Monday, January 14, 5:00 to 6:30 PM
Hotel Posada de Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15
$100

Travel With Us to 17th Century France

By Andrew Goodell

Video, Drama, Mini-lectures, Live Music, Cuisine

Because the Big Read selection this year, The Shadow Queen by Writers’ Conference keynote speaker Sandra Gulland, takes place in the French court of Louis the XIV, we are going to take you there in a spectacular evening of video, drama, mini-lectures, live music, and even 17th century French snacks!

The evening will include a number of events centered around the seventeenth-century Baroque French court. The program will include a historical presentation of life at court during the reign of Louis XIV and a short talk on French 17th-century theater; a delightful Baroque music performance; actors performing a dramatic reading from the book; a video presentation from our author, Sandra Gulland, who will discuss some aspects of her book, how she came to write about this specific period, and this particular story; and finally, you may find yourself able to sample a very special tasty treat or two that appeared in the book!

About the Book and Author
Sandra Gulland’s spellbinding novel, The Shadow Queen, is inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative, and dangerous woman in the 17th-century French court: the mistress of the charismatic “Sun King,” Louis the Fourteenth, who ruled France from 1643 to 1715.

By selecting this juicy novel about seventeenth-century France, we are spotlighting historical fiction, one of the most popular genres in literature currently. Since Gulland is a prolific writer, readers who enjoy the novel will be able to turn to other enthralling Gulland novels. American-born Canadian novelist Sandra Gulland splits her time between San Miguel de Allende and Ontario, Canada. She has published five books, including two that are set in the court of Louis XIV and a trilogy based on the life of Josephine Bonapart. She is currently at work on her sixth novel.

Discussion Groups
The Big Read also offers special discussion groups about the novel. To join one, sign up at this event on January 14 or contact Nancy Stich at bigread@sanmiguelwritersconference.org.
Elegant Brunch
And finally, everyone who participates in a Big Read discussion group will be invited to meet the author on February 10 at an intimate brunch, at an exclusive San Miguel home and garden and enjoy some one-on-one time with this remarkable writer.

To Purchase the Book
The book will be available for purchase at the January 14 event. It is also for sale at the Literary Sala Bookstore in the Tesoros shop at the Biblioteca, Insurgentes #25.
Additional details and a chance to sign-up for discussion groups can be found on the webpage at https://sanmiguelwritersconference.org/big-read/. You can also contact Nancy Stich at bigread@sanmiguelwritersconference.org.
Bienvenue à une soirée en France!