BookSwell Leads Literary Community to Swell in Support of the WeHo Reads 2022 Road to Joy SeriesFollowing a successful start to the City of West Hollywood's 2022 WeHo Reads literary series produced by BookSwell, literary organizations and community groups are increasing their support for local authors sharing their words with the community throughout the fall season.
By: BookSwell BookSwell executive editor Cody Sisco says that he intended the Road to Joy series to be both a community-led initiative and a memorable gathering of Southern California-based writers and poets. Participating writers have been inspiring their audiences to seek joy in troubled times both before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Sisco says, "It's been inspiring to see the community come together in support of the writers featured in this series." In addition to the resources dedicated by the City of West Hollywood to produce the series and provide honoraria for the participating writers, Sisco points to a sponsorship by the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. "Publishing is not a financially sustainable endeavor for most writers so creating income streams from literary events is vital to the health of our literary community," Sisco says. "Thanks to the additional support of the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, BookSwell is providing larger honoraria and reaching a wider audience." Charlie Jensen, the director of the program, says, "The UCLA Extension Writers' Program is proud to support WeHo Reads and in particular the vibrant writers who appear in the events. Like BookSwell, we are committed to supporting literary community and helping writers feel connected to one another and to their audiences." Additional support for individual events and participating writers has also been a boon. For example, Beyond Baroque sponsored the first event, which featured Shonda Buchanan, Peter J. Harris, and Imani Tolliver, all of whom have worked for decades to grow and support the Los Angeles literary community. Poets & Writers provided additional support for individual participants through the organization's Readings & Workshops mini-grant program, which has provided fees to writers for over fifty years. Jamie Asaye FitzGerald, who is Director of the California Office and Readings & Workshops (West) for Poets & Writers, says, "As an organization with a mission to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public, Poets & Writers is a proud supporter of WeHo Reads events." Other pillars of the local literary community are providing in-kind support. The Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB), which publishes book reviews and essays and organizes an annual publishing workshop that helped inspire Sisco to pursue his ideas for BookSwell, is sharing information about the events with their audience. LARB Executive Director Irene Yoon says, "LARB is dedicated to fostering vibrant literary conversations in our pages and local community alike. We're thrilled to support the WeHo Reads series." Booksellers are also partnering with BookSwell. Book Soup, a local independent bookstore in West Hollywood, is making copies of participating writers' books available both for in-store shopping and online. And Bookshop.org, an online bookstore that launched during the pandemic to support independent bookstores across the country, is a media partner as well. The next WeHo Reads event is Expansive Vistas and Hidden Corners on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 6 p.m. Artists and writers explore concepts of places, how they're made, and how we understand, remember, and memorialize them. Lynell George is a journalist and essayist based in Los Angeles, who tells the city's story one sentence at a time. Her book, After/Image: For more information, please visit www.BookSwell.Club. BookSwell is a literary events and media production company dedicated to connecting readers and writers in Southern California and beyond. Through events, media, and partnerships, BookSwell makes the book scene easier to navigate, introduces readers to new writing, and weaves together digital and real-life literary experiences. BookSwell was founded in 2017 by Cody Sisco with a mission to amplify the voices of Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of color alongside LGBTQ+, female, nonbinary, and indie writers. Media Contact Cody Sisco, Executive Editor, BookSwell contact@bookswell.club Photos: https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ End
Account Email Address Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse |