From the Organizers:
LIFTed Book Festival weekend, February 24 - 25, 2024 is a groundbreaking event launched by LIFTed UNITED, a literary community organization founded this year to promote greater support for librarians, teachers, writers, readers and authors in Southern California and beyond. The LIFTed Book Festival was born and quickly evolved into a dynamic call to action that will unite more than 30 wonderfully talented authors graciously sharing their stories.
LIFTed’s mission states that Literacy Influences Future Talent and EDucation (LIFTed) to inspire and reshape the narrative while amplifying unique voices of the past, present and future. With this simple truth, LIFTed aims to harness the extraordinary purpose of literature to bridge gaps, explore culture, and inspire change.
LIFTed UNITED Celebrates Black History Month with its Inaugural Book Festival, themed: Building Bridges, Stronger Together
LIFTed Book Festival will collaborate with the enthralling Octavia’s Bookshelf, an independent bookstore highlighting BIPOC authors in Pasadena on Feb 24, 2024 from 12pm-3pm for in-store, author panels, book signings, and Q&A. Then team up with the compelling powerhouse that is Reparations Club, another independent bookstore that centers black and brown authors on February 25, 2024 from 11am-3pm for the second day of virtual events hosted on LIFTed UNITED’s Crowdcast platform with more than 20 authors confirmed to participate. Both establishments are black-owned and women-owned bookstores that are purveyors of knowledge and imagination where visitors and viewers can purchase their books in advance or on the day of the festival.
Participating Authors Include:
Diane Marie Brown* - Black Candle Women, Rachel Howzell Hall* - What Never Happened, Krystal Marquis - The Davenports, Liselle Sambury - Tender Beasts, Charlene Carr - Hold My Girl, Lauren Blackwood - Wildblood, Melody Simpson - Writing in Color, Shirlene Obubi - Between Friends and Lovers, Jumata Emill, Wander in the Dark, Jamar Perry - Camron Battle & The Escape Trials, Riss Neilson - A Love Like the Sun, Julian Winters - As You Walk On By, Kai Harris - What the Fireflies Knew, Lakita Wilson - Sparkle, Brittany Williams - That Self-Same Metal, P.D Clark The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, Kelis Rowe - Finding Jupiter, Brianna Peppins - Briarcliff Prep, Sophomore Year, Sarah Raughley - The Lady of Rapture, Kimberly Lemming - That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, James Ramos - Daniel, Deconstructed, Alechia Dow - A Song of Salvation, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich - Operation Sisterhood, C.M. Lockhart - We Are the Dying Gods, Farrah Rochon - The Hookup Plan, Sarah Dass - It Waits in the Forest, Ty Allan Jackson - Danny Dollar, LaDarrion Williams* - Blood at the Root, Myah Hollis* - Not About a Boy, Shelly Page* - Night of the Living Queers, Antoine Bandele* - TJ Young and The Orishas, Karis McPherson* - Midnight Dreem: Mo and The Moonsies, Rimma Onoseta* - How You Grow Wings, Sherri Smith* - American Wings, Jonterri Gadson - This is The Honey.
*in-person
Day One Location: Pasendena, California
Venue: Octavia’s Bookshelf, 1365 North Hills ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Time: Sat. Feb.24th - 12pm to 3pm PST
Sun. Feb 25th - 11am to 3pm PST (Virtual)
LIFTed hopes to honor the rich contributions, achievements, and resilient spirits that have defined Black History Month for over half a century and celebrate literature, inclusion and community.
@liftedunited
Both events are free and open to the public to attend, RSVP is preferred.
Register today at: https://crowdcast.io/c/liftedfest-2024-day-1 , https://crowdcast.io/c/liftedfest-2024-day-2