Join GrubStreet 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.
Copies of Colson Whitehead's acclaimed new novel, Cool Machine, are included with every ticket, and all proceeds support GrubStreet's creative writing programs, literary community, and expanded access to writing for people of many backgrounds.
Ticket Options
Every ticket supports GrubStreet's mission while providing an unforgettable evening.
General Admission
- Admission to the event
- Includes one copy of Cool Machine
- Cost: $69 (+ Eventbrite fees)
Premium
- Reserved premium seating
- Signed 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)
An Evening for Writers, Supporting Writers
A Conversation with Colson Whitehead serves as GrubStreet's main annual fundraising benefit event in 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.
Our Lit Up gala will return in big, celebratory style in April 2027 for GrubStreet's 30th anniversary!
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Supporting Sponsors:
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.
Become an Event Sponsor
Interested in sponsoring one of Boston's premier literary events while supporting GrubStreet's mission? For more information about GrubStreet sponsorship, please contact Elise Tally, Senior Manager, Institutional Partnerships & Strategy, at [email protected].