The Idaho Humanities Council's 11th annual Northern Idaho Distinguished Humanities Lecture and Dinner at The Coeur d'Alene Resort at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, will feature author Jess Walter as speaker.

Walter is a best-selling, Spokane-based novelist and journalist whose critically acclaimed work includes six novels, a book of nonfiction, and the collection of stories "We Live in Water," released in 2013. Walter's story "To the Corner" is featured in the July 2014 issue of Harper's Magazine. Walter will offer an engaging talk about his work, contemporary issues and the life experiences that inform his stories.

Information about ticket options for the dinner and lecture is available at idahohumanities.org, or by calling (888) 345-5346. The evening will include a silent auction as well as book-signing by Walter.

Now in its 41st year, the Idaho Humanities Council's mission is to promote appreciation for and support dialogue about a wide spectrum of humanities disciplines. It supports programs and research in literature, history, philosophy, cultural anthropology, art and music history, jurisprudence and comparative religion.

This year the Idaho Humanities Council awarded $86,767 in grant money.

Among the recipients in Coeur d'Alene is the Museum of North Idaho, which received funding for an exhibit now on display about electrification in rural Kootenai County.

North Idaho College won a grant for an oral history project about the Fort Sherman area, and the Coeur d'Alene Public Library received a grant for the "StoryCatcher Project," a program for recording the history of Coeur d'Alene through interviews with area residents.

Also among the Council's grant recipients this year are three Boise State University faculty members who won support for three special projects. One award will support linguistics researchers who will document the endangered language Somali Chizigula, spoken by Somali-Bantu refugees in Boise.

A grant was also awarded to a faculty member who organized the Mexico Week cultural festival which took place in Boise in April. The Council also awarded a fellowship to support a book project examining British colonialism.

The nonprofit Idaho Humanities Council serves as a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Oct. 2 event, at 7 p.m. at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, is co-sponsored by the Idaho Forest Group, the Coeur d'Alene Press, and Idaho Public Television.