An Online Book Festival for National Book Month! Louisville Book Festival
It takes a village…
At a time of worry and uncertainty, one ambitious mom has turned her concern for the lack of quality children’s books in her community into an exciting initiative.
Free to the public, Louisville Book Festival (October 23rd and 24th via Zoom) is on a mission to promote the love and benefits of reading, writing, and literacy throughout the community.
“Getting books into the hands of young readers is among the dozens of reasons why I founded The Louisville Book Festival,” shared CEO and founder, Deedee Cummings. “I was raised in Louisville and I am a proud product of Jefferson County Public Schools. As a child, I loved to read, but I never found books with characters who looked like me or had a story similar to mine. I went on to work with Child Protective Services and eventually, I became a therapist, attorney, and author. My work has led me to the goal of seeing that every child in Louisville has at least twenty books at home, and hopefully, they will be able to see themselves inside of these books. There are more diverse books than ever, but still nowhere near enough.”
After creating her 501(c)(3) organization in 2018, Deedee’s belief in the power of literature grew even stronger. As a mom and therapist, she knew that many of the children who lived in her city had little to no access to a variety of engaging and diverse reading materials. This lack was leading to a larger number of difficulties including a word-gap between children in high-poverty areas, lack of confidence, lack of motivation, and self-efficacy.
“The Louisville Book Festival works daily to help combat these issues. Our It Pays to Read Program is exactly what it sounds like,” Deedee added. “Diverse books teach important lessons and help our students see that they, too, are capable of amazing things. Along the way, they also learn behavioral health goals, independent living skills, financial literacy, and the power of mentoring as they read and grow.”
Originally meant to be a large public event, due to the pandemic some hard decisions needed to be made. Determined to create a community filled with buzz and enthusiasm for reading, Deedee decided to make her inaugural book festival a virtual one rather than wait for COVID-19 restrictions to lift.
The online event is being held online via Zoom on October 23-24, 2020–just in time to celebrate National Book Month. Go here to view the schedule and roster of amazing speakers and authors.
Festival Schedule – Day One (1)“It is our hope that we can use the power of books and stories to cultivate a positive and vibrant community.”
Meet a few of the Authors and Speakers of the Louisville Book Festival!
Keynote Speaker, Tomi Adeyemi!
Other Authors and Presenters
-Vince Vawter
-Chantelle Agbro
-Cathy Fyock
-Shawn Pavey
-Deedee Cummings
-de de Cox
There will be many more to come as well! Follow the Louisville Book Festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop on LBF news and updates. AND, you will also be the first to know when we do our Extra Special Keynote Speaker reveal!
Save the date for our virtual festival on October 23-24. ❤️📚