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CHICAGO — The Public Library Association (PLA) is excited to announce the addition of the to the PLA 2016 Conference schedule from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.

Alexie connects readers around the world to the American Indian experience, making them laugh, cry and think through his semi-autobiographical writings. One of The New Yorker’s 20 top writers for the 21st century, Alexie is, as Men’s Journal describes, “the world’s first fast-talking, wisecracking, mediagenic American-Indian superstar.” His upcoming children’s book, "Thunderboy Jr.," will be available in May 2016.

Alexie’s novels, such as "Reservation Blues," "Indian Killer" and "The Toughest Indian in the World," have won numerous awards and accolades, including Booklist’s Editor’s Choice Award, the PEN/Malamud Award and Publishers Weekly’s Book of the Year. His anthology of new stories and beloved classics, "Blasphemy," was included on Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times and NPR’s lists of 2012’s best books. The National Book Award-winning "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" was named the best Young Adult Book of all time by Time. Alexie received Washington State University’s Highest Alumni Award, recognizing the importance of his Native American voice to a broad audience, the Katherine Anne Porter Award in Literature and the Pushcart Prize. He was recently awarded a 2014 Literature Award by The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Sherman Alexie joins a remarkable collection of authors scheduled for the PLA 2016 Author Lunch series, including: e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Lamar Giles, I.W. Gregorio, Arianna Huffington and an additional Adult Author to be announced. .

Offered biennially, the PLA Conference is the premier event for public libraries, drawing thousands of librarians, library support staff, trustees, friends and library vendors from across the country and around the world. Find complete details at and join us in Denver!

The (PLA) is a division of the 91´«Ã½. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext.5PLA, or pla@ala.org.