(LENOX, Mass.) – On Saturday, January 24, 2015, The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, joins with Lenox businesses and organizations in hosting a day of literary appreciation on Wharton’s 153rd birthday. The festivities will include dramatic readings, raffles, and refreshments at three of Lenox’s leading literary hubs: The Mount, the Lenox Library, and The Bookstore. Each location will celebrate the joy of reading and a love of books, two of Wharton’s lifelong “ruling passions.”

The birthday events begin at The Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, with bagels and a bookshare at 10am. Guests will share favorite titles and authors with other book lovers while enjoying treats from Bagels & Brew and Patisserie Lenox. At 11am, professional actors will perform a dramatic reading of Dennis Krausnik’s adaptation of Wharton’s “Xingu,” her comedic tale about a most pretentious book club. The morning concludes with a champagne toast to Lenox’s celebrated author. Tickets for the breakfast and reading are $10 and $5 for Mount members and youth 18 years and younger.

From 12:30 to 4pm, the Lenox Library on Main Street joins the festivities by participating in the first-ever National Readathon, a joint initiative from the National Book Foundation, GoodReads, Mashable, and Penguin Random House. The Lenox Readathon will kick off with a short reading from “Flight Behavior” by Barbara Kingsolver, this year’s Lenox Reads title.  Following, everyone is invited to find a quiet corner to cozy up with a book of their choice and a blanket generously provided by MacKimmie Co. Throughout the afternoon, the Library will raffle off gift certificates donated by Lenox businesses, with the proceeds to go to the National Book Foundation to benefit early literacy programs.

The lit-crawl’s final stop will be The Bookstore on Housatonic Street, where, starting at 4:30 pm, there will be live poetry readings with drinks and snacks available at the adjoining Get Lit Wine Bar.

Additional contributors to the day-long series of events include Bagel & Brew, Colorful Stitches, Concepts of Art, Gifted Child, Laurie Donovan, MacKimmie Co., Patisserie Lenox, Purple Plume , Second Home, Talbots, Weaver’s Fancy, and Wit Gallery.

For more information about the day or to purchase tickets to The Mount’s book brunch and reading, please visit The Mount or call 413-551-5100.