For Immediate Release
Contact: Jon Schutt, Marketing Coordinator
Glenside Library
630-260-1550 x 326
jschutt@glensidepld.org
GLENSIDE LIBRARY HOSTS BESTSELLING AUTHOR SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA
Glenside Library is joining 200 libraries across the state of Illinois in a new collaborative effort, Illinois Libraries Present, to bring virtual events with bestselling and esteemed authors to their communities. The collaborative effort kicks off in January with an event featuring author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Moreno-Garcia, the bestselling and award-winning author of Mexican Gothic, will discuss her new book, Velvet Was the Night, and her genre-defying mashups of cultural noir and Lovecraftian horror. The event will be held virtually on Wednesday, January 26.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Certain Dark Things, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and Mexican Gothic. Her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, was included on The New York Times’ list of 100 notable books of 2021. Taking place in 1970s Mexico City, the book revolves around a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.
Author events are often a cornerstone of library programming. Throughout the pandemic such events have continued, but in a virtual format. As these events have flourished, libraries have joined together to host a variety of bestselling and award-winning authors and thought leaders. Joining forces for such events allow libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. And that’s just the point of Illinois Libraries Present. By working together, libraries are able to bring an event to multiple and diverse communities, providing access for many library patrons to attend, while at the same
time, expanding the platform for the author.
“It’s exciting to work together to bring not only such accomplished authors to our communities, but the diverse voices we’re featuring as well,” explains Illinois Libraries Present’s steering committee member Jennifer Czajka of Arlington Heights Memorial Library. “We want the events that we offer to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve as Illinois libraries. And we believe that diversity of voices breeds creativity and a stronger connection to one another.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Silvia Moreno-Garcia as the first featured speaker. We saw Mexican Gothic become a huge hit with readers and wanted to showcase the talent behind it and her body of work,” notes Kate Cundiff of Algonquin Area Public Library District.
Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination, Moreno-Garcia has also edited several anthologies and is a columnist for The Washington Post. Silvia Moreno-Garcia will be joined in conversation for the event with author Gus Moreno. Moreno recently published his debut novel This Thing Between Us.
An Evening with Silvia Moreno-Garcia will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, visit glensidepld.org/events/silvia. For more information, visit glensidepld.org or call 630-260-1550.
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Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In 1970s Mexico City, Maite, a secretary with a penchant for romance novels, searches for her missing neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, which leads her to an eccentric gangster who longs to escape his own life, and together, they set out to discover the dangerous truth.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A reimagining of the classic gothic suspense novel follows the experiences of a courageous socialite in 1950s Mexico who is drawn into the treacherous secrets of an isolated mansion.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A dark fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore is set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age in Mexico’s underworld, where a young dreamer is sent by the Mayan God of Death on a life-changing journey.
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In Mexico City, where the vampires who live among humans are heavily policed, street kid Domingo helps an Aztec blood drinkers’ descendant flee before the city is upended when the two vampires pursuing her begin to raise its body count.
