Jodi Picoult

Thursday, August 15th, 2024, 7pm at the Capitol Center for the Arts Gibson's Bookstore, in conjunction with New Hampshire Public Radio and the Capitol Center for the Arts, is pleased to welcome best-selling author Jodi Picoult (Mad Honey) to the Chubb Theater for an evening of literary discussion of her new novel, By Any Other Name, as part of our author series, Authors on Main! Picoult will be in conversation with NHPR's Casey McDermott. From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes a novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name. Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym. In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work. Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten. A meet and greet photo line follows the event. This is a ticketed event. Your ticket includes a pre-signed hardcover copy of By Any Other Name. There will be no signing line at this event.