First ticket lottery registration opens for Author Series
Sanibel Public Library card holders have the opportunity to register for the first author of the 2026-2027 Author Series until this Friday.
“It has put Sanibel on the map, believe me,” Sanibel Public Library Adult Program Coordinator Duane Shaffer said of the Author Series.
This year the authors are Ariel Lawhon, Robert Dugoni, Anna Quindlen, Allison Pataki and Chanel Cleeton.
Shaffer said the Author Series has taken place since 2008.
“Before that it was known as Sanibel Reads under the previous director,” he said.
Since changing to the Author Series, the Sanibel Public Library, in partnership with the Sanibel Public Library Foundation, has brought in almost 60 different world class authors to the library during their Author Series season.
“We like to have a very seamless programs – almost choreographed – everything timed down perfectly where the author walks through the door until we return them to the motel at 9 in the evening,” he said.
Shaffer said from start to finish it takes about a year to reach out to a particular agency for a particular author and book them for the series.
“Sometimes I can do it within the space of nine months,” he said. Some of the larger authors, it will take a while – David Baldacci took me three years to get him here. The more famous authors have a tight schedule as far as writing is concerned, sabbaticals, and on book tours. It doesn’t always mesh with our author season from December through April.”
When choosing authors to invite, Shaffer looks for rising stars – authors who have one or two books and showing a very promising career, or a career that has really taken off as far as popularity. He also looks at the reading habits of the community to choose the authors.
“It’s the best part of my job. It’s fun. There is not a whole lot of challenges. In the end, the payoff is when the author arrives and you see the magical evening we have – the presentation, the champagne reception, book signing at the end,” Shaffer said.
He said people are attending the event who may not have heard about the author before the series, but become a fan before the end of the evening.
When the Author Series first started it operated on a first-come, first-serve basis through tickets. Shaffer said people lined up out the door when they announced tickets were being distributed.
People would come and set up lawn chairs to get their tickets, which turned into a difficult system to maintain.
Through some other trial and error, the library landed on a completely random computerized lottery system where people, a month before the author makes an appearance at the library, have a chance to request one or two tickets. Shaffer said it does not matter if they request a ticket a minute after the lottery opens, or a minute before it closes.
“We run the program right after the window closes. It’s the best system we have had since we started,” he said.
In order to request tickets during the lottery, the individual must have a Sanibel Public Library card to do so.
The author and ticket lottery registration is as follows:
Lawhon: Monday, Dec. 7, 2026
Registration opened Friday, Nov. 6, at 9 a.m. and ends Friday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m.
Lawhon is a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her novels include “The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress,” “Flight of Dreams,” “I Was Anastasia,” “Code Name Helene,” “When We Had Wings,” which was cowritten with Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner, “The Frozen River,” and “Pirate Queen.”
Dugoni: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027
Registration opens Friday, Dec. 11, at 9 a.m. and ends Friday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m.
Dugoni is a New York Times and No. 1 Amazon bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries and historical novels. He is the creator of the Tracy Crosswhite police series, the Charles Jenkins espionage series, and the Keera Duggan legal thriller series.
Quindlen: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027
Registration opens Friday, Jan. 8, at 9 a.m. and ends Friday, Jan. 15, 2027, at 5 p.m.
Quindlen is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, celebrated journalist and bestselling author. Her most recent novel is “More Than Enough.”
Pataki: Tuesday, March 9, 2027
Registration opens Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 9 a.m. and ends Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2027, at 5 p.m.
Pataki is a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction, children’s books and memoir. Some of her books include the “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post,” and “Finding Margaret Fuller.”
Cleeton: Monday, April 5, 2027
Registration opens Friday, March 5, at 9 a.m. and ends Friday, March 12, 2027, at 5 p.m.
Cleeton is a Cuban American New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling author. She wrote “Next Year in Havana,” a historical fiction novel.
This year, Lawhon will make an appearance at the Sanibel Public Library, as well as Cleeton. The remaining authors, Dugoni, Quindlen, and Pataki will make an appearance at the Sanibel Community House.
Shaffer said they can set up 250 chairs in the west wing of the library, and 350 chairs at the Community House.
The evening of the Author Series has been perfected down to the exact time.
“We pick up the author about 6:15 at Island Inn, or ‘Tween Waters and bring them to the library. From 6:30 to 7 they can go over notes, decompress, or whatever they need to do for preparation. At 7 p.m they take the stage and give a presentation for 45 minutes until 7:45. There is a 15 minute question and answer until 8 p.m.,” Shaffer said.
From there the author is taken to the east side of the library where a reception and book signing takes place from 8 until 8:45 p.m.
MacIntosh Books + Paper is the book vendor for the series.
“We have had an excellent, wonderful relationship with them over the years. Rebecca is fantastic,” he said.
For more information, visit sanlib.org, or call 239-472-2483. The library is located at 770 Dunlop Rd.
Author Allison Pataki
Author Anna Quindlen
Author Ariel Lawhon
Author Chanel Cleeton
Author Robert Dugoni
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email mbradbury@breezenewspapers.com