Visiting Authors, Readings, Book Signings & More in Asheville

Who doesn't love having a good book in hand, sipping a cup of coffee, and nibbling on a bit of fresh pastry? If you love a good book scene, then you must make a visit to Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe on Haywood Street in Asheville. The meaning behind Malaprop's name and the bookstore's history are interesting reads in themselves.

Locally voted as "Best Bookstore in WNC" year after year and winner of the Publisher's Weekly Bookseller of the year award, Malaprop's is the region's largest locally-owned independent bookstore. With a full schedule of visiting authors, readings and book signings, you'll quickly see why it has received so many accolades both locally and nationally.

Here's a sampling of what's happening this month at Malaprop's. Please note that some events require advance tickets. For a full listing of this month's events, click here. (There is literally an event almost every single day!)

Reading and Book Signing by Dana Sachs

On Thursday, March 7 at 7p.m., Dana Sachs reads and signs copies of The Secret of Nightingale Palace. This poignant story features the saga of an estranged grandmother and granddaughter and the secret that ties them together. The narrative alternates between early 1940s San Francisco and the present day. The story highlights the power of love and family.

Terry Tempest Williams Reading & Book Signing (Ticketed Event)

Award-winning author Terry Tempest Williams presents her book When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice on Friday, March 8 at 7p.m. Her book recounts memories of her mother, ponders her own faith, and contemplates the notion of absence and presence in art and in our world. Tickets for the event are $18 and include a paperback copy of the book.

Mohsin Hamid Reading & Book Signing (Ticketed Event)

On Saturday, March 9 at 1p.m., Mohsin Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is the much anticipated novel of 2013 by Vogue, The Daily Beast, The Nation, and The Guardian. It is the riveting tale of a man's journey from an impoverished rural boy to corporate tycoon. Tickets for the event are $10 and include a $5 coupon toward the purchase of Hamid's book.

Denise Kiernan Presents The Girls of Atomic City
On Saturday, March 9 at 7p.m., Denise Kiernan's The Girls of Atomic City is an artful blend of history and science as a book based on the interviews with dozens of the surviving women and other residents of Oak Ridge, TN, a town created from scratch in 1942 as one of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. This untold story of the women who helped win World War II tells the tales of unsung women whose wartime work had consequences that continue to reverberate today. A book signing follows this event.


We hope you make a visit to Malaprop's during your stay here in Asheville. March is a great time to reserve a vacation rental in downtown Asheville where you can be close and convenient to all you want to see and do in our town. Plan a spring break getaway here in Western North Carolina and have time to experience our shops, restaurants, coffee shops, museums, shows, events and more while you're here.

We look forward to seeing you!