Cold War Conversation with President Wałęsa & John Grisham

On November 6, Arkansas-born bestselling author John Grisham will discuss the Cold War and its relevance for today during this year’s Cold War Conversation with President Wałęsa in what promises to be an extraordinary evening in the Ritz Auditorium in Blytheville.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate will participate in a public conversation, serve as guest of honor at the annual gala as the National Cold War Center prepares to unveil its Berlin Wall collection.

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (August 4, 2026) — Former Polish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa will headline the National Cold War Center’s annual Cold War Week on Nov. 6—7 in Blytheville, participating in a special Cold War Conversation and serving as guest of honor at the Center’s annual Cold War Gala. The weekend will also include the unveiling of the Center’s Berlin Wall collection, expected to be the world’s largest publicly viewable collection of authentic Berlin Wall segments outside of Berlin.

“Few individuals had a greater impact on the final chapter of the Cold War than President Wałęsa,” said Dr. Christian Ostermann, executive director of the National Cold War Center. “As we prepare to unveil our Berlin Wall collection during the 65th anniversary of the Wall’s construction, his visit reminds us that history is shaped not only by the symbols we preserve, but by the people whose courage changed its course.”

Moderated by best-selling author and Arkansas native John Grisham, the Cold War Conversation will explore Wałęsa’s pivotal role in the Solidarity movement, Poland’s transition from communist rule to democracy and the events that helped reshape Europe and hastened the end of the Cold War.

Wałęsa served as president of Poland from 1990 to 1995 after becoming the country’s first democratically elected president since 1926 and the first elected by popular vote. An electrician by trade, he rose to international prominence as the leader of the Solidarity movement, helping lead the peaceful struggle that ended communist rule in Poland. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for advancing workers’ rights and democratic reform.

Cold War Week is the National Cold War Center’s annual series of public programs and fundraising events, culminating in the Cold War Gala, which supports the Center’s mission and capital campaign. The Cold War Conversation will take place Friday, Nov. 6, at the Ritz Civic Center in Blytheville. The Cold War Gala begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in Hangar 207 at the Arkansas Aeroplex.

Tickets are on sale now for the Cold War Conversation and the Cold War Gala.

Additional event details are available here: National Cold War Center’s 2026 Cold War Gala.

To learn more about the National Cold War Center’s Berlin Wall collection, visit nationalcoldwarcenter.com/berlin-wall.