Authors on Tap: Brian Raftery and Gillian Flynn

Schedule

Thu Feb 12 2026 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Exile in Bookville | Chicago, IL

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Authors on Tap: Brian Raftery and Gillian Flynn
About this Event

Please join us in store on Thursday, February 12th at 7:00pm central to help celebrate Brian Raftery's new book,Hannibal Lecter: A Life. Brian will be in conversation with Gillian Flynn!

About Hannibal Lecter: A Life:

This unique biography traces the many lives and crimes of Hannibal Lecter: his disturbing debut in Thomas Harris’s 1981 novel Red Dragon; his rise to infamy in beloved films like Michael Mann’s Manhunter and Jonathan Demme’s Academy Award–winning The Silence of the Lambs; and his unexpected comeback in the cult-hit TV series Hannibal. It also dives into the untold life and career of Harris, the secretive bestselling author whose passion for reporting, eye for grisly detail, and connections to the FBI helped birth not only Lecter, but also the modern true-crime genre. Along the way, Hannibal Lecter: A Life documents the many ways Lecter’s rise reflected America’s ever-growing obsession with real-life serial killers.

Featuring all-new interviews with crucial figures from Lecter’s past—including actor Brian Cox, director Mann, and former FBI special agent John Douglas—Hannibal Lecter: A Life is a deeply reported, wildly entertaining look at the making of one of the most beloved bad guys of all time.

About the authors:

Brian Raftery’s work has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Wired, GQ, and The Ringer. He’s the author of Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen, and the host of multiple podcasts for the Ringer, including the acclaimed Gene & Roger. He lives in Burbank, California, with his wife and daughters, and will never eat meat again.

Gillian Flynn is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Gone Girl, for which she wrote the Golden Globe-nominated screenplay, and the New York Times bestsellers Dark Places and Sharp Objects. She was the showrunner for Amazon's Utopia, and co-wrote Widows with director Steve McQueen. Her latest project is Gillian Flynn Books in partnership with Zando, an imprint which is committed to publishing books across genres that are propulsive, culturally incisive, and unexpected. She is also a former critic for Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Chicago with her husband and children.

About this event:

This is a free, in person event and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register for free! Brian and Gillian will be happy to sign/personalize copies of their books after the event! Can't make it to the event? Signed copies will be available in store and online with national shipping.


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Where is it happening?

Exile in Bookville, 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, United States

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