Andrew Sean Greer. Photo: ©Kaliel Roberts
Presented by BookHampton and Guild Hall
One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2026 at People, Esquire, TIME Magazine, Oprah Daily, Today.com, Brit + Co, Alta Journal, Barnes & Noble, Lit Hub, and the Seattle Times.
“No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings.” — David Sedaris
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Andrew Sean Greer (Less) joins Guild Hall to celebrate his new novel, Villa Coco, in conversation with bestselling author, editor, and cultural commentator Derek Blasberg.
Hailed as the “Future Undisputed Book of Summer 2026,” Villa Coco is a dazzling, sun-soaked ode to life, love, friendship—and focaccia. In this magical, madcap tale, a broke and directionless young American takes on a mysterious role at the Tuscan villa of a formidable nonagenarian Baronessa known as Coco. Charged with cataloguing her vast collection, he instead navigates eccentric tasks, a parade of colorful guests, and Coco’s audacious final plan: to reunite with the lost love of her life before it’s too late.
Following the conversation, Greer will sign copies of Villa Coco. A copy of the book is included with each ticket.
This program will take place at BookHampton, located at 41 Main Street, East Hampton, NY.
Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer is the bestselling author of seven works of fiction, including Pulitzer Prize winner Less and its companion Less Is Lost. He is the recipient of the Northern California Book Award, the California Book Award, the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, the O. Henry award for short fiction, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Public Library. Greer lives in Venice.
Photo: ©Kaliel Roberts
Derek C. Blasberg
Derek C. Blasberg is a fashion editor, curator, and best-selling author. Born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, Derek attended New York University and graduated in 2004 with two degrees, Journalism and Dramatic Literature. His first job was as an assistant at Vogue. In his career, he was the first ever Head of Fashion & Beauty at YouTube and the youngest ever Editor-At-Large of Harper’s Bazaar. He was also the host of a revamped "CNN Style" on CNN International and Vanity Fair’s Man on the Street. His writing has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Interview, W, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the London Sunday Times.
Derek is the author of a 2010 collection of humorous essays about etiquette, 'Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady,’ which was translated into several languages and published in Asia, South America and Europe. He published a sequel, ‘Very Classy: Even More Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady,’ in 2012. In 2015, he published ‘Bazaar: Models,’ a survey of the most influential faces in fashion history. Derek has been a senior staffer of the Gagosian Gallery since 2014 and is currently the Executive Editor of Gagosian Quarterly. He was the Media and Culture Consultant on all four seasons of HBO’s ‘Succession.’ In 2023, he collaborated with the Richard Avedon Foundation as a curator on a record-breaking exhibition called ‘Avedon 100,’ which was devoted to the photographer's centenary. He lives on New York’s Upper East Side with his partner, Nick, and two children, Grace and Noah.
Sponsors
Performing Arts programs are supported by 2026 season sponsors Galia Meiri-Stawski and Axel Stawski, with additional lead support from Henry and Peggy Schleiff, The Melville Straus Family Endowment, Monica and Peter Tessler, and Vital Projects Fund.
Guild Hall’s Performing Arts programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Additional support provided by Friends of the Theater: Natascia Ayers and Jim Ciquera, Bonnie and Joel Bergstein, Gene Bernstein and Kathy Walsh, Amy Cooney and Marty Feinman, John and Joan D’Addario, Suzanne and John Golden, Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan, Steve and Susan Pesner and Peace, in memory of Michéle Pesner, whose entire life was devoted to all aspects of culture, The Schaffner Family Foundation, Lisa Schultz and Ezriel Kornel, Stacey and Oliver Stanton, and Susi and Peter Wunsch.
