Join Us July 18-20, 2026

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Live Watch Party Passes Now on Sale

Join us at The Argyros theater in downtown Ketchum July 18-20! Experience select SVWC talks with big-screen viewing, surprise guest appearances, music, drinks, and a community of fellow book lovers. More than a broadcast, it’s a celebration of stories, ideas, and conversation. Passes are on sale now—just $25 per day.

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2026 Writers
& Presenters

See All Presenters

Sarabeth Berman

Sarabeth Berman

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Susan Orlean book

Kiran Desai book

Sarabeth Berman

Abby Phillip book

Susan Choi book

Julia Lovell book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Atul Gawande book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Jill Lepore book

David Gelles book

Derek Thompson book

Michael Pollan book

Amor Towles book

Virginia Evans book

Theo Baker book

Simon Rich book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Peter Godwin book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Rick Atkinson book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Susan Orlean book

Kiran Desai book

Sarabeth Berman

Abby Phillip book

Susan Choi book

Julia Lovell book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Atul Gawande book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Jill Lepore book

David Gelles book

Derek Thompson book

Michael Pollan book

Amor Towles book

Virginia Evans book

Theo Baker book

Simon Rich book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Peter Godwin book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Rick Atkinson book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Susan Orlean book

Kiran Desai book

Sarabeth Berman

Abby Phillip book

Susan Choi book

Julia Lovell book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Atul Gawande book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Jill Lepore book

David Gelles book

Derek Thompson book

Michael Pollan book

Amor Towles book

Virginia Evans book

Theo Baker book

Simon Rich book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Peter Godwin book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Rick Atkinson book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Latest Updates

News

SVWC 2026 FREE Events & Community Programming

Join us for a week of free literary arts July 18-20! We have more ways than ever…

June 25 2026

News

The Live Watch Party Returns to The Argyros This July

June 5 2026

News

Pavilion Passes on Sale June 2

May 21 2026

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SVWC 2026 FREE Events & Community Programming

June 25 2026

News

The Live Watch Party Returns to The Argyros This July

June 5 2026

News

Pavilion Passes on Sale June 2

May 21 2026

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Our Work in the Community

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Who We Are

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Writer in the World

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All the Ways to Join SVWC 2026

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Free Lawn Talks

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2026 Schedule & Program

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Featured Content

Podcasts

The Paris Novel

Videos

2025 Liz Moore – THE GOD OF THE WOODS

Videos

2025 Wright Thompson – THE BARN

Videos

2025 Erling Kagge – AFTER THE NORTH POLE

Videos

2025 Oren Cass – THE REORIENTATION OF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES

Videos

2025 Evan Osnos – THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-YACHTS

Videos

2025 Theodore H. Schwartz – GRAY MATTERS

Podcasts

What the Middle Ages Has Done for the Modern World

Podcasts

SVWC 2025 Writer in the World

Podcasts

The Haves and Have-Yachts

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Inside the most dangerous job in medicine.

Inside the most dangerous job in medicine.

with Ted Schwartz | July 21, 2025

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12 1

Want to experience Ken Burns at #SVWC2026? Here are three ways to join the conversation this July:⁠
⁠
• Bring your picnic and enjoy free seating on the Pavilion Lawn⁠
• Watch from anywhere with our free livestream at svwc.com/livestream⁠
• Reserve a seat at our Live Watch Party (passes on sale now)⁠
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We are honored to award the 2026 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference Writer in the World Prize to Ken Burns on July 18. For almost half a century, he has told us the story of America through some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, The Vietnam War, Country Music, and The American Buffalo. Each one has entertained and enlightened and often haunted us, none more so than his most recent, The American Revolution. Burns will talk about his passion for the documentary form and, in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian Rick Atkinson, tell us about his latest project on the Revolution and about how, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, the idea of democracy moves him as it did the leaders and foot soldiers who gave their lives fighting and dying for it. @kenlburns⁠
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Subscribe for updates at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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Photo Credit: Stephanie Berger

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Passes are ON SALE NOW!⁠
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This July 18-20, select talks will be broadcast to the large theater screen at The Argyros during our Live Watch Party. Join fellow Wood River Valley book lovers for this fun and festive viewing party in downtown Ketchum. Passes are just $25 per day, on sale now at svwc.com/watchparty. Learn more at the link in bio!⁠
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#SVWC #SVWC2026 #SunValleyWritersConference #WritersConference #LiteraryCommunity #BookLovers #ReadersAndWriters

