We are beyond excited to share with you the AMAZING news that the talented Lucy Powrie has teamed up with Hachette Children’s Group’s teen and YA online community and BKMRK, to launch a nine-week online celebration and readathon!
The launch of the campaign, titled Read With Pride, coincides with the recent publication of Lucy’s highly anticipated second book in The Paper & Hearts Society trilogy, Read with Pride.
Olivia Santos is excited for her last year at secondary school. But when a parent complains about LGBTQ+ content in one of the books, the library implements a new policy for withdrawing books. Olivia is distraught - she’s demisexual and knows how important it is for all readers to see themselves represented.
Luckily, she’s the mastermind behind The Paper & Hearts Society book club, and she knows exactly what to do: start a new club, find ways of evading the system, and change the policy for good!
With two book clubs to run, exams to prepare for, and a girlfriend, just how long will it be before Olivia burns out? After all, creating a book club and trying to get the #ReadWithPride hashtag to get noticed is going to take a lot of energy.
Sometimes, when you’re in too deep, it’s up to your friends to look out for you ...
This fantastic campaign was created to digitally celebrate PRIDE month, in lieu of physical events which have been cancelled or postponed. The content will be centred around being proud of who you are and what you read and will include: live author Q&As, bonus written material, readathons and competitions! Other books involved in the nine-week digital programme include, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales, Wonderland by Juno Dawson, The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence, The Deathless Girls by Kiran Milwood-Hargrave, Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal, and Can Everyone Please Calm Down? By Mae Martin.
Lucy Powrie says:
“It seems more important now than ever to read with pride, especially with many traditional Pride events having been cancelled. This summer, I hope our Read with Pride campaign can inspire teenagers and YA readers to feel proud, and see themselves represented within the pages of the featured books.”
