In The Eleventh Hour: A Quintet of Stories, Salman Rushdie turns his extraordinary imagination to life’s final act with tales spanning the countries in which he’s made his work – India, England, and the United States – that feature an unforgettable cast of characters. A pair of quarrelsome old men live out their private tragedy at a moment of national calamity. A musical prodigy uses her magical gifts to wreak devastation on the wealthy family she marries into. And a young writer plunges into a web of deceit as he tries to figure out whether his mentor killed himself or faked his own death. Through their stories, The Eleventh Hour ponders life and death, and legacy and identity. In Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ The Flower Bearers: A Memoir, death is again closely examined, this time through a deeply personal lens. On September 24, 2021, as she and Rushdie married, hundreds of miles away Griffiths’ closest friend and chosen sister, the poet Kamilah Aisha Moon, who was expected to speak at the wedding, suddenly died. Eleven months later, while still processing the loss, a brutal and life-threatening attack on Rushdie compounded Griffiths’ trauma, whose grief spilled across the pages of a book that weaves the trajectories of these transformational relationships with grace and honesty, chronicling the beauty and pain that comes with opening oneself fully to love.

Please Note: All session attendees will be required to undergo a bag check and go through metal detectors and/or be wanded by security prior to entering the venue.

Buy The Eleventh Hour: A Quintet of Stories

Buy The Flower Bearers: A Memoir

This is a ticketed event ($20) that includes entry for one person; it does not include a copy of either presented book. Friends of the Fair may use their available complimentary Evenings With tickets to attend the event.

Each purchased, companion, and complimentary FOTF Evenings With ticket includes a free pass to the weekend Street Fair, where you’ll find literary events, live music, children’s activities, booksellers, local artisans, and gourmet delights! For information on how to access all MBF26 programs, visit the Miami Book Fair 2026 webpage.