From Page to Plate: Sharon’s Summer Book Signing Weekend Expands with New Flavor
This Weekend Litchfield County's premier literary event adds a day dedicated to culinary writing and cookbooks.
For nearly three decades, the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon has drawn readers, writers, and book lovers of all ages to its annual summer literary showcase. This year, the 27th Annual Sharon Summer Book Signing on the Green promises more than ever before. Not only will it gather a diverse group of authors—bestsellers, debut novelists, historians, poets, children’s authors, and political thinkers—it will also introduce a brand-new Saturday event dedicated to the culinary arts. “Page to Plate: A Celebration of Cookbooks and Cooking,” held on Saturday, August 2, brings chefs and cookbook authors to town for demonstrations and conversations. It’s a full weekend of words to devour and digest.
The book signing events kick off Friday, August 1, from 4:45 to 7:30pm, transforming the town green into a marketplace of storytelling. Attendees will be able to walk among the authors and join conversations about everything from historical fiction and political biography to children’s picture books and poetry. Among the many anticipated titles, A Hudson Valley Reckoning by Debra Bruno stands out for its unflinching exploration of family legacy and slavery in the region. A journalist with a personal stake in the subject, Bruno offers a necessary confrontation with the region’s past and a model for public accountability.
A Stacked Library
Just as rooted in historical intrigue, but with a very different tone, is Elyse Graham’s Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became Unlikely Spies. It chronicles how literature professors, historians, and librarians became intelligence assets during World War II. Graham uncovers an often-overlooked story of quiet bravery and the power of intellectualism in wartime.
The festival also dives deep into science and society with Shoumita Dasgupta’s Where Biology Ends and Bias Begins: Lessons on Belonging from Our DNA. Dasgupta, a geneticist, dismantles the widespread misunderstandings about race, identity, and genetics with clarity and compassion. It’s a timely contribution to a broader conversation about what science can, and cannot, tell us about who we are.
The Friday event also includes something for every age group. From Born Inside a Nest So Small by Iza Trapani to Earthrise by Leonard Marcus, the children’s offerings are as carefully curated as the adult titles. For middle-grade readers, Westfallen, by Ann and Ben Brashares, adds a fresh adventure to the lineup. And for poetry lovers, A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker: 1925–2025, edited by Kevin Young, brings together 100 years of influential verse. Cornwall resident Phillis Levin will be on hand to sign her latest collection, An Anthology of Rain.
After the signing winds down, eight author dinners offer readers a more intimate experience with the writers themselves. Held at private homes around Sharon, the dinners will feature Jennifer Broome, Shoumita Dasgupta, Ruth Franklin, Elyse Graham, Ngoc Minh Ngo, Gary Shteyngart, Sam Tanenhaus, and Chris Whipple. Each evening includes dinner, readings, and conversations—an opportunity to delve deeper into the ideas and inspirations behind the books.
An Appetite for Reading
The weekend continues with “Page to Plate” on Saturday, August 2, from 10am to 4:30pm, hosted at the Hotchkiss Library. Kicking things off at 10am is a cold canning demonstration by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, based on their new book Cold Canning: The Easy Way to Preserve the Seasons Without Hot Water Processing. At 11am, Bread Alone founder Daniel Leader (considered by many to be the father of East Coast artisanal bread) will demonstrate sourdough techniques from A Slow Rise: Favorite Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart.
Chris Morocco, food director at Bon Appétit and Epicurious.
At noon, food media takes center stage in a conversation with Chris Morocco, food director at Bon Appétit and Epicurious. The afternoon session opens at 1:30pm with Anne Byrn, author of Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories, followed by a 2:30pm demonstration by Sharon’s own Jessie Sheehan. Her latest cookbook, Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes, boasts easy, savory recipes. The day closes with “Cocktails and Conversation” featuring Adam Roberts, whose debut novel Food Person turns the world of cookbook ghostwriting into a satirical page-turner.
Ticket options offer flexible access. Friday admission is $75 for early entry, $50 for general entry, and pay-what-you-will from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Author dinner tickets are $250 per person and include early admission. Saturday’s “Page to Plate” offers morning or afternoon sessions for $40, or an all-day “Full Plate” ticket for $75, which includes a light picnic lunch. A full weekend ticket, which includes early Friday admission and all-day Saturday access, is $125. Children under 12 attend Friday’s signing for free. All proceeds from the weekend support the operations of the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon.
