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Electric Literature’s Inaugural Genre Ball: Writers, Cocktails, and Zombies

Thanks to everyone who came out to Electric Literature’s inaugural Genre Ball! If you missed it, writers, readers, and book lovers of all sorts gathered in Liberty Hall at Ace Hotel New York for a night of drinks, dancing, and zombie face painting (sponsored by Quirk Books). Attendees were encouraged to come in costume, and authors such as Matt Sumell and Donna Tartt came out in their genre-inspired duds.

Deer Hunter S. Thompson (Paul Morris) and Apocalyptic Disco (Amy Brill) were just a couple of the many creative costumes on display, but it was author Helen Phillips, with her Phrenology Bust as Surrealism outfit, who won the costume contest, judged by Michael Cunningham, Lev Grossman, and Mary Gaitskill (who donned elf ears). The Grand prize was a coveted night at the Ace Hotel.

Even partigoers who opted out of wearing a costume walked away with some great prizes: stacks of our hosts’ books were displayed throughout the Ball, free for the taking. Our heartfelt thanks go to all of the publishers who donated books (FSG, Bellevue Literary Press, Graywolf Press, Knopf, Penguin, Plume, and Pantheon). Some lucky people even got their hands on as-yet unreleased copies of Gaitskill’s The Mare and Cunningham’s book of adult fairytales, A Wild Swan.

This inaugural Genre Ball fundraiser was made possible by the support of generous ticket buyers and by our sponsors Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Grove Atlantic, and Sara Nelson and Sam Radin. The event was hosted by our eleven talented author hosts: Mia Alvar, Alexander Chee, Sloane Crosley, Michael Cunningham, Mary Gaitskill, Lev Grossman, Eduardo Halfon, A.M. Homes, Tanwi Nandini Islam, J. Robert Lennon, and Paul Murray.

Check out the pictures below! And we will see you all next year!