Bookish in the ‘Burgh is a teen literature festival presented by Riverstone Books in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. The Festival aims to celebrate all things bookish through diverse and inclusive author panels and conversations, opportunities for teens to interact with their peers in a safe and fun environment, and book signing events for readers to meet their favorite authors of teen literature. This year’s Festival will take place March 27 and 28, 2020. Visit TrustArts.org/Bookish to view the full schedule.
For more about the festival, we talked with Kelsey Ford, creator and director of Bookish in the ‘Burgh, Pittsburgh’s Teen Book Festival (a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presented by Riverstone Books)…
What made you want to put together a large scale teen book festival like Bookish in the ‘Burgh?
I wanted to create a space that welcomes and celebrates all sorts of teenagers – teens who can’t stop reading, teens who aren’t really into reading but might like to try something new, teens who write, teens who are creative, teens who are into comic books or fantasy worlds, and teens who want their voices and stories amplified, not ignored. Between our first and second years of the festival, we went from seven featured authors to thirty-five featured authors, and my hope is that all of the teenagers in our community will be able to see themselves and their stories on the pages of one of the books written by our visiting authors as the festival grows and expands its reach and diverse representation.
How many authors can we expect to see at Bookish in the ‘Burgh?
There’ll be 35 award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors of teen literature featured!
What are a few things you’re excited about at this year’s Festival?
I’m really excited about all of the pre-conference sessions designed for teens only, including the writing workshops, book clubs, and Anti-Racist Workshop for Teens and Tweens with Tiffany Jewell, author of This Book is Anti-Racist. I’m also looking forward to the session “Meet Me in the Middle: Authors Who Write for Pre-Teens,” which is the first time we’re offering a session designed specifically for pre-teen readers. Also, as a core part of the Festival’s mission is to highlight and amplify marginalized voices, I’m really looking forward to the “We Need Diverse Books: Race Representation in YA” and “It’s All Rainbows Here: LGBTQIA+ Representation in YA” panels.
How can our readers get involved with Bookish in the ‘Burgh?
Registration to attend the free Teen Day on March 28 is open! If you are interested in providing day-of support for the festival, we would love to have you join us as a Festival volunteer. In addition, for teenagers who love reading, applications to be a Teen Ambassador are open now through February 14. Teen Ambassadors serve as essential Bookish in the ‘Burgh team members for two years by helping plan the Festival, assisting with Festival outreach and marketing, and volunteering on-site the day of the Festival. Visit TrustArts.org/Bookish to register for the free Teen Day and apply for both volunteer and Teen Ambassador positions!
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