners – Pequot Library, Fairfield University, Fairfield University Bookstore and Fairfield Museum and History Center -- are proud to present Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel as the official selection for One Book One Town 2015. This is the eighth year that Fairfield has embraced “One Book One Town” and it is the hope that this book will inspire a community-wide conversation. The selection defies categorization and merges multiple genres – suspense, science fiction, dystopia - while remaining an impressive literary work that was a 2014 nominee for the National Book Award.
Also cited on dozens of top ten lists for 2014, Station Eleven imagines life before, during and after a plague that wipes out nearly all people in the world. This elegantly written novel is about more than just the mechanics of an apocalypse. It is about what needs to survive along with humanity: compassion, friendship and perhaps above all, the ability to find beauty in the world. It is a love letter to how we live now, and a warning to not take for granted the most important things in our lives. Survival is insufficient now, more than ever. We hope you enjoy this story as much as we did, that you will consider participating in the many remarkable events celebrating this work.
The signature event of the month-long celebration of Station Eleven is the author visit of Emily St. John Mandel on March 31, 2014 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University. In the weeks leading up to the author’s Fairfield visit, there will be book discussions, lectures and, for the fifth year, the Library will be holding a One Book One Town-inspired Writing Contest.
The One Book One Town selection committee is comprised of library staff, community volunteers and community partners. In June they began reading books that were relevant to our times, interesting to a wide segment of the community and that would provoke conversations. This year they read close to 30 books over the course of four months before choosing Station Eleven.
The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library are once again generously underwriting the author visit of Emily St. John Mandel and other programs. Community sponsors are: Anonymous, Anonymous, Fairfield Center Jewelers, Margaret Mary Fitzgerald, Eleanor Gonzalez, Brian & Deborah Henry, Dr. Elizabeth & Mr. David McKinnis, Donna & James Orazio, The Owens Family, The Rust Family Foundation Chris Sarandon & Joanna Gleason, The Sharp Family, J. Stephen & Alexandra Theall, and Chris Jay & Sally Wanamaker.
For more information about these upcoming events visit www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org or pick up the 2015 One Book One Town brochure. Follow the One Book One Town blog at www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org/obot.