Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville

 
 
 

Do you love books? And the freedom to read them? Then join us for our second annual Author Showcase and Book Festival for Women Writers on June 4 as we celebrate the words and wisdom of women and other underrepresented communities from the First Coast.

In yet another effort to level the playing field and lift the voice of the feminine—in a time where the words of women, BIPOC, and LGBQTIA communities are literally being suppressed— we are offering the community an opportunity to meet face-to-face with a diverse group of authors, listen to their words, and celebrate their work.

Speakers will include Nina Perez with MomsRising, Elizabeth Anderson from the **Florida Freedom to Read Project,**and one of our high school interns, who will rock your world with her devastating poetry. Plus, more speakers TBA!

We’ll have a children’s reading room and a book-plating project all day, run by MomsRising, and a rotation of authors reading from 11-3. Register to get free tickets for our raffle and giveaways on the hour. Sponsor FemmeFire Books has already donated some fab books, and, the authors will each provide one copy of their books for the raffle.

We’ll be meeting on the campus of the Winston Family YMCA, and you’ll have a chance to meet the authors, listen to their words, and hear from a diverse group of speakers, including Leah Wolchock, co-director and co-producer for the new documentary, "Judy Blume Forever." Judy has been at the forefront of the banned book controversy for many years and is an outspoken leader on this topic. Leah's done her best to help her tell her story, which is deeply inspiring.

We'll also have art literally made out of books by Dr. Lisa Meek, who creates her art from the pages of books—with a powerful and beautiful message. She's made a special effort to send us a particular artwork that fits perfectly with our theme.

We hope you’ll join us for a day of community, ideas, art, and the freedom to read—from a First Coast perspective.

Learn more about the Florida Freedom to Read project HERE.
Learn more about the issue of banned books from Pen America HERE.
Learn more about gender imbalance in publishing here:
"Since the conception of the VIDA Count," Amy King and Sarah Clark, VIDA's board of directors, wrote in a blog post, "one of the most common excuses leveled at our numbers has been that fewer women submit work, or, more brazenly, that women submit less marketable work. Now, it’s becoming clear that women and nonbinary people may “drop out” rather than attempt to fight a losing battle for justice, or to have to be in the company of men who abused them, or know their gatekeepers are more likely to side with their abuser in order to themselves benefit from these unbalanced power dynamics."