Event Description
Join us at the Coolidge Corner Theatre for an unforgettable evening with two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead.
The evening will feature a moderated conversation and audience Q&A exploring Whitehead's writing life, creative process, and the role storytelling plays in helping us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
One of the most celebrated contemporary writers today, Whitehead is known for his powerful, genre-defying novels that have shaped national conversations and expanded the possibilities of literary fiction.
Every ticket includes one copy of Whitehead's acclaimed new novel, Cool Machine, available for pickup at the event.
This special event serves as GrubStreet's annual fundraising benefit for 2026. Every ticket purchased sustains our programming and helps expand access to exceptional creative writing education through scholarships, free community and youth writing programs, and other vital opportunities for writers of many backgrounds.
This event is presented in partnership with Brookline Booksmith and WGBH.
Tickets available at Eventbrite!
Ticket Options
General Admission
- Admission to the event
- Includes one copy of Cool Machine
- Cost: $69 (+ Eventbrite fees)
Premium
- Reserved premium seating
- Includes one copy of Cool Machine
- Cost: $150 (+ Eventbrite fees)
VIP
Join us for an intimate pre-event reception beginning at 5:30 PM. Enjoy light refreshments, connect with fellow supporters of GrubStreet, and meet Colson in a relaxed setting before the conversation begins. Reception guests will also have the opportunity to have their books personalized and signed by Colson before taking their seats for the evening's program.
- Reserved premium seating
- Includes one copy of Cool Machine
- Early entry
- Cost: $300 (+ Eventbrite fees)
About Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve works of fiction and nonfiction, and is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, for The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad, which also won the National Book Award. A recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City. For more information on Colson Whitehead, please visit https://www.prhspeakers.com.