Cultured Books Literacy Foundation has continued to grow and promote reading among youth and families in South St. Petersburg. Its efforts were rewarded this year with a Juneteenth Grant from The Gobioff Foundation, which provided resources to enhance this year’s Literacy Festival.
Additionally, with the support of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, the organization’s outreach expanded as they work to offer more engagements through their reading programs.
“We have also strengthened partnerships with various community organizations,” shared founder Lorielle Hollaway, “and we’re excited to work on our vision for the future with groups like St. Pete Green House and the Hypatia Collaborative.”
Hollaway said this year’s St. Pete Reads! Lit Fest is returning with even more excitement and a focus on cultural empowerment, youth engagement, and creative reading activities.
The festival has become an annual event that excites and lifts the entire community at The Woodson Museum and happens again this week on the first Saturday in November.
The festival continues to bring families together to celebrate reading, offering children opportunities to meet authors, participate in creative workshops, and explore their love of books.
“This year, we’re adding more interactive events, such as a teen poetry workshop led by Myiah Pink, open mic sessions, and author talks paired with engaging activities,” the nonprofit literacy leader added.
Among some of the events that will be shared is a talk with author Nicole D. Collier (Best Friend Bracelet) along with a bracelet-making activity led by Tiffany of Tee Sankey Designs.
This year’s storytelling sessions will emphasize cultural themes. Invited speakers and authors include renowned children’s authors Winsome Bingham, Derrick Barnes, Nicole Collier, and Greg Neri as headline guests.
Returning partners include NOMAD Art Studio and The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association.
Teen speaker Nadia Hardy, along with middle-grade author Greg Neri, will join the panel, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Youth and Teen Reading but Were Too Afraid to Ask,” where they’ll share tips and stories about reading for young people.
These guests bring diverse experiences and perspectives, showing how literacy has transformed their lives and inspiring others to continue their reading journeys.
Aimed at improving St. Pete’s literacy numbers as well as sharing the joy of reading culturally relevant material through the community event, Hollaway sees her project as an addition to initiatives like The Bridging the Gap plan, which is part of an ongoing effort to improve Black student achievement across Pinellas County Schools.
She acknowledged that while initiatives such as that one are vital, her nonprofit addresses the reality that literacy improvement for families and youth must extend beyond the classroom.
“At Cultured Books, we focus on making reading a joyful and meaningful part of everyday life, connecting it to cultural traditions and community involvement. Our goal is to shift the narrative from seeing Black children as struggling readers to celebrating their love of reading, shifting the focus from a deficit view of literacy to one of cultural strength and creativity,” she reiterated.
The St. Pete Reads Lit Fest is Saturday, November 2, at the Woodson Museum of Florida. For more information, visit www.culturedbooks.org/litfest.
