Ta-Nehisi Coates

Presented by 12 Central Ohio public libraries

Award-winning author and journalist in conversation with the Columbus Metropolitan Club's Sophia Fifner. Tickets on sale now.

The Grandview Heights Public Library, in collaboration with 11 other Central Ohio libraries, is bringing award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates to Columbus on February 4, 2024, at 3 pm.

Coates is an author, journalist, National Book Award winner (Between the World and Me), MacArthur Fellow, and writer for Marvel’s Black Panther (2016-2021) and Captain America (2018-2021) comics series.

The event will feature Coates in conversation with Sophia Fifner, president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, at the Upper Arlington High School Performing Arts Space (1625 Zollinger Road).

PRESENTING CENTRAL OHIO LIBRARIES

Bexley Public Library
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Delaware County District Library
Grandview Heights Public Library
Granville Public Library
London Public Library
Marysville Public Library
Plain City Public Library
Southwest Public Libraries
Upper Arlington Public Library
Westerville Public Library
Worthington Libraries

ABOUT THE EVENT

Tickets for A Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates will go on sale on December 4, 2023 and begin at $25 each. Participating libraries will not have tickets to sell at their locations. Books will be available for purchase through Gramercy Books. There will be no book signing at the event. 

ABOUT TA-NEHISI COATES

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an award-winning author and journalist. He is the author of the bestselling books The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Water Dancer and Between the World and Me, which won the National Book Award in 2015. He was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship that same year. 

As a journalist with a career spanning over two decades, he’s written for numerous publications including The Washington City Paper, The Village Voice, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. During his time reporting for The Atlantic between 2008-2018, he penned numerous articles and essays, including the National Magazine Award-winning 2012 essay “Fear of a Black President” and the influential June 2014 essay “The Case For Reparations.”

Ta-Nehisi also enjoyed a successful run writing Marvel’s Black Panther (2016-2021) and Captain America (2018-2021) comics series. Ta-Nehisi is currently writing the screenplays for the upcoming films Wrong Answer, Superman and the film adaptation of his first fiction novel, The Water Dancer. In fall 2022, he joined Howard University’s faculty as a writer-in-residence and the Sterling Brown Chair in the Department of English. 

Browse books available from the library.

ABOUT SOPHIA FIFNER

Sophia Fifner serves as the president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC), a visionary organization that connects people and ideas through community conversations and founder of Brave Philanthropist, a campaign she launched in 2022 to change the face of philanthropy and to activate giving to women's and girls' organizations. 

ABOUT THIS CENTRAL OHIO LIBRARY COLLABORATION

This library collaboration allows libraries to host large, impactful events in Central Ohio collectively by sharing costs, resources, and expertise.

In addition to resource sharing and encouraging partnership on various community-wide initiatives, these collective events enhance and further engage a community of readers and raise the visibility of libraries throughout Central Ohio.

Recent national author events presented collaboratively by Central Ohio public libraries include Margaret Atwood at the Palace Theatre (2022), a community read and online discussion with Jason Reynolds (2020), and Rick Steves at the Southern Theatre (2019).

Upcoming events