Wilder’s book dinners bring customers face to face with local authors

Ticket prices are usually around $125 and include a copy of the book, a five-course meal and tax and gratuity for the staff. Additional proceeds are donated to a local charity of the author’s choosing — which have included the William Way LGBT Community Center, Savage Sisters Recovery and Mighty Writers.

For the first time, February’s book dinner will be broadcasted by WURD Radio’s Sara Lomax-Reese, who will be moderating the event. Cook hopes this will give more people the opportunity to be a part of the discussion.

“I’m looking forward to seeing [the discussion] move beyond the four walls and further into the community,” Cook said. “[Reese] is a profound Philly icon and such a powerful human to be in conversation with, especially during this season.”

Proceeds will go toward Cook’s nonprofit organization, Harriet’s BookClub, which funds programs that send local students on educational field trips to Paris.

“With Jeannine, we’re really excited that she’s not only an author but also owns a bookstore in Philly,” Kleppinger said. “With Wilder being an independent restaurant itself, Jeannine was a great collaborator for us and aligned with the values that we also have as a business.”

The next book dinner will be a discussion with Philadelphia-based author M.L Rio about “Hot Wax,” on Tuesday, March 24. While there are no more events on the schedule, Wilder staff says says more are on the way.

“The book dinners … give people a fun event, but it’s also fun for our team to have that creative outlet,” Kleppinger said. “It gets us thinking outside the box. … Everyone who’s involved in it loves doing it.”