In a press release Wednesday, the foundation announced that author Ann Patchett will keynote the 2026 Fall Author Event fundraiser.

“Launched in 1996 with legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury as its first speaker, the Fall Author Event has since featured such distinguished guests as Chaim Potok, Ken Burns, Amy Tan, David McCullough, and Sue Monk Kidd,” the release said. “Now in its 30th year, the event will feature Ann Patchett as the keynote speaker. Tickets are known to sell out quickly each year, and are expected to do so again for this milestone celebration.”

The gala fundraiser event is set for Oct. 1, 2026, with funds raised benefitting the foundation’s Classroom Grants Program.

“The Classroom Grants Program is at the heart of our mission,” Ogden School Foundation Executive Director Brynn Murdock said in the release. “It’s one of the most meaningful ways we can reach every classroom and every student in the Ogden School District. Our educators are incredible and work tirelessly to help their students succeed. Supporting them through these grants makes a real difference, not only in students’ lives today, but also for the future of our community.”

Photo supplied, Emily Dorio

The press release adds that, as usual, the fundraiser is only a part of the author’s visit to Ogden.

“The event also includes a Student Writing Contest inspired by the author’s work,” the release said. “Winners will be recognized at the gala, receive a signed copy of one of Patchett’s books, a $100 cash prize, and have the opportunity to meet the author.”

Katie Wahlquist, communications specialist with the Ogden School Foundation, told the Standard-Examiner that the foundation has had many requests for Patchett.

“Ann Patchett is a widely read and beloved author and her name has been among our most requested for many years,” she said. “We’re thrilled to bring her to our community.”

She added that this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate a major milestone for the Fall Author Event.

Photo supplied, Ogden School Foundation

“We’re proud to reach this milestone and grateful that the event has become such a highly anticipated community tradition,” she said. “It’s a testament to the generosity of our supporters who value education, and to the power of storytelling and literacy. It’s clear year after year that Ogden is a community that loves to read.”

Wahlquist said the Fall Author Event has changed a lot over the years.

“What started with a couple hundred guests at the Timbermine Restaurant in 1996 has grown into nearly 1,000 attendees each year at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the way our community has embraced this event for 30 years.”

She added that it has also meant a lot to the Ogden School District over the last three decades.

“The Fall Author Event is not only a key fundraiser that supports a wide range of programs for students and teachers, but is also a powerful way to highlight the impact of reading,” she said. “Many teachers incorporate the visiting author’s books into their classrooms, and our student writing contest, inspired by the author’s work, provides an additional connection that directly supports the Foundation’s mission to enhance educational opportunities.”

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner file photo

Wahlquist said they will take some time to acknowledge the milestone during the 2026 Fall Author Event.

“In addition to hearing from and being inspired by Ann Patchett, we will definitely take a moment to reflect on past events and honor the memories and milestones that have shaped this event for three decades,” she said. “We’re also excited to continue our Student Writing Contest and to recognize this year’s student winners during the community gala.”

According to the press release, “Ann Patchett is the author of nine acclaimed novels, including ‘Bel Canto,’ ‘Commonwealth,’ ‘The Dutch House,’ and ‘Tom Lake,’ with her tenth novel, ‘Whistler,’ set for release in June 2026. She has also written four nonfiction books, edited ‘Best American Short Stories 2006,’ and collaborated on three children’s books with illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. Several of her novels are widely beloved as audiobooks, narrated by celebrated performers such as Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. Patchett’s work has received numerous awards, appeared on The New York Times bestseller list, and been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2011, she founded Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, becoming a national advocate for independent booksellers, making appearances in media and events all across the country championing books and bookstores. In 2012, Time magazine named her one of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World.'”

Tickets to the gala event will go on sale Feb. 11, 2026, and are expected to go quickly. For more information, visit ogdenschoolfoundation.org/fallauthor.