Fans of The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules and the rest of John Irving’s award-winning oeuvre will be in for a treat when the world-renowned author takes part in the Ocean County Library’s Virtual Author Talk series, 7 PM Thursday, October 26.

“A Lifetime of Writing: A Conversation with International Bestselling Author John Irving” will familiarize followers with the prolific writer’s personal backstory, from publication of his first novel at age 26 to three National Book Award nominations and an Academy Award.

Irving will also discuss his self-described “last long novel,” The Last Chairlift, a tale of complex human emotions, passions and yearnings that spans a generation.

It focuses on Rachel Brewster, a competitive skier who abandons her championship dreams after conceiving a child in Colorado. She raises her son Adam and deftly deflects his questions about their past. Adam later journeys to where his life began, and learns more than he bargained for.

Irving was born in New Hampshire in 1942. He won the National Book Award for The World According to Garp in 1980, and 20 years later captured an Oscar for The Cider House Rules. In 2013, Irving’s In One Person won a Lambda Literary Award.

The majority of Irving’s 15 novels are bestsellers and have been translated into more than 35 languages. His adherence to themes of tolerance resonate with alternative families and exponents of personal freedoms.

Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for the author when signing up.

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