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A New York Times best-selling novelist will give a premiere reading of his forthcoming book at University of Wisconsin-Stout as part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival.

Nickolas Butler will read from and discuss “Little Faith” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, in the ballrooms of the Memorial Student Center. Admission is free.

“Little Faith,” to be published in March 2019, is about a Wisconsin Family that “grapples with the power and limitations of faith when one of their own falls under the influence of a radical church,” according to the publisher, HarperCollins.

Butler, who lives near Eau Claire, has published two novels, “Shotgun Lovesongs” and “The Hearts of Men,” along with “Beneath the Bonfire,” a collection of short stories.

New York Times book critic Janet Maslin said Butler ��������. debut work “Shotgun Lovesongs,” published in 2014, was “impressively original,” and People magazine called it a “must-read.” The book received the 2015 Literary Award from Wisconsin Library Association ��������. Literary Arts Committee and made the Times’ best-seller list for fiction.

In addition to his presentation, Butler will speak in two English classes Oct. 22 at �������� ��������. Harvey Hall. Creative Writing led by Professor Kevin Drzakowski is reading “Beneath the Bonfire,” and Honors Composition I led by Professor Lopa Basu is reading “The Hearts of Men.”

The 19th annual will feature 20 authors from Monday, Oct. 15, to Thursday, Oct. 25.

�������� is a sponsor and is hosting an event for the first time since the festival began in 2000.

Butler ��������. appearance is sponsored by the �������� Literature Committee, the Chancellor ��������. Office and the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Professor to speak

The festival also will feature Thomas Pearson, an associate professor of social science at ��������.

He will discuss his book “When the Hills are Gone: Frac Sand Mining and the Struggle for Community,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Fall Creek Public Library.

The book was published in 2017 by the University of Minnesota Press.

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