Cape Fear Literacy Council announces Fall Adult Storytelling Series

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cape Fear Literacy Council invites the community for a unique blend of literature, entertainment, and fellowship at its annual Adult Storytelling Series, returning this fall with a new venue and an exciting lineup of performers. 

Adult Story Hour is a six-week series of once-weekly events held at Azalea Station in Wilmington’s Cargo District. Modeled after NPR’s Selected Shorts, each evening features local authors, artists, and entertainers reading short pieces they love (but didn’t write) to a live audience.

The series will run Tuesdays from September 23 through October 28, 2025, at Azalea Station (1502 Castle St.). Each evening begins with a Meet and Mingle at 5:00 p.m., followed by the program at 5:30 p.m., and concludes with a lively Q&A moderated by special guests from WHQR.

Drinks will be available for purchase with food options in the Cargo District’s food court just outside.

Tickets are $20 per event or $100 for a season pass.

Featured Speakers:

• September 23 – Rhonda Bellamy
  • Founding Executive Director and President/CEO of the Arts Council of Wilmington/New Hanover County. A longtime advocate for the arts, she has received numerous honors and is the host and executive producer of Around Town with Rhonda Bellamy on WHQR Public Media.
• September 30 – Nina de Gramont
  • Author of nine books, including The Christie Affair, which was a New York Times bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick. She lives in Coastal North Carolina.
• October 7 – John Jeremiah Sullivan
  • Award-winning essayist and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, and GQ. He is the author of Blood Horses and Pulphead, and is a contributing writer for The New York Times.
• October 14 – Anita Thomas
  • Writer, performer, and Wilmington resident known for her work in advertising and creative writing. She is a longtime Literacy Council volunteer and published her first novel, Blood Will Tell, in 2023.
• October 21 – Zach Hanner
  • Actor, musician, stage director, and writer from Mt. Airy, NC. He has appeared in Shallow Hal and Radio, and is active in Wilmington’s theater community.
• October 28 – Celia Rivenbark
  • New York Times bestselling author and award-winning humor columnist, known for her sharp wit and Southern perspective. Her books include Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank and You Don’t Sweat Much for a Fat Girl. She is also a former tutor for CFLC.

Tickets are available now here.