Hi everyone! Well, as hard as it might be to believe, June is just around the corner, and you know what that means: HER STORY: LADIES IN LITERATURE is back! I’ve been busy organizing the event behind the scenes for over a month now, and I’m so excited to finally be able to share this year’s participant list and schedule with you!
What is HER STORY: LADIES IN LITERATURE, you ask? Keep reading to find out!
Her Story: Ladies In Literature is a special, month(s)-long series on Pop! Goes The Reader in which we celebrate the literary female role models whose stories have inspired and empowered us since time immemorial. From Harriet M. Welsch to Anne Shirley, Becky Bloomwood to Hermione Granger, Her Story: Ladies In Literature is a series created for women, by women as thirty-three authors answer the question: “Who’s your heroine?”
Her Story is a special event that first debuted this time last year, and is a project that is very near and dear to my heart. Of all the events, initiatives and projects I’ve undertaken throughout Pop! Goes The Reader’s four year history, it is also undoubtedly the one I’m the most proud of. As I wrote last year: Books offer readers – particularly young female readers – a great deal. Comfort. Hope. Inspiration. Joy. Representation. Laughter. Encouragement. Escape. Perhaps most importantly of all, however, books offer readers visibility and validation. It’s a special kind of magic to see ourselves and our experiences reflected on the pages of the books we pick up. Every reader deserves to know that their story has value, meaning, and is worth telling. In hosting this event, in encouraging others to share their stories and talk a little about the characters that have touched them the most deeply, my hope is to create a a resource of sorts, a list of inspiring, empowering and engaging female characters that young readers can use to help them discover the book that’s right for them.
I would like to take a moment to thank all participants, both past and present, for their stunning contributions to this event. Her Story would be absolutely nothing without the participation of the authors who have graciously and generously donated their time and their talent to help make it a reality. The literary community is absolutely brimming with intelligent, creative, capable women whose stories are every bit as inspiring and valuable as those of the characters they craft. I feel unbelievably blessed by the support and friendship I’ve been shown throughout this process and humbled that the number of participants in 2016 has nearly doubled that of 2015. I would also like to thank Vicki Tsai, the phenomenally talented illustrator responsible for all of Pop! Goes The Reader’s illustrations and Her Story‘s beautifully inclusive look.
Want to see who will be visiting Pop! Goes The Reader this June and July? You can find a complete list of the participants and their scheduled guest post dates below!
Robin Benway ● Lauren Karcz ● Hayley Chewins ● Laura Weymouth
Rebecca Podos ● Rebecca Barrow ● Laura Silverman ● Brandy Colbert
Gwen C. Katz ● Candice Amanda ● Dee Romito ● Karuna Riazi
Janet McNally ● Danika Stone ● Lilliam Rivera ● Tiffany D. Jackson
Jenn Bishop ● Carrie Ann DiRisio ● Katie Bayerl ● Tehlor Kay Mejia
Tracey Neithercott ● Shannon M. Parker ● Sona Charaipotra ● Summer Heacock
Catherine Lo ● Liara Tamani ● Nic Stone ● Whitney Gardner
Aditi Khorana ● Lily Anderson ● Rachel Lynn Solomon ● Ashley Herring Blake
I sincerely hope you’ll stop by Pop! Goes The Reader this June and July as these thirty-two women share stories of love, loss, hope and heartbreak and teach us a little about the characters who helped them become the heroines of their very own story.
3 Responses
I totally agree with you! And I’m excited to see what these authors have to say. You’ve got a great group of authors!
What a great series! Looking forward to it!
Holy cow! What a great lineup–I’m stoked for this.