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Need an escape? We got you! Check out all the book recs from our 2026 Reading List at the link in bio.⁠
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#SVWC #SVWC2026 #SunValleyWritersConference #WritersConference #LiteraryCommunity #BookLovers #ReadersAndWriters

405 2

Summer in Sun Valley means world-class culture, stunning scenery, and some of the most celebrated writers of our time—all at the Sun Valley Resort & Pavilion.⁠
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This July 18–20 at the 2026 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, we're offering free Pavilion lawn talks, free livestreaming, a Live Watch Party, and community programming—creating more opportunities than ever to experience SVWC.⁠
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Join us for iconic voices including Ken Burns, Jill Lepore, Beth Macy, Susan Orlean, Michael Pollan, Amor Towles, and more as we gather for three days of storytelling, inspiration, and unforgettable conversation. Whether you're a lifelong reader or simply looking for a uniquely Sun Valley experience, there's something here for you.⁠
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Learn more at svwc.com/free.⁠
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📸: @halsey.pierce @tessa.sheehan.photography @rayjgadd ⁠
#SVWC2026 #SunValleyWritersConference #SunValleyIdaho #LiteraryEvents #AuthorTalks

16 0

Passes for the Live Watch Party go on sale in less than one week! This July 18-20, select talks will be broadcast to the large theater screen at The Argyros. Join fellow Wood River Valley book lovers for this fun and festive viewing party in downtown Ketchum. Passes are just $25 per day and will go on sale June 23 at 9am MST at svwc.com/watchparty. Learn more and see the lineup at the link in bio! svwc.com/watchparty @theargyros⁠
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📸: @tessa.sheehan.photography

12 0

Few writers have changed the way we think about food, nature, and the human mind quite like Michael Pollan.⁠
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From The Omnivore’s Dilemma to How to Change Your Mind, Pollan’s bestselling books have sparked conversations around dinner tables, in classrooms, and across the culture. For decades, he has been asking some of life's most fascinating questions—and millions of readers have followed along. Now he joins us at #SVWC2026 fresh off the release of his highly anticipated new book, A World Appears, exploring one of humanity’s greatest mysteries: consciousness itself.⁠
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We can't wait to welcome Michael Pollan to Sun Valley this July!⁠
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Few writers have changed the way we think about food, nature, and the human mind quite like Michael Pollan.⁠
⁠
From The Omnivore’s Dilemma to How to Change Your Mind, Pollan’s bestselling books have sparked conversations around dinner tables, in classrooms, and across the culture. For decades, he has been asking some of life's most fascinating questions—and millions of readers have followed along. Now he joins us at #SVWC2026 fresh off the release of his highly anticipated new book, A World Appears, exploring one of humanity’s greatest mysteries: consciousness itself.⁠
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We can't wait to welcome Michael Pollan to Sun Valley this July!⁠
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Pollan's Pavilion Talk will be Sunday, July 19 at 3pm—available for free lawn talk seating, free livestreaming, and at the Live Watch Party. Subscribe to receive updates about these events at svwc.com/subscribe. @michael.pollan⁠
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📸 : Christopher Michel⁠
#SunValleyWritersConference #WritersConference #LiteraryCommunity #BookLovers #ReadersAndWriters

17 1

At SVWC, we’re passionate about supporting literacy and lifelong learning. And since great readers begin with great teachers, we are proud to support The Community Library’s Sun Valley Early Literacy Summit. This program, which happened June 9-12, brings together 120 educators from across southern Idaho to explore the science of reading and evidence-based literacy instruction—equipping them with the tools and knowledge to help every child become a confident reader. Through our partnership, we donated copies of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans to participating teachers, fostering a shared love of reading while strengthening literacy efforts in schools throughout Idaho.⁠
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@thecommunitylibraryketchum #SVWC2026 #EarlyLiteracy #ScienceOfReading #IdahoEducators #LifelongLearning

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Do you know about all the ways you can join #SVWC2026 without a full pass? We have developed even more community programs and expanded our free events to make SVWC as inclusive as possible! ⁠
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Free Events & Community Programming⁠
1. FREE Pavilion Lawn Talks⁠
2. FREE Community Speaker Series (registration is full—livestreaming available)⁠
3. FREE Livestreaming⁠
4. FREE Digital Media Library⁠
5. FREE for Students, Teachers & Library Staff⁠
6. Pavilion Passes ($50-$100—tickets still available)⁠
7. Live Watch Party at The Argyros ($25 per day—on sale June 23)⁠
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Learn more at svwc.com/free. We also recommend signing up for our email newsletter at svwc.com/subscribe to receive important updates about these programs and events.

