Best selling author Amor Towles appeared at the 28th annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 as the culminating event of Humanities Week, a celebration of HN’s 50th anniversary year. UMB Bank and Union Pacific were co-sponsors. Nebraska Public Media provided livestream access to the program and will rebroadcast the recording at a later date. 

In conversation with William Padmore, Amor Towles’ talk was based on his three New York Times best sellers: “The Lincoln Highway” (2021), “A Gentleman in Moscow” (2016), and “Rules of Civility” (2011). His first book, “Rules of Civility,” was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011 and has been translated into over 15 languages. In 2012, the novel was optioned to be made into a feature film. His second book, “A Gentleman of Moscow,” stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 52 weeks, and it was named one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR. Translated into more than 35 languages including Russian, it was optioned to be made into a 6-8 hour miniseries starring Ewan McGregor. 

His most recent novel, “The Lincoln Highway,” which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, was one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2021 and the One Book One Lincoln title in 2022. Other accolades include Washington Post Best Book of the Year and #1 on Amazon’s list of the Best Books of the Year. Amor Towles is also the author of the ebook “You Have Arrived at Your Destination,” and his next book will be a collection of short stories to be published in Spring 2024. 

Co-chaired by HN board members Mike Homa and Ana Lopez Shalla, both of Omaha, the lecture was free and open to the public and included presentation of the 2023 Sower Award in the Humanities to Beth S. Dotan, Ph.D. A benefit event prior to the free lecture raised important funds for HN’s statewide programs.