Bestselling Author Elizabeth Gilbert to Headline Fundraiser for Spells Writing Lab

Feb. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- Spells Writing Lab, a nonprofit organization that provides free writing workshops to Philadelphia’s school-age children, will be hosting the fundraiser Eat, Love, Write: An Evening with Elizabeth Gilbert & Catherine Gilbert Murdock on February 18, 2010 at the Loews Hotel.

The fundraiser is author Elizabeth Gilbert’s only Philadelphia engagement tied to the January release of Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, the memoir that continues the story she began in Eat, Pray, Love, and hit #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller List. She has no plans to visit Philadelphia at any other point during her book tour.

The main event during Eat, Love, Write begins at 7:30 p.m. and will consist of a conversation between Gilbert and her sister, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, a successful Philadelphia-area young adult novelist. In a wide-ranging conversation introduced by Larry Platt, editor of Philadelphia magazine, the sisters will discuss writing, relationships among sisters and spouses, sudden fame, creativity, and embracing change. Topics that might come up include the sisters’ childhood on a Christmas tree farm in Connecticut and how that inspired their adult writing lives; and Gilbert’s throwing away of her first manuscript for Committed to start again from scratch.

This conversation will be bracketed by a VIP reception with the authors at 6:15 p.m. and a book signing and dessert reception after the main event. Tickets are available on the Spells website, http://phillyspells.org, and cost $50 in advance, $65 at the door, and $125 for the VIP level, which includes the pre-event reception, preferred seating at the main event, and a copy of Committed.

Earlier that day, Catherine Gilbert Murdock will conduct a free, hour-long workshop with teen students at the Spells Writing Lab in North Philadelphia. During the interactive program, which begins at 3:15 p.m., she will discuss her own experiences as an author, provide tips for aspiring writers, and answer questions about her book Princess Ben. Interested students may sign up by calling 267-670-0869 or emailing write@phillyspells.org.

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Spells Writing Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to develop the creative and expository writing abilities of school-age children and awaken a lifelong love of writing by providing free writing programs and teacher development opportunities throughout the greater Philadelphia area. Board members and sponsors for the organization include New York Times bestselling authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Jennifer Weiner. Please visit our website, http://phillyspells.org, for more information.