Hickory – The 2025 season of the Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University opens on Thursday, September 11, 2025, with Shelby Van Pelt, the celebrated author of the New York Times bestseller “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” This debut novel, published in 2022 and winner of the 2023 McLaughlin-Eastman-Stearns First Novel Prize, has captivated readers with its heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship between Tova Sullivan, a night-shift worker at an aquarium, and Marcellus, a wise and observant giant Pacific octopus. Van Pelt’s novel, soon to be a Netflix film starring Sally Field, delves into themes of loss and connection. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in P.E. Monroe Auditorium.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” remains a literary phenomenon, with the paperback edition currently ranked number five on the New York Times bestseller list in its 17th consecutive week. The hardcover edition performed similarly well, selling more than 2 million copies since its 2022 release and going through more than 30 reprintings – an extraordinary achievement for a debut novel. Its popularity skyrocketed after being selected for the “Read with Jenna” book club, hosted by Jenna Bush Hager on NBC’s Today show, sparking discussion in local book clubs nationwide. Affectionately known to many readers as “that octopus book” – the tagline of its international edition – the novel has become a cultural touchstone that continues to connect with audiences around the world.
In November, the 2025-26 season will also feature Patrick Bringley, author of “All the Beauty in the World,” a memoir of his time working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In January, the campus will welcome Percival Everett to discuss his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “James,” a reimagining of Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn.” The season will conclude in April with The Little Read, featuring “Our Solar System: A Stellar Neighborhood” by North Carolina-based author Stacy McAnulty.
“The Visiting Writers Series is one of the jewels of Lenoir-Rhyne, and we are thrilled to continue the series with such talented authors in 2025-26,” said Cat Serrin Niekro, vice president of advancement. “This year promises another chapter of insightful and inspiring conversations that will enrich our community.” Tickets are free but required and are available at tickets.lr.edu.
