Illustrations from Big Tree, by Brian Selznick
Join us for an evening with Brian Selznick, author of "Big Tree", at The Merwin Conservancy's The Green Room arts and ecology series
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Location: Hanahau‘oli School Courtyard, 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
Cost: $25 Adults General Admission, $12.50 12 & Under General Admission,
On Saturday, May 20th, we'll come together for an evening of inspiration and conversation with author Brian Selznick in Hanahau'oli School’s open-air courtyard. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Register early; these tickets are expected to go quickly.
The Associated Press called Selznick “one of publishing’s most imaginative storytellers.” Selznick’s most recent bestselling novel Kaleidoscope was a New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2021. In praising his body of work, The Washington Post said, “Brian Selznick proves to be that rare creator capable of following one masterpiece with another.”
Brian’s new immersive novel Big Tree, his most broadly reaching and ambitious work to date, is a love letter to the natural world. The story follows two tiny sycamore seeds, Louise and Merwin, as they try to save the world while searching for a safe place to grow.
The novel opens with this epigraph:
On the last day of the world
I would want to plant a tree
— “Place” by W.S. Merwin
The story began as an original idea from film legend Steven Spielberg, with guidance by Illumination Founder and CEO Chris Meledandri. It grew into Big Tree, which was released worldwide in hardcover and ebook in April 2023.
General Admission tickets are $25 each plus fees. Tickets for children age 12 and under are $12.50 plus fees.
Click here to learn more about The Merwin Conservancy’s arts and ecology series, The Green Room.
Mahalo to Anne Swayne Keir and the Keith and Judy Swayne Fund for generously supporting the 10th year of this program as a Green Room Host, and to the Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center for their generous support.
About Brian Selznick
Brian Selznick is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies, garnered countless awards worldwide, and been translated into more than 35 languages. His novel, Big Tree (April 4, 2023 worldwide publication), which began as an original idea from film legend Steven Spielberg, is a trailblazing adventure with nearly 300 pages of illustrations. Selznick broke open the novel form with his innovative and genre-defying thematic trilogy, beginning with the Caldecott Medal-winning and bestselling book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning movie Hugo. He followed that with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Wonderstruck, adapted into the eponymous movie by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick, and the New York Times bestseller, The Marvels.
Selznick’s two most recent books for young people, Baby Monkey, Private Eye, co-written with his husband David Serlin, and Kaleidoscope, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2021, were both New York Times bestsellers. He also illustrated the 20th anniversary edition covers of the Harry Potter series. His recent collaborations include a reimagined Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet with Christopher Wheeldon and a screenplay of the forthcoming animated version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with William Joyce as director.