What’s a Book Birthday Party!? you may be asking yourself… In the spring of 2020, we launched a series of virtual readings to celebrate the works of the prolific community of our Writing for Children and Young Adult program. Alumnx, faculty, and quite a few students were due to release their publications at the same time book tours were being canceled.

[ briefly describe the event ]

The events take place on the third Wednesday once a month in the spring and fall seasons, steering clear of residencies.

If you are interested in participating or attending, here are a few answers to your questions.

• I have a book coming out. How do I sign up to participate in a Book Birthday Party? Fill out the Share Your News form as soon as possible. The Coordinator will be in touch by email.

• I am interested in participating, but I have never been to a Book Birthday Party. What does it entail? The events take place on Zoom. We begin with each participant introducing themselves, and then each has 5-7 minutes to read from their publication. Screen sharing is possible for those with picture books. Then there is a Q&A monitored by our host. The events usually go for an hour to an hour and a half.

• How many participant slots are there per event? 6 total.

• What happens when the parties are full? Waitlist, or blog interview.

• My book came out X months ago, but I just found out about Book Birthday Parties! Can I participate in an upcoming event? Absolutely.