The Open Book 2026

(L-R) Ross Gay | Leif Enger | Julia Phillips | Percival Everett

The Open Book will run on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Campus Room on the first floor of the Capstone Building on the campus of the University of South Carolina with the exception being the Percival Everett visit location to be held at the Johnson Performance Hall - 1014 Greene St.

Each Monday will feature a book discussion by a faculty member, followed by the author’s visit on Wednesday. All talks will run from 6-7 pm, including time for questions and open discussion. Author talks will be followed by book signing and refreshments.

Books will be available to purchase in advance and on site from All Good Books (734 Harden Street) as well as to borrow from the Richland County Public Library. (Please consider supporting local book providers!)

The Open Book is made possible by the University of South Carolina’s McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English Language and Literature, and several generous donations. As always, The Open Book is free and open to all.

The 2026 Authors, Books, and Dates

Ross Gay (March 18, 2026)

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, by Ross Gay

Ross Gay draws devoted readers through his craft and his compelling vision. He is the author of four collections of poetry, including Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. He has also released three volumes of essays, including The Book of Delights and Inciting Joy. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude studies the wisdom of the garden and orchard, those places where loss and sorrow are converted into what might, with patience, offer nourishment. (Ross was originally scheduled to speak at The Open Book in 2020, when the series was cancelled by the pandemic. We are fortunate to finally host him!)

Ross Gay's visit: Wednesday, March 18

USC's Brian Glavey’s talk on Ross Gay: Monday, March 16

Leif Enger (March 25, 2026)

I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif Enger

A major Midwestern voice in American fiction since the publication of his first novel, Peace Like a River, Leif Enger’s work has been enthusiastically embraced by readers, critics, and awards committees. His fourth and most recent novel, I Cheerfully Refuse, has been longlisted for the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize and named a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year, a Michigan Notable Book, a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Selection, and a Barnes & Noble’s Book Club Pick. Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking on an Orphean journey across Lake Superior in search of his beloved, bookselling wife.

Leif Enger's visit: Wednesday, March 25

USC's John Muckelbauer's talk on Leif Enger: Monday, March 23

Julia Phillips (April 1, 2026)

Disappearing Earth, by Julia Phillips

Julia Phillips is the internationally acclaimed author of two bestselling novels: Bear and Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times, which declared it “brilliant” and “nearly flawless.” Taking us through a year following a crime on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Disappearing Earth enters the lives of women and girls in a tightly knit but complex community living in a ruggedly beautiful region in northeastern Russia. Julia's work has been translated into twenty-six languages, and she has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review. She serves on the board of the Crime Victims Treatment Center, a nonprofit that helps people heal from violence.

Julia Phillips's visit: Wednesday, April 1

USC's Elise Blackwell’s talk on Julia Phillips: Monday, March 30

Percival Everett (April 23, 2026)

James, by Percival Everett

Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novelist Percival Everett will join us to discuss his book, James, an action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Everett's appearance will coincide with the publication week of the paperback edition of James, and All Good Books will be present to sell books.

Percival Everett's visit: Thursday, April 23

Department of English Language and Literature