A Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Martin Luther King Jr. The fatal last voyage of Capt. James Cook. Our passion for the pigskin, in 100 memorable moments. And the improbable success story of the American bookstore.
Presented by the nonprofit Friends of the Library of Collier County at the Hilton Naples, the Nonfiction Author Series consists of four separate author presentations — each with a hot/cold buffet breakfast and a book signing by the author. The series is designed to raise money for the Collier County Public Library, which has 10 branches.
The series has sold out in recent years, and only a limited number of tickets remain available for the 2026 series. (See the info box for details and how to buy tickets.)
The 2026 authors are:
‘Love letter’ to bookstores
Evan Friss starts off the series on Monday, Jan. 19, with “The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore,”an affectionate and engaging look at the evolution of American booksellers, from the days of Benjamin Franklin to the present.
People magazine called it “a heartfelt, essential love letter,” and Time Magazinenamed it one of the 100 “must read books” of 2024.
Friss, the author of two previous books on cycling, is a history professor at James Madison University in Virginia. His website is https://evanfriss.com/.
Ready for a football book
Acclaimed sportswriter Joe Posnanski takes the handoff on Monday, Feb. 2, talking about his latest book, “Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments,” which is a follow-up to his best-selling book “Why We Love Baseball.”
Posnanski has won two Emmy Awards for his work on the Olympics and has been named Sportswriter of the Year by multiple organizations. The Wall Street Journal called him “contemporary sports writing’s biggest star.”
In “Why We Love Football,” Posnanski describes 100 iconic moments in college and professional football, ranging from the hilarious to the heartbreaking.
Posnanski’s website is https://www.joeposnanski.com/.
Jonathan Eig will talk on Monday, Feb. 16, about “King: A Life,” which won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for biography. This is the first biography of Martin Luther King Jr. to make use of recently declassified FBI files. But more than that, the book is an intimate examination of a brave but emotionally troubled man, who preached peaceful protest for the civil rights movement — but was rarely at peace with himself.
The New York Timeshailed “King: A Life” as a “landmark biography.” The Chicago Tribunesaid the book “is such a nuanced biography, it’s like having Martin Luther King sitting in your living room, reading a newspaper.”
Eig is the author of five other books, three of which were also New York Times best-sellers, including “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.” Eig’s website is https://www.jonathaneig.com/.
The final event in the Nonfiction Author Series will be on a Tuesday — March 17 — rather than the usual Monday.
High seas tale detailed in ‘Wide Wide Sea’
Hampton Sides’ “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook” takes us back to the 18th century, when Cook, Britain’s premier explorer, set off for the farthest reaches of the Pacific Ocean.
In February 1779, two-and-a-half years later, Cook was killed by the native population on the island of Hawaii, a surprise to many in Europe because, among European explorers, he was considered to have had more respect for indigenous peoples and cultures than most other explorers.
The Associated Press called the book “riveting.” Sides is the author of five other New York Times best-sellers, including “Blood and Thunder” and “Ghost Soldiers.”
Sides’ website is https://hamptonsides.com/.
Each presentation in the series will include a breakfast buffet, featuring choices of hot and cold entrees, including eggs with bacon and sausage, cereals, yogurts, fruits, a variety of breads, juices and coffee.
Lew Paper, chairman of the Friends’ Nonfiction Author Series committee, extolled the extraordinary nature of this year’s series.
“For the first time in the series history,” Paper said, “all of our authors have had a book on the New York Times best-seller list.
“And more than that,” he added, “the 2026 series preserves the commitment to diversity.”
What to know
What: Four separate author presentations with a breakfast and a book signing to raise funds for the Collier County Public Library
Where: Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., Naples
When: Breakfast is served at 8:30 a.m.; the authors speak shortly after 9:15 a.m., followed by a book signing.
Cost: Series tickets are $375 for all four events for members of the Friends of the Library of Collier County, and $420 for nonmembers.The Friends will determine later whether to sell tickets for individual speakers. Friends memberships begin at $50/year and provide access and discounts to many other library programs. Tickets can be purchased through the Friends website (collier-friends.org). Tickets also can be purchased by calling the Friends office (239-262-8135) or emailing Marlene Haywood, the Friends’ Program Director (mhaywood@collier-friends.org).
A portion of the ticket purchase can be tax-deductible.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: MLK, football, sea tragedy: Naples author series topics run the gamut
Reporting by Vicky Bowles, Special to the Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
