Julia Quinn is the author of the “Bridgerton” novel series and will speak on the series at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Saturday. Credit: Roberto Filho, Courtesy of Columbus Metropolitan Library
Although the “Bridgerton” prequel and spinoff show “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is not premiering on Netflix until May 4, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author behind the franchise will visit Columbus Sunday.
Julia Quinn is collaborating with Columbus Metropolitan Library to give a free talk at its main library, which is located at 96 S. Grant Ave., at 2 p.m. With Quinn’s prominence in the ever-popular romance genre, CML is excited to connect her with Columbus readers, Ben Zenitsky, a CML spokesperson, said.
Zenitsky said Quinn is participating in the 2023 Sesquicentennial Author Series, which is usually titled the Carnegie Author Series — a series established in 2017 to hear from national authors. It has been temporarily rebranded in celebration of CML’s 150th anniversary.
“Whenever we are opening new buildings, our collection services team is sure to stock the shelves full of romance, and they are flying off the shelves,” Zenitsky said. “There is immense value and immense readership.”
Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series was published between 2000-06, according to her website. Set in Regency-era England, all eight historical romance novels revolve around the aristocratic Bridgerton siblings’ separate journeys to find love.
Adapted for the screen by Netflix, “Bridgerton” season one premiered in 2020 and racked up over 625 million watch hours in its first 28 days, according to Netflix’s Most Popular TV (English) list. Released in 2022, season two boasted more than 656 million hours watched in its first 28 days, the same list reports. A third season is in production, though a return date has not been announced at the time of publication.
General anticipation for Quinn’s arrival converges nicely with CML’s sesquicentennial, Zenitsky said. He said 22 of 23 CML branches are hosting “birthday bashes” — complete with activities, refreshments and prizes — Saturday.
“[Quinn’s] program next Sunday will be just the day after our actual anniversary,” Zenitsky said. “It’s going to be a big weekend for us at the library.”
Meredith Patzer, a librarian at CML, said she thinks Quinn will speak at length about “Bridgerton” and the historical romance genre. She said many people are drawn to the “Bridgerton” books and the show because of their lavish, Regency-style aesthetics.
“It’s really fun to see that actually on screen,” Patzer said. “You get to see these beautiful, beautiful clothes. And these people acting in the way that they’re talking about in the book.”
Though the “Bridgerton” novels are not diverse in nature, the show features a racially diverse cast that appeals more to modern audiences, Patzer said. Within the past five to 10 years, historical romance as a whole has evolved to showcase more voices and identities, she said.
“There are LGBTQ authors and characters,” Patzer said. “There’s even been a couple of books that have come out recently with transgender characters, even though they’re historical, which I think is pretty cool.”
Patzer said romance books, such as those in the “Bridgerton” series, can have a somewhat shallow reputation. Even so, she said love stories are not devoid of substance just because they’re formulaic.
“They also touch on some of those things, like people being in the poorhouse and what that meant, or what it meant for a woman not to have her own money,” Patzer said. “They’re not just fluffy.”
Zenitsky said CML looks forward to Quinn’s talk as well as future author talks.
“It’s a really wonderful way to promote reading, to get people who might not otherwise have had a library card into the main library,” Zenitsky said. “Hopefully, we can help cultivate some lifelong readers as well.”
Julia Quinn’s Sesquicentennial Author Series talk is open to all, and registration details are available on CML’s website.
