Bookmarks Hosts Its Inaugural Well-Read Black Girl Book Club

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Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, recently held its first Well-Read Black Girl (WRBG) book club, which drew a great turnout, including the editor of the Winston-Salem Chronicle and many women from the store’s community, said Bookmarks Engagement Coordinator Jessica Blackstock.

Bookmarks bookstore hosted a Well-Read Black Girl book club with a number of authors; here, attendees at the bookstore watch the authors talk

“We were so lucky to be joined by Ibi Zoboi, Maika Moulite, and Maritza Moulite, who were in town for Bookmarks’ annual Festival of Books & Authors,” said Blackstock, who facilitated the book club with volunteer Ada White. “The authors shared their new books with attendees, shared stories about Haitian sayings and Haitian grandmas, spoke about the cultural importance of storytelling, answered questions, and signed books.”

Earlier this year, the American Booksellers Association announced a partnership with Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim, which invited ABA member bookstores to sign up to host book clubs in their stores and read from a list of recommended titles.

Jessica Blackstock, Ibi Zoboi, Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite, and Ada White

Bookmarks’ WRBG book club will meet again on October 21 to discuss Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (Riverhead Books), one of the titles chosen for that month.

Stores that signed up to host WRBG book clubs are featured on an interactive map on IndieBound.org; as stores continue to sign up to host these book clubs, they will be added to this map so customers can find a book club near them. 

Bookstores can visit the designated Well-Read Black Girl page on BookWeb.org to learn more about the partnership and to download marketing assets and join a private Facebook Group.