Author and songwriter Willy Vlautin will host an evening in The Sugar Club. to celebrate the release of his upcoming novel The Horse (Faber), scheduled to hit shelves on 2 May 2024. The night’s programme will feature a live reading, Q+A and solo performance of songs inspired by writing The Horse with a few old favourites from his prolific music career.

A native of Reno, Nevada, Vlautin is the author of six novels, including The Motel Life and Lean on Pete, and is founder of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines. Vlautin began writing stories and songs from a young age upon receiving his first guitar. Drawing inspiration from songwriters and novelists alike—such as Paul Kelly, Tom Waits, Raymond Carver and John Steinbeck—Vlautin makes it his authorial mission to reveal ‘working class stories.’

A continuation of this mission, Vlautin's forthcoming novel, The Horse, centres on Al Ward, a former touring musician grizzled from a life of addiction and tragedy, who retires to an isolated mining claim in central Nevada. Treading the line of madness, Al nearly runs out of reasons to carry on until a blind, helpless horse arrives on his doorstep. A poignant mediation on addiction, heartbreak and life's harsh realities, The Horse is the latest exploration of loneliness across a flyover, desert wasteland from the author who Ursula K. Le Guin once called, "one of the bravest novelists writing."

Vlautin is a recipient of three Oregon Book Awards, The Nevada Silver Pen Award and was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. He was a PEN/Faulkner finalist in 2019 for his novel Don’t Skip Out on Me and Leon On Pete was shortlisted for the Impac Award (International Dublin Literary Award) in 2012.

In promotion of his new novel, The Horse, Willy Vlautin appearance at The Sugar Club is scheduled for Wednesday, 22nd May 2024 with a live reading, Q+A session and a solo musical performance.

Tickets start from €25.00 plus booking fee and are on sale now via singularartists.ie