The Listeners: Sweetwater Beneath the Business of Luxury
MAGGIE STIEFVATER in conversation with CLAUDIA FRIDDELL
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
31st Street & Barclay Street
Waverly Neighborhood
From #1 New York Times bestselling novelist MAGGIE STIEFVATER, who has sold over 5 million copies around the world of her YA fantasy books, including the Shiver trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races, comes the debut of her first adult novel, The Listeners. The esteemed author made a name for herself as “a writer of atmospheric, character-driven, genre-bending novels that feel like nothing else on your bookshelf.” This historical fiction is a deeply researched and deeply felt novel based on real stories, Appalachian folklore, betrayal, and an unlikely romance with a mesmerizing heroine by a storytelling marvel, a book about “shifting alliances and power imbalances, the true cost of luxury, and good people trying to do the right thing.” Award-winning novelist, CLAUDIA FRIDDEL, whose latest nonfiction YA book, The Mysterious Virginia Hall, World War II’s Most Dangerous Spy – one of three Baltimore stories that reads like a thriller, joins her in conversation.
STAY INFORMED
Maggie Stiefvater is the New York Times bestselling author of the Shiver trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races, among dozens of other YA fantasy novels, and The Listeners. Stiefvater is a writer whose prodigious imagination and distinctive prose style have combined to create a novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred. Her latest books are The Listeners, her adult debut, and a graphic novel adaptation of The Raven Boys, both hit the shelves in 2025. Her “first foray into historical fiction retains her unique voice and signature magical realism. Well-drawn characters and excellent worldbuilding bring a little-known element of World War II to life in this must-read for all historical fiction fans.” —Library Journal, Starred. Stiefvater lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and their two children. For more information about her work, visit: https://randomhouse.app.box.com/s/e3i019e7ytii1g4go2j719j0xclka06e
maggiestiefvater.com
X: @mstiefvater
Instagram: @maggie_stiefvater
Claudia Friddell, the award-winning and starred-reviewed author of eight narrative nonfiction books, considers herself a treasure hunter who loves to find and write true stories that highlight extraordinary people and events from America’s past. Her latest nonfiction YA book, The Mysterious Virginia Hall, World War II’s Most Dangerous Spy, is a “love letter to a lesser-known WWII spy that presents an impressive true story … A riveting exploration of Virginia Hall’s life and work, especially her undercover escapades, told with as much ease and enjoyment as a wartime spy mystery.”—Booklist. Claudia, most especially, loves writing books about heroic women who are timeless role models for readers of all ages, including Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call and To the Front! Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam. Some of Claudia’s other meticulously researched books of American icons and unsung heroes that are relatable and exciting for today’s young readers include George Washington’s Spies, Saving Lady Liberty, Road Trip!, Goliath, Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire, and Cool off and Ride! A former teacher, Claudia is inspired by the students, educators, history buffs, and avid readers whom she meets at author events across the country. She and her husband have two grown children and live in Maryland.
claudiafriddell.com
Instagram: @claudiafriddell
