Virginia Literary Awards & Silent Auction Raise Support for the Library

The Virginia Literary Awards Silent Auction is live! This year’s auction packages feature exclusive experiences with Virginia authors, vacation rentals, cultural attractions and unique research opportunities! All proceeds will benefit the Library's conservation, education and community outreach efforts.

The 28th Annual Virginia Literary Awards Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 20 is hosted by award-winning author Adriana Trigiani, presented by Dominion Energy and supported by Carole and Marcus Weinstein. Tickets are sold out, but you can still make a gift to support the Library and bid on the Virginia Literary Awards Silent Auction, which closes on Sept. 20.

Parker will discuss her book "Becoming Belle da Costa Green: A Visionary Librarian Through Her Letters," which chronicles the making and empowerment of a female connoisseur, curator and library director in a world where such positions were held by men. A book signing and reception will follow the program, which will be held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Sponsored by the VMFA and the Library of Virginia, the Kotz Award recognizes an outstanding book published in the previous year that is written primarily in response to a work (or works) of art while also showing the highest literary quality as a creative or scholarly work. Established in 2013, the award is named in honor of Mary Lynn Kotz, author of the award-winning biography “Rauschenberg: A Life.”

Discussion With Acclaimed Culinary Historians Michael Twitty & Leni Sorensen Added to 2025 Weinstein Author Series

The Library of Virginia is excited to announce that a conversation between culinary historian Leni Sorensen and award-winning author and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty on his new book, “Recipes From the American South,” has been added to the 2025 Carole Weinstein Author Series lineup. The talk will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.

Building on the foundation of his James Beard Award–winning memoir, “The Cooking Gene,” Twitty once again brings his unparalleled scholarship, lived experience and eloquent storytelling to his exploration of the South. He showcases the complexity of the food traditions influenced by European, Indigenous, African and immigrant communities. With more than 260 recipes, Twitty offers a broad view of the culinary sweep of Southern history and its many cultures, bringing to life everything from timeless classics to lesser-known regional specialties.

In “The Color of Law,” Rothstein argues that segregation in America is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal level. “Just Action” describes how we can begin to address this situation and provides dozens of strategies that local groups can pursue to redress segregation in their own communities.

Rothstein is a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute and Senior Fellow Emeritus of the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. This event is part of the Library's programming related to its exhibition “House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History,” on view through Feb. 28, 2026.

Commemorate Archives Month With Tours, Workshops & Resources

October is Virginia Archives Month! Visit an archival institution near you to celebrate the enduring value of archives and the people and organizations that help preserve these important records and make them accessible. This year’s theme is “Oh Snap! Photography in the Archives.” Explore Archives Month resources, take a tour of the Library of Virginia or join us for a workshop on cyanotypes or webinars on the history of photography, caring for photographs, and archiving underrepresented Virginia history.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, September 12

Intermediate Genealogy Workshop | Virginians in the First & Second World Wars

Friday, September 19

Art in Literature: The Mary Lynn Kotz Award

Saturday, September 20

28th Annual Virginia Literary Awards Celebration

Thursday, September 25

Virtual Book Talk With Richard Rothstein | “The Color of Law” and “Just Action”

Saturday, September 27

Walking the Ward With Gary Flowers

Saturday, September 27

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