Literary Death Match Coming To The Hamptons

On Friday, July 7, Guild Hall in East Hampton is presenting Literary Death Match, an amusing fast-paced, word-off between four established or emerging authors and three well known celebrity critics.

Literary Death Match begins at 8 p.m. with four authors reading one of their works before a live audience and a panel of three judges. After a pair of readings, the judges take turns giving their own hilarious, off-the-wall commentary. After all of the readings are complete, the judges select two authors to advance to the finals where the show takes a turn for the silly. The winner is then decided by a literary game show-type finale that may include a literary spelling bee or pin the mustache on Hemmingway.

“The Literary Death Match combines the best things about literature, mixed with a rare, anarchic energy,” noted Ben Greenman of The New Yorker, while the LA Times said its “the most entertaining reading series ever.”

Literary Death Match was established in March 2008 by Todd Zuniga, Elizabeth Koch and Dennis DiClaudio. The series launched in New York City, but has since spread to 60 cities worldwide. Literary Death Match has featured over 1,200 celebrity judges such as actors Keegan-Michael Key and Michaela Watkins and over 1,600 writers such as Marlon James and Daniel Handler.

The judges for this Literary Death Match are Rakesh Satyal, Jena Friedman and Dick Cavett. Satyal, who is a Lambda Award-winning author of Blue Boy and No One Can Pronounce My Name, will be evaluating the literary merit of the performers. Producer and comedian, Friedman will be judging the authors’ performances and Emmy-Award winning TV host, Cavett will be commenting on the evening’s intangibles.

The readers for the Hamptons Literary Death Match are Elna Baker, Chimene Suleyman, Sunil Yapa and Dan Wilbur. Baker is the producer of This American Life and author of The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. Suleyman is a British poet and author of Outside Looking In. Yapa is the Asian American Short Story Contest winner and author of Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist. Wilbur is the creator of Better Book Titles and author of both How Not to Read and Never Flirt with Puppy Killers.

Literary Death Match creator, Adrian Todd Zuniga, will host the exciting event.

Tickets range from $32 to $65 and can be purchased online or at the box office.

Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street in East Hampton. For more information call 631-324-0806 or visit www.guildhall.org