41 2

We're getting geared up for #SVWC2026... from July 18-20, we've got an incredible lineup of literary arts! Don't miss our free speakers at The Community Library, free lawn talks (picnics encouraged), free livestreaming from the comfort of your own home, and free online content in our digital media library. We've also got a Live Watch Party happening in downtown Ketchum + and Pavilion Passes to select talks inside the Sun Valley Pavilion. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a thing at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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THE 2026 LINE-UP:⁠
Liaquat Ahamed⁠
Rick Atkinson⁠
Theo Baker⁠
Sarabeth Berman⁠
Ken Burns⁠
Susan Choi⁠
Amy Bowers Cordalis⁠
Kiran Desai⁠
Virginia Evans⁠
Atul Gawande⁠
David Gelles⁠
Peter Godwin⁠
Jill Lepore⁠
Ada Limón⁠
Julia Lovell⁠
Robert Macfarlane⁠
Beth Macy⁠
Sebastian Mallaby⁠
Julian Brave NoiseCat⁠
Susan Orlean⁠
Abby Phillip⁠
Michael Pollan⁠
Shelley Read⁠
Simon Rich⁠
David Sanger⁠
Gary Shteyngart⁠
Derek Thompson⁠
Amor Towles⁠
Barbara Wansbrough⁠
Ilyon Woo⁠
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Photos: @halsey.pierce @rayjgadd ⁠
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#SVWC #SVWC2025 #SunValleyWritersConference #WritersConference #LiteraryCommunity #BookLovers #ReadersAndWriters #BeyondThePage #Storytelling #LiteraryLife #AuthorTalks #WritersLife #Bookish #BookCommunity #ReadMoreBooks #CreativeConversations #WritingCommunity

11 0

New #BeyondthePage podcast episode just landed! Ruth Reichl, one of our best-known and most well-loved food writers, is the author of five memoirs, including Tender at the Bone and Save Me the Plums. But she is also a captivating novelist, and, as you might imagine, her fiction is full of sensory pleasures. In Reichl’s “The Paris Novel”, the protagonist Stella is left with an unusual inheritance from her mother: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading simply, “Go to Paris.” But Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has confined her to the strict routines of her comfort zone. In a conversation with fellow food writer Aleksandra Crapanzano, recorded live at the 2025 Writers' Conference, Reichl speaks about her novel that celebrates the city they both adore, and the many reasons for living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home. @ruth.reichl⁠
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Listen now at the link in bio.⁠
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To listen to other talks from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify, or listen directly on our website. #booksaboutparis #foodwriting #parisbooks #summerfiction

16 1

If it feels like everyone is talking about "The Correspondent" right now, you're not imagining it.⁠
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Virginia Evans's debut novel has become an international bestseller, selling in more than 25 countries and winning over readers with its unforgettable heroine: a sharp-tongued, letter-writing septuagenarian whose wit, wisdom, and hidden heartbreak have made her one of the year's most beloved literary characters. Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, this book was also shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. This July, Evans joins us at #SVWC2026 to talk about her remarkable debut, the whirlwind journey from first novel to global sensation, and what comes next. @virginia.l.evans ⁠
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Stay tuned for all the ways to see this author. Our full passes to the Writers' Conference have sold out, but we still have our free Community Speaker Series, free lawn talks, free livestreaming, and tickets to our Live Watch Party and Pavilion talks. Subscribe to receive updates about these events at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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📸 : © Austin Joffe⁠
#VirginiaEvans #TheCorrespondent #WritersConference #BookLovers

46 0

Congratulations to SVWC alum John Lithgow on winning his third Tony Award! @jalithgow 🎭⁠
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Lithgow took home the 2026 Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his acclaimed portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, adding another remarkable achievement to an already extraordinary career.⁠
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A beloved guest who has joined us three times—including most recently in 2021—we're thrilled to celebrate this well-deserved honor.⁠
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Congratulations, John! 👏✨⁠
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📸: Steve Dondero @sdondero / Steve Smith Photography stevesmithphotography

7 0

Need to add some new books to your nightstand? Pick up your #SVWC2026 reading list at Iconoclast Books or Ketchum Bookstore and support our local independent booksellers while you’re at it.⁠
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You’ll also find a bookstore on-site during the Conference, operated by Boise State University, with all proceeds benefiting student scholarships.⁠
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Happy reading—we’ll see you in July.⁠
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📸: @halsey.pierce

