Authors Mel Allen and Michael Caduto
Friday, June 5, 2026
Bald Peak Colony Club
11:30 Meet the Authors and Reception
12:30 Lunch and Speakers
2026 B&A Luncheon Reservation Form
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Well-known authors Mel Allen and Michael Caduto will be the featured speakers at the Friends of the Wolfeboro Public Library’s 41st annual Book & Author Luncheon, set for Friday, June 5, at Bald Peak Colony Club. The event offers attendees not only the opportunity to see and hear first-hand from these two notable authors but a chance to support the library.
If you’d like to attend, fill out and return a reservation form as soon as possible. You can pick up a copy at the library or download one here. Cost of the luncheon is $70 per person. Any questions can be directed to Ann Pratt at annp7575@gmail.com. Please note, checks sent in payment for the event will be cashed beginning June 1.
Mel Allen is known for his decades at Yankee Magazine, where he collected stories that captured the unique essence of New England’s spirit and the people who call it home. Perhaps his best-known book is Here in New England: Unforgettable stories of people, places, and memories that connect us all.
Michael Caduto’s latest work, Enchanted Night Before Christmas, is a timeless fantasy that reminds us that the most powerful gifts are the ones we give away. It includes a scrumptious gingerbread spice cookie recipe from King Arthur Baking Company.As always, attendees can meet the authors and have books signed both before and after the luncheon. The Country Bookseller will have an ample supply of books available for purchase at the event.
As in past years, you will be able to support the Friends, even if you can’t attend the luncheon, by buying raffle tickets for a chance to win one of several themed baskets. Raffle baskets will be on display in the library beginning in mid-May, so you can figure out which one just has to be yours!
Michael Caduto
Michael is an award-winning author, master storyteller, ecologist, educator, poet, and musician who has been featured on educational television, over National Public Radio, and by the BBC. He reaches thousands of people each year through personal appearances, and his books are used by millions throughout the world.
His work draws from science, earth stewardship and cultural diversity and he has worked with many indigenous peoples during the past 25 years. His books include A Time Before New Hampshire: The Story of a Land and Native Peoples andThrough a Naturalist’s Eyes: Exploring the Nature of New England.
Michael is a juried artist with the New Hampshire Council on the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council, and he has been affiliated with the Vermont Council on the Humanities and the Quebec-Labrador Foundation. His programs, performances, keynotes, workshops, and residencies are given to children, school groups, teachers, naturalists, families, storytellers, conferences, and general audiences. He has taught at numerous colleges and universities throughout North America.
Mel Allen
Mel Allen taught fourth grade in Maine for three years and believes that his education as a writer began when he had to hold the attention of 27 children through months of Maine winters. From the time he published his first story in Yankee in 1979 to the day he retired as its editor in 2025, Allen’s writing has captured the unique spirit of New England.
In his book, Here in New England: Unforgettable stories of people, places, and memories that connect us all, Allen has collected 45 of his favorite pieces, adding intimate new introductions and postscripts to put them in context. The feel and flavor of New England live within the covers of this engaging collection.
In 2018, Allen was inducted into the Folio Magazine Hall of Fame for editorial excellence. He has taught magazine writing and creative nonfiction for the past 25 years, divided between the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and MFA Bay Path. He lives and writes in New Hampshire.