Robert Weil: Man who resurrected a publishing house to talk Aug. 10

Robert Weil, editor-in-chief and publishing director of Liveright Publishing, will join a live, online conversation presented by the Lewes Public Library and Browseabout Books at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Liveright Publishing Corporation, originally Boni & Liveright Press, was one of the most influential publishing houses of the early 20th century, producing works from some of the most celebrated American writers of the period including T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and William Faulkner, to name only a few. Founder Horace Liveright was known for seeking works that would stand the test of time – and for challenging norms and pushing boundaries. An instrumental figure in launching the Harlem Renaissance, he also introduced European intellectuals such as Sigmund Freud and Bertrand Russell to the American audience.

When Liveright Corporation ceased publishing, it was acquired by W.W. Norton & Company and then relaunched nearly 40 years later with Editor-in-Chief Robert Weil at the helm. Weil has continued to implement the high standards and progressive literary sensibilities of his predecessor, producing critically acclaimed, award-winning titles such as 2020’s National Book Award for Nonfiction winner, “The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X” and 2021’s Pulitzer Prize in History recipient, “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America.”

In this interactive discussion, Weil will describe his journey resurrecting Liveright, and his approach to identifying and producing outstanding works that define and redefine American culture. He will be joined in conversation by author and Lewes Public Library Distinguished Lecturer Ronald Collins.

Participants are invited to explore Liveright titles at the Lewes Public Library and at local independent bookstore Browseabout Books. A curated list of Liveright books, as well as registration for the event, is available at lewes.lib.de.us. Orders may be placed online at browseaboutbooks.com, by calling the store at 302-226-2665, or in person at 133 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach.

“Horace Liveright, co-founder of the Modern Library and Liveright Publishing, rekindled the Renaissance tradition by exposing modern minds to momentous and daring books. True to that spirit comes Robert Weil, the man who first helped revive Liveright and then took it to new literary, cultural and philosophic heights. Both in conceptual foresight and in editorial acumen, Weil keeps the spirit of Liveright alive and vibrant,” said Collins.