
What Now? An Evening of Joyful Abundance
About This Event
Joyful Abundance is a new choral project featuring five original works by emerging Philadelphia composers and poets, performed by the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia. Join the mentors and poets who created the librettos for an intimate conversation about the project and their creative process. Hear them read from their work and get a behind-the-scenes look at how these new choral pieces came to life. At the heart of Joyful Abundance is a simple question: What now? Come explore the question through poetry and conversation. Joyful Abundance was originally commissioned by ArtPhilly as part of the What Now: 2026 festival with lead support provided by the William Penn Foundation.
About the Venue

Celia Bookshop
We are a woman-owned independent bookstore in the heart of Swarthmore offering a curated selection of new books including bestsellers, classics, and a large children's section. Community-centered, Celia is more than a bookstore—it’s a place to connect, explore, and find something you didn’t know you were looking for.
Visit store pageMore at Celia Bookshop

Dog Man Release Party
No school on Tuesday, Nov 3 (Election Day)! Spend it with Dog Man! Preorder the new Dog Man book and pick it up at our release day party. Celebrate with themed games, prizes, and pizza! Ticket + book purchases include a copy of Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time . This is not a drop-off event. Kids under 3 and adults over 15 get in free! Attending the program across the street at the PAC Center? This event runs during the lunch hour, and a bookseller will walk kids to and from the store.

Author Talk + Q&A with Evan Brooke
Join us for an evening with Evan Brooke, author of Madeline McKnight Signs Off, in conversation with Beyond the Bookends. What begins as an unusual arrangement becomes a moving intergenerational friendship and a story about ambition, loyalty, redemption, and coming of age at any age. In a nod to fly fishing's role in Madeline McKnight Signs Off, there will be a live fly tying demonstration featuring the signature fly from the cover. The event includes an author signing and wine + cheese reception.

November Fiction Book Club: Morning Session
Join fellow readers for a discussion of Naomi Alderman’s The Strangers , a thought-provoking novel that blends literary fiction and speculative storytelling. Share your thoughts, questions, and interpretations as we explore the book together. Led by Rachel Pastan, Literary Director at Celia Bookshop.