ANNOUNCING THE 2026 NERO WOLFE ASSEMBLY
AND THE 49TH BLACK ORCHID BANQUET –
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2026
Since the 1970s, the highlight of each Wolfean year has been the annual Black Orchid Banquet, traditionally held the first Saturday of December each year, in honor of Rex Stout’s birthday on December 1.
BLACK ORCHID BANQUET
This year’s Banquet will be held on Saturday evening, December 5, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m. We will be returning to Arno Ristorante, 141 West 38th Street (between Broadway and Seventh Avenue), but this year we will be dining on the ground floor, so the event will be fully accessible – no stairs. Come to see your Wolfean friends again and enjoy all of your favorite Banquet activities including toasts, song parodies, a quiz, and presentation of this year’s Nero and BONA Awards.
Our keynote speaker this year will be Kevin Gordon. Kevin enjoys a prominent career as a fine artist and portrait painter with works on display at universities, hospitals, and private collections throughout the country. He also worked for many years as a classical music host on stations including WQXR (New York City), WKCP (Miami), and most recently WRTI (Philadelphia). He has also, at one time or another, been a newsman, a television weatherman, a nightclub magician, a private pilot, and an amateur bullfighter. A long-time member of the Wolfe Pack, Kevin is best-known to us as the painter of Nero Wolfe’s portrait, a copy of which will be on display during the Banquet.
The cost for all this Wolfean entertainment and education will be just $125 per person for Wolfe Pack members and guests, $135 for others. This includes hors d’oeuvres and a three-course dinner with a choice of entrees as well as complimentary wine at dinner (additional drinks may be ordered à la carte).
NERO WOLFE ASSEMBLY
The annual Nero Wolfe Assembly will be held on Saturday afternoon, December 5, 2026, beginning at 2:00 p.m., also at Arno Ristorante (ground floor). Knowledgeable speakers will discuss the worlds of Nero Wolfe and Rex Stout. The Assembly will also include an interactive book discussion. This year’s book will be Black Orchids, including the novellas “Black Orchids” (1941) and “Cordially Invited to Meet Death” (1942). For maximum participation and enjoyment, please read or reread this book before the discussion. (Copies should be readily available, but if you have trouble locating one, please let us know.) There will be a swap ‘n’ shop table for books and memorabilia – please bring items to sell or trade, as well as your want list. Coffee and cookies will be served. The cost is $15 for members and guests, $20 for others.
OPTIONAL FRIDAY AND SUNDAY EVENTS
In addition to the events on Saturday, interested Wolfeans will have the opportunity to get together for conversation and camaraderie at dinner on Friday as well as brunch on Sunday. The Werowance will coordinate directly with those attending concerning time and location. If you are interested in joining us for either or both of these meals, please check where indicated on the registration form and we will be in touch with you.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
A reservation form including payment information for the Assembly and Banquet is available here. Members and guests attending both the Assembly and the Banquet can do so for $135 (a $5 saving) if payment is received by November 15, 2026. We have again held our event prices the same as last year.
Note: For those outside the United States, please do not send a check, as our bank will no longer cash non-U.S. checks. Please just e-mail werowance -at- nerowolfe.org that you are coming, and you can pay in cash at the events.
You can also take this opportunity to renew your Wolfe Pack membership at the same time!
Questions or comments? Please ask the Werowance at werowance -at- nerowolfe.org
IN-PERSON BOOK DISCUSSION IN NEW YORK ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2026
For our New York Metro Area members, our next in-person book discussion will held on Monday, November 16, 2026 at a restaurant in midtown Manhattan (specific location to be announced – suggestions for suitable locations are welcome).
We will be discussing the Nero Wolfe collection Curtains for Three (1951), comprising the novellas “The Gun with Wings,” “Bullet for One,” and “Disguise for Murder.” Preregistration is not necessary, but if you plan to attend, we appreciate your letting us know by emailing werowance -at- nerowolfe.org so we can estimate a headcount. We hope to see many of you there!
UPCOMING VIRTUAL BOOK DISCUSSION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2026
The Wolfe Pack continues to hold bimonthly online book discussions via Zoom. The next one will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, beginning at 7:30 pm Eastern Time. We will be discussing the Nero Wolfe novel Gambit (1962).
These online book discussions are open to paid Wolfe Pack members only. There is no fee, but advance registration is required, and the number of attendees is limited. If you are a Wolfe Pack member, you should be receiving our monthly newsletters with details and registration information for book discussions and other events. If you haven’t received a newsletter recently, please e-mail werowance -at- nerowolfe.org to make sure we have your correct e-mail address.
Both new and experienced Wolfeans are welcome – we hope to see many of you there!
REX STOUT INTERVIEW REPUBLISHED
During the early 1970s, Rex Stout gave a series of interviews to his biographer John McAleer, which were published under the title Royal Decree. This book has been out of print for many years and copies are difficult to obtain. These interviews have now been republished under the title Rex Stout: Killer Conversations with Edgar Winner John McAleer, with an updated introduction by William G. Tapply and an afterword by Edward D. Hoch. The book is now available via Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format. Highly recommended!
WOLFE PACK MEMBERSHIP
For more enjoyment of the works of
Rex Stout, join the Wolfe Pack or renew your membership by sending a check or using PayPal. (Paypal allows you to select which credit card to use with your Purchase.) Membership costs just $40.00 for two years and includes four issues of our journal, The Gazette and newsletters of upcoming events and Wolfean news.
Join or Renew by check or with 
Rex Stout on Dick Cavett Show
(September 2, 1969)
Michael Bourne's Interview with Rex Stout
(out of print, no longer available for purchase)
Click below to listen to the interview
Side 1
Side 2 (approx. 10 second start delay)
Rex Stout Interviews John le Carre: Read the Print Interview
Latest Nero Wolfe Pastiche
THE MISADVENTURES OF NERO WOLFE:
Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street
Edited by Josh Pachter
Order the book from Amazon.com
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FLYER
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Soldiers of the Pen: The Writers' War Board in World War II by Thomas Howell
The little-known story of the WW II efforts of The Writers' War Board and its president, Rex Stout. Click the text link above to order.