The Lit Salon: Twist with Colum McCann
On April 22, join The Lit Salon, an intimate literary salon set to candlelight inside Maison Brooklyn, which will feature internationally bestselling author Colum McCann on the launch of his new book Twist in a benefit salon for The Knights, the Grammy-nominated non profit music ensemble, who will curate and perform music inspired by Twist.
A welcome cocktail and a creative food spread by Local Roots NYC will be served and a performance by The Knights will open the event, followed by an hour of conversation, performances, and audience Q&A. A book signing and mingling with complimentary drinks will conclude the event.
The Lit Salon is located inside Maison Brooklyn, a lovingly restored, historic 1890s townhouse. Guests will be asked to remove their shoes inside the private home, so bring your best sock game!
Early bird tickets are $50 with the opportunity to purchase an autographed and dedicated copy of the book, VIP tickets are $100 which include autographed book and front row tickets. All tickets include a discount to The Knights' next concert at Carnegie Hall on May 15 (discount code provided in confirmation email). Space is limited. All sales final. No tickets will be sold at the door.
The Lit Salon is produced by Maison Brooklyn, with special partners Aerangis, Ode à la Rose (a same-day NYC flower delivery service), Fort Hamilton Distillery and Untapped New York.
Colum McCann is the author of eight novels, three collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many international honours, including the U.S National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish arts academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts. His work has been published in over 40 languages. He is the President and co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organisation, Narrative 4. He lives in New York with his wife Allison and their family. His 2009 novel Let the Great World Spin has sold a million copies in the United States alone, and was voted on the New York Times Readers List, “100 Best Books of the 21st Century.” Apeirogon, published in 2020, became an immediate New York Times best-seller and won several major international awards. His first major non-fiction book, American Mother, was published in February 2024, and was a bestseller in Ireland, Italy and France.
His newest novel, Twist, is due to be published in March, 2025. It received star-rated reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and The Bookseller. His fellow novelist Salman Rushdie has written: “Colum McCann gives us a powerfully realist novel of men at sea, literally, emotionally, and metaphorically. It speaks of the brokenness of our time, the successful and unsuccessful attempts at repairs, and the vulnerability of our world. The spirit of Joseph Conrad hovers over the text, but here the heart of darkness lies at the bottom of the ocean.”
The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, and Gil Shaham, and has appeared across the world’s most prestigious stages, including those at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Ravinia, The Kennedy Center, and the Vienna Musikverein.
The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers, who are also founding members of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. Since incorporating in 2007, the orchestra has toured consistently across the United States and Europe.
Michelle Young is the author of The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland, Secret New York, Secret Brooklyn, and Broadway. Michelle is also the founder of Untapped New York, a Professor of Architecture at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and a scholar in the New York Public Library’s Allen Room. Michelle’s writing and photography have been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Narratively, Hyperallergic, The Forward, Business Insider, Curbed, Metropolis Magazine and more. She was featured on the History Channel production The Engineering That Built the World, Netflix’s Stay Here, Smithsonian Channel’s Searching for Secrets, PBS’ 10 That Changed America, National Geographic’s Strange Truths, and Tell Me Something I Don’t Know with Stephen Dubner
The Lit Salon is produced by Maison Brooklyn, with special partners Aerangis, Ode à la Rose (a same-day NYC flower delivery service), Fort Hamilton Distillery and Untapped New York.