An Evening with Nicole Galland, NYT Bestselling Author of "Boy: A Novel"

The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to welcome critically-acclaimed local author Nicole Galland for a conversation about her latest historical novel, Boy, set in Elizabethan England. Nicole will be in conversation with Scott Barrow. This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 12th at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, located at 51 Spring Street in Vineyard Haven (above the Tisbury Town Hall). Books will be available for on-site purchase through Bunch of Grapes. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Sander Cooke is the most celebrated “boy player” in William Shakespeare’s theatre company. Indeed, Sander’s androgynous beauty and deft portrayal of female roles have made him the toast of London, and his companionship is sought by noblewomen and -men alike. But now at the height of his fame, he teeters on the cusp of adulthood, his future uncertain. Often, he wishes he could stop time and remain a boy forever.

Joan Buckler, Sander’s best friend, also has a wish. Though unschooled, she is whip-smart and fascinated by the snippets of natural philosophy to which she’s been exposed. As a woman, she has no place in the intellectual salons and cultural community of the day; only disguised as a boy can she learn to her heart’s content.

Joan’s covert intellectual endeavors attract the attention of Francis Bacon: natural philosopher and trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth. It is through their connection with Bacon—one of the greatest minds of their time—that they will be changed forever as they become embroiled in an intricate game of political intrigue that threatens their very lives.

Nicole Galland is a proud graduate of the West Tisbury Elementary School and MVRHS. She's the author of 7 historical novels, several of them Shakespeare-themed, and co-author of the NY Times bestseller The Rise and Fall of DODO. Her contemporary work includes On The Same Page, about two newspapers on Martha's Vineyard. She has recently become an editor at one of these papers in real life. With Chelsea McCarthy, she co-created the popular off-season "Shakespeare for the Masses" series, and also directs plays off-Island.

Scott Barrow is Company member of Tectonic Theater Project where he is part of the team creating and performing in the Pulitzer Prize Finalist Here There are Blueberries. He is a contributing author of the company’s devising methodology book: Moment Work, and was part of the creative team on broadway’s Tony award-winning 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda. On island Scott's favorite credits include Hamlet and Every Brilliant Thing, Much Ado about Nothing and a dozen Shakespeare for the Masses directed by Nicole at the MV Playhouse and the sinister Square Master under MVFF’s Cinema Circus's big top.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.