Virginia Evans
The Correspondent introduces readers to Sybil, a retired lawyer and avid letter-writer, who corresponds with friends, family, literary figures, and even the younger generation (on paper with ink), revealing her strong personality, regrets, and grief. The arrival of letters from her past forces Sybil to confront a painful event and ultimately seek forgiveness, both for herself and others. Raised on the East Coast, Virginia Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from James Madison University and a master’s of philosophy in creative writing from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children, and her red labrador, Brigid.
“Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. ... Google Books.
At the Festival
Virginia Evans appears in 1 session in the archive.
2026 Festival: Video and Photos
Featuring Amity Gaige, Karen Russell, Alice Austen, Virginia Evans, Susanna Kwan, Daria Lavelle, Kyra Davis Lurie, Leila Mottley and Kathy Wang
Books
Copies of every title are available from Vroman's Bookstore at the festival.
The Correspondent
The Correspondent introduces readers to Sybil, a retired lawyer and avid letter-writer, who corresponds with friends, family, literary figures, and even the younger generation (on paper with ink), revealing her strong personality, regrets, and grief. The arrival of letters from her past forces Sybil to confront a painful event and ultimately seek forgiveness, both for herself and others. The Correspondent was named a New York Times Favorite Hidden Gem Book of 2025.
“Heartbreaking, hugely funny, endlessly subtle…”— The Guardian
“This beautiful, wise, funny story provides further proof that the quirkiest among us deserve a second chance.”— The New York Times