Nicholas Sparks will be the featured author for the Lillian Louise Pharr Signature Author Series in an event titled An Evening with Nicholas Sparks at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale. Sparks’ novels, including The Notebook, A Walk to Remember and Nights in Rodanthe, have sold over 105 million copies in more than 50 languages, and his twenty‑fifth novel Remain, co‑written with M. Night Shyamalan, is slated for a film adaptation in 2026.
Sparks has spoken about the importance of education, noting that it changed his life and that libraries and teachers play a key role in providing opportunities for children. He founded a Christian college‑prep school in New Bern with a classical curriculum aimed at preparing students for the 21st century. His book Dreamland is partially set in St. Pete Beach, a location he has visited frequently and which he says inspired the setting. He also highlighted resilience as a recurring theme in his work and noted that The Notebook has been adapted into a Broadway musical now touring the United States with a stop at the Dr. Phillips Center.
Regarding Remain, Sparks described the collaboration with Shyamalan as smooth, with each focusing on their respective medium while supporting one another’s efforts. He said the partnership led to a friendship and that both aim to make the novel and the upcoming film as strong as possible. No additional stage adaptations are currently planned.
Press release issued by Orange County Library System:
https://ocls.org/ocls-blog/qa-with-author-nicholas-sparks/
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