Meet the Author: Paterson Joseph
A WCDPL Foundation Series Event
Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Bowling Green Library Atrium

Join us to meet bestselling author and actor Paterson Joseph on Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 pm!

A storyteller in many ways, Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer that has been on Vigil, Naughts + Crosses, Wonka, and Boat Story, and has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK. His debut novel, The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, has won the Royal Society of Literature’s Christopher Bland prize and the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Historical Crown 2023 Award. Engrossing and emotional, his stories capture tales of adventure and freedom steeped in compassion and artistry.

His debut novel, The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, is a story that begins on a slave ship in the Atlantic and ends at the very center of London life. It is a lush and immersive tale of adventure, artistry, romance, and freedom set in eighteenth-century England and based on the true story of the first Black person to vote in Britain, who lead the fight to end slavery. Paterson channels the writing style of the day and draws diaries to give voice to his interior life.

The Past & Its Future: Erik Larson
A WCDPL Foundation Series Event
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Performing Arts Center, 540 W. Poe Road

Join the Wood County District Public Library in this WCDPL Foundation Series event with bestselling nonfiction author, Erik Larson! Erik will visit Bowling Green on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:00 pm.

Erik Larson is a master of narrative nonfiction. His vividly written, bestselling books have won several awards and been published worldwide. His latest book, The Demon of Unrest, is a nonfiction thriller about the five months between Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War. Six of his books are New York Times bestsellers, and he has won an Edgar Award for fact-crime writing and been a finalist for the National Book Award. With a background in journalism and a gift for creating richly written historical experiences, everyone will enjoy learning about his journey and discovering how the past influences our future.

Registration is required, and tickets for this event are free and open to the public. Tickets will be available in 2025.

From the Ground Up: Kevin O'Connor
A WCDPL Foundation Series Event
Thursday, October 9, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Performing Arts Center, 540 W. Poe Road

Join the Wood County District Public Library in this WCDPL Foundation Series event with This Old House host, Kevin O'Connor! Kevin will visit Bowling Green on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 7:00 pm.

Kevin O’Connor is the Emmy-award winning host of the PBS series This Old House and Ask This Old House and has been on the show since 2003. Kevin is the author of The Best Homes of This Old House, serves on the editorial board of This Old House Magazine, and hosted Clearstory, a top-ranked podcast. With a love for historic home preservation and a strong advocacy for skilled trades, Kevin’s story and experiences will engage, entertain, and encourage you to rebuild from the ground up.

Registration is required, and tickets for this event are free and open to the public. Tickets will be available in 2025.

In 2017, the WCDPL Foundation began The Foundation Series with the goal of bringing widely recognized and engaging authors and speakers to our community. Due to the generous responses to our calls for support, the WCDPL Foundation is able to continue this and bring bestselling authors to our community. You can view some of these authors below.

Visits from these and future authors are only possible because of your support. To routinely host high-caliber guests, it is imperative to secure funds needed to cover speaker's fees and travel costs. Please consider a generous, tax-deductible gift to the WCDPL Foundation that will help ensure that the library and The Foundation Series continue as sources of vibrant and creative experiences for our community which provide ongoing opportunities for exploration, discovery, learning, and fun. Make a donation by clicking here, or contacting Angie Babcock at (419) 352-5104 ext. 216.

Beth Macy (2019)

Bestselling author, award-winning investigative journalist, and BGSU alumni Beth Macy joined us as our inaugural Foundation Series guest to discuss her book, Dopesick, which charts the devastating opioid crisis in our neighborhoods and across our nation.

Nate Blakeslee (2019)

Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Nate Blakeslee visited us in late 2019 to talk about his book, American Wolf, the story of the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park.

Mae Jemison (2020)

Educator, scientist, and astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison visited and inspired us to "just look up" by sharing both her story as America's first Black woman to travel into space and why science and exploration are so important in our lives.

Danny Trejo (2022)

Bestselling author, restaurateur, and actor Danny Trejo joined us to share why, as he said, "every positive thing that has ever happened to me in my life has been directly in response to me helping someone else." Trejo's visit garnered huge community engagement for the library; all 740 tickets were spoken for in 48 hours and over 600 people were on the waitlist for the event. 

Sonia Manzano (2023)

For over 40 years, Sonia inspired, educated, and delighted children and families as "Maria" on Sesame Street. Named one of the 25 Greatest Latino Role Models, Sonia has contributed to enriching diversity on television, on the stage, and in the educational realm. As a first-generation Puerto Rican born on the mainland, her tale is one of perseverance and courage as she overcame countless obstacles to become one the of the most influential Latinas on television.