Verse & Vino invites you to check out the local library [Partner]

There’s no need to be quiet at this Library event. In fact, wine-infused laughter is encouraged.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Foundation is kicking off a weekend of literary activities with its third annual Verse & Vino on Thursday, November 3 starting at 6 p.m. Guests will share an evening of storytelling and conversation with five nationally recognized authors over all the fine wine you can drink and a full dinner. This year, organizers are expecting 1,000 people at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Book lovers and library nerds alike will come together to support our local library system. Emcee Sheri Lynch will introduce five award-winning, best-selling authors to speak about their books and connection to public libraries. Organizers are hoping the sharing of stories will help people come away better understanding the essential role libraries play in our local community.

Here’s a quick rundown of the authors you’ll get to chat with — and get a signed book from — at Verse and Vino:

H.W. Brands. This New York Times bestselling author was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for The First American and Traitor to His Class. His new release is The General vs. The President: Macarthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War.

Candice Milliard. Her two books The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic are New York Times bestsellers and have been repeatedly named “best books of the year.” Her latest is Hero of the Empire.

Rumaan Alam. This former fashion and interior design publisher will be talking about his debut novel, Rich and Pretty.

Lisa Turner. This author’s Southern mystery A Little Death in Dixie shot to the top of Amazon’s Kindle bestsellers list, and her second novel The Gone Dead Train is a 2015 Edgar nominee. Her latest release is Devil Sent the Rain.

Tom Rinaldi. This national correspondent at ESPN’s newest release is The Red Bandanna. He’s won fifteen Sports Emmy Awards and six Edward R. Murrow awards.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation formed four years ago and is charged with raising community support for the Library, plus increasing awareness about the Library in the community. It’s part of a larger effort to educate and entertain people about what the Library can do for their lives. Honorary co-chairs of Verse & Vino are from different parts of the Charlotte philanthropy world: Katie Morris of the Belk Foundation and Charles Thomas of the Knight Foundation. Verse & Vino is made possible through the generosity of presenting sponsor PNC Bank and many more corporate and individual sponsors, including The Charlotte Observer.

After Verse & Vino ends, you can still find opportunities to celebrate the Library. EpicFest will follow on November 4 and 5, bringing 10 children’s and young adult authors to Charlotte for a day of school visits on Friday, a teen event Friday night, and a daylong festival at ImaginOn on Saturday. That means 15 nationally known authors will be in Charlotte over a three-day span to celebrate our local libraries.

Now that’s worth checking out.

For more information, visit the Library Foundation’s website. Tickets are $125 each or $1,500 for a table of ten. All proceeds support the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Buy tickets here.

This story was originally published October 16, 2016 at 12:10 PM.