PITTSBURGH, PA – Bridges & Books, one of the first and only teen literature podcasts created and hosted by teens and for teens and featuring teen-hosted interviews with New York Times Bestselling and award-winning authors of teen literature, released their trailer for their first season. The first episode of the podcast will release next week. The podcast was created by a team of ten Pittsburgh-based teens with support from Kelsey Ford, creator of Bookish in the ‘Burgh, Pittsburgh’s Teen Book Festival.
The heart of Bridges & Books is developing a sustainable program created by teens and for teens. Robin, age 16, is a member of the podcast team who works on the Artistic Programming & Logistics Committee as well as the Script Writing & Research Committee. She said, “Despite the fact that teenagers are the intended audience for young adult (YA) books, adults write the books, a lot of adults read the books, and adults are the ones who talk about the books. Bridges & Books is a way for teens to take back our genre – not that adults are not welcome. We just like to feel welcome too.”
In addition to championing teen voices, the podcast also aims to amplify authors from historically marginalized backgrounds who write books representing diverse teen stories. AnnaJean, age 15, who is one of the podcast hosts, said, “I joined Bridges & Books to amplify diverse books and authors so that every young reader can see themselves represented in a story.”
The first season of the podcast will include teen-hosted interviews with authors from all over the world, including:
Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters
J.Elle, NYT Bestselling author of Wings of Ebony
Kit Frick, Pittsburgh native and author of See All the Stars, All Eyes on Us, I Killed Zoe Spanos, and poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs
Joan He, author of Descendant of the Crane and The Ones We’re Meant to Find
Ryan La Sala, author of Reverie and Be Dazzled
Rachael Lippincott, Pittsburgh resident and #1 NYT Bestselling author of Five Feet Apart, All This Time, and The Lucky List
Rhiannon Richardson, author of The Meet-Cute Project
Romina Garber, NYT and International Bestselling author of Lobizona and the Zodiac series
Adiba Jaigirdar, author of The Henna Wars and Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating
Ashley Woodfolk, author of The Beauty That Remains, When We Were Everything, and the Flyy Girl series
“Bridges & Books was the most enjoyable interview I’ve ever done,” said Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters and one of the authors featured in the first season of the podcast. “It was truly so special to talk about things important to teen readers instead of things that are important to adults that read YA. These teens are creating something so needed and special.”
The teens behind Bridges & Books will present at the upcoming Pennsylvania Library Association Conference in September and the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts Conference in October. They will also be interviewed for the Summer 2021 issue of the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Young Adult Library Services (YALS) Journal.
Listen to the trailer and subscribe at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridges-books/id1568962449. To learn more about the podcast, visit www.bridgesandbooks.com and @BridgesandBooks on Instagram.
About Bridges & Books
Bridges & Books is a team of diverse teen readers, writers, and creators in Pittsburgh committed to championing teen voices and highlighting teen stories. The Bridges & Books Podcast was created by teens and spotlights diverse teen literature, amplifies authors from historically marginalized backgrounds, and celebrates the perspectives and voices of real teens. The Bridges & Books team is committed to creating an environment that encourages teens to cultivate empathy through reading, develop a passion for writing their own stories, connect with their peers, and share their opinions of teen literature. More information at www.bridgesandbooks.com.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridges-books/id1568962449. Follow us on Instagram @BridgesandBooks and Twitter at @BridgesandBooks
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