Friends of the Park City Library bring in Pulitzer Prize-winner for Author Luncheon

The Author Luncheon hosted by Friends of the Park City Library returns after three years on October 19 with author John Branch. Photo: Park City Library.

PARK CITY, Utah — After a three-year hiatus, Friends of the Park City Library host the return of its Author Luncheon at the Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley. On October 19, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist and author John Branch will speak and answer questions about his new book, “Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports.”

The sportswriter’s new book is a compilation of 20 short stories reporting mainly offbeat, backcountry sports worlds from skiers and rock climbers to girls’ basketball teams and Rubik’s Cube competitions. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for Snow Fall: The Avalanch at Tunnel Creek and was a finalist in 2012 for Derek Boogaard: A Boy Learns to Brawl.

“I like to say [the Author Luncheon] is a reward to the community for supporting the Friends of the Library because, of course, our mission is to support the library itself,” said co-President of the board for Friends of the Library Jean Daly. “So the fact that we have so many people supporting us through Live PC Give PC and our book sales, we’re able to do a good job in supporting the library. So this is kind of a reward to these people. We’re just delighted to be able to do it.”

Tickets are available online and at the Park City Library’s main desk for $45, and in-person day-of tickets will be available for $55.

Branch is no stranger to Park City. He often skis in the area and spoke for a local organization in 2017 for his book “The Last Cowboys,” about a rodeo and ranching family in southern Utah. Branch will speak with a group of Park City High School students interested in sports writing before the event.