Register

Virtual Author Talk: Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures

In an online author talk, Shelby Van Pelt discusses her novel, "Remarkably Bright Creatures." Register to receive the link to join and submit questions.

Chat with New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt about her beloved novel Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's a deep-dive exploration of friendship, reckoning, hope, and so much more.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.

As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. 

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, was published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022 and was an Instant New York Times bestseller and has sold a million and a half copies. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Upcoming Events