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Join us at The Argyros July 18-20! Passes $25 per day and go on sale June 23 at 9am MST.⁠
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At the Live Watch Party at The Argyros Theater, we are bringing the best of SVWC directly to downtown Ketchum—transforming an ordinary summer afternoon into a vibrant, literary event for our community. With high-quality audio and visuals, surprise guest appearances, music, drinks, and plenty of fellow book lovers, it’s more than a broadcast—it’s a celebration. Learn more at svwc.com/watchparty.⁠
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Subscribe to our email newsletter for important updates and announcements at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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📸: courtesy The Argyros @theargyros⁠

12 0

Page to screen. 📖 → 🎬⁠
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Several books by our #SVWC2026 authors have made the leap from bestseller to acclaimed film or television adaptation. Read the book first, then add these to your watch list:⁠
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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman⁠
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean⁠
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles⁠
The American Revolution by Ken Burns⁠
Dopesick by Beth Macy⁠
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Check out all the book recs from our 2026 Reading List at the link in bio.

20 2

If you’re looking to snag a copy one of the books on our 2026 Reading List, swing by The Community Library! They have a whole section dedicated to the SVWC authors. Happy Reading! Let us know which books are your favorite(s) below.

@thecommunitylibraryketchum

13 3

Happy Publication Day to our very own Liaquat Ahamed, Board Chair of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference! He returns with a major new work of history out today.⁠
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"1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World" traces the origins of a financial crisis that reshaped the global economy—and still echoes today. Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of "Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World," brings his signature clarity and storytelling to a pivotal moment that changed how the world works.⁠
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We can't wait to welcome Ahamed to #SVWC2026 this July to discuss this sweeping, incisive, and deeply relevant read. ⁠
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Stay tuned for all the ways to watch his talk. Our full passes to the Writers' Conference have sold out, but we still have our free Community Speaker Series, free lawn talks, free livestreaming, and tickets to our Live Watch Party and Pavilion talks. Subscribe to receive updates about these events at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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📸 : Amir Bather⁠
#PublicationDay #HistoryBooks #NonfictionReads #LiaquatAhamed

10 0

Pavilion Passes go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 at 9am MST! ⁠
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Join us July 18–20 inside the Sun Valley Pavilion for select conversations with some of today’s most celebrated writers and thinkers, plus audience Q&As and book signings.⁠
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Created to make the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference more accessible, Pavilion Passes are one of the best ways to experience the Conference without a Full Conference Pass. Passes are $50 for a single talk and $100 for a curated two-talk package. Set your reminder now—they tend to sell out quickly...⁠
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To learn more, view the packages, and purchase passes, visit svwc.com/pavilion-pass.

127 0

Did you know that Edward III’s last parliament invented impeachment? That cancel culture in universities actually began at Oxford and in Paris in the 14th Century? That Edward II’s parties would have made Diddy’s freak-offs look like kindergarten parties by comparison? And then there’s the Magna Carta, which supposedly limited the power of the monarchy and established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law. In this episode – recorded live at #SVWC2025 – bestselling British historian Dan Jones, author of such books as The Plantagenets, The Templars, and Henry V, and host of the podcast This Is History, brings us in riveting fashion into the weirdly prescient now of the Middle Ages.⁠
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—⁠
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Welcome to Beyond the Page: The Best of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Over the past 30 years, SVWC has become the gold standard of American literary festivals, bringing together contemporary writing’s brightest stars for their view of the world through a literary lens. Every month, Beyond the Page curates and distills the best talks from SVWC, giving you a front row seat on the kind of knowledge, inspiration, laughter, and meaning that we are known for.⁠
To listen to other talks from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or listen directly on our website. https://svwc.com/media/podcast⁠
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📸 : @rayjgadd

15 0

Ilyon Woo is a storyteller of rare power—bringing hidden histories into unforgettable focus.⁠
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Her Pulitzer Prize–winning Master Slave Husband Wife—an instant New York Times bestseller and one of the year’s most celebrated books—recounts one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, Ellen and William Craft made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.⁠
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With a gift for uncovering lives that history tried to overlook, Woo’s work doesn’t just illuminate the past—it reshapes how we see it. We can't wait to see her in July at #SVWC2026!⁠
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Stay tuned for all the ways to watch Woo's talk. Our full passes to the Writers' Conference have sold out, but we still have our free Community Speaker Series, free lawn talks, free livestreaming, and tickets to our Live Watch Party and Pavilion talks. Subscribe to receive updates about these events at svwc.com/subscribe. @ilyonwooauthor⁠
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📸 : Michael Wilson⁠
https://svwc.com/writers-presenters/ilyon-woo⁠
#IlyonWoo #PulitzerPrize #HistoryBooks #NowReading

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