Author and New Hampshire PBS host Rebecca Rule highlight the 10th annual “Stories About This Place” storytelling event presented by Monadnock Conservatory on Friday, March 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Peterborough Town House.

The event will give local residents a chance to hear stories told by prominent members of the community, complete with musical accompaniment from New England-based composer Ben Cosgrove. 

Rule noted that while not she’s from the Monadnock area, she plans to “tell my best stories about this place we call New Hampshire, with particular attention to its natural gifts,” she said. “I’m delighted to be invited and to share the stage with some of New Hampshire’s most-iconic folks.”

Rule is the longtime host of the New Hampshire Authors series on NHPBS, and recently began hosting the channel’s “Our Hometown” program. She is a 30-year veteran storyteller and New England resident and spends her time speaking at libraries, historical societies, church groups and charitable organizations. She is known for her children’s pictures books such as “N is for New Hampshire” and “The Iciest Diciest Scariest Sled Ride Ever!” as well as “Headin’ for the Rhubarb!” and “Sweet Revenge,” which was one of the five essential New Hampshire books named by New Hampshire Magazine.

The night’s guests will include author Ernest Hebert, known for his 11 published novels, including “The Dogs March,” which was recognized by the Hemingway Foundation; “Live Free or Die”, which was named a “notable book” by The New York Times; “Mad Boys” and “The Old American,” which were both named “outstanding fiction” by the New Hampshire Writers’ Project; and “Spoonwood,” which received a best original regional novel award from the Independent Book Publisher Awards. 

Also in attendance will be Bob Brown and Julia Stevens, who will speak about their experiences taking up small maple-sugar producing after retirement. Brown grew up in New York, but spent his summers in Alstead. He has worked in engineering and science, and spent 35 years as a teacher and school administrator.  Stevens, who grew up in Alstead, has also been a teacher for 35 years in classrooms ranging from kindergarten through college. Her family has more than 200 acres of conservancy through Alstead and Walpole.

Husband and wife Tyler and Jenna Rich will be speaking about their organic, no-till farming methods, which they use on their farm Partners’ Gardens to provide locally grown produce to kitchens across the region. They fell in love with farming after trading their city lives in Chicago to work as farm interns, and they moved to New Hampshire in 2017 to start their own farm. 

Cosgrove will be providing musical accompaniment. His music explores themes of landscape, place and environment, and he has also authored nonfiction work in publications such as Orion, Taproot, Northern Woodlands and Appalachia. Previously, he has held residencies and fellowships with the National Park Service and National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. 

“Stories About This Place” is free, but the Monadnock Conservancy is asking attendees to register at eventbrite.com/e/stories-about-this-place-2024-tickets-832133582947.