Celebrate World Book Night with the BYOB Book Drive
Remember World Book Night? Us too. While it’s still going on in the UK, the US branch had to suspend operations last year. And some of us (ahem, ME) are still not over it. There was something magical about the experience: picking the book you were going to give, rehearsing what you would say to the strangers you’d meet on World Book Night, and then actually talking to strangers about books. Watching the other stories come out of it was always heartwarming, and the awareness it created for authors and for literacy was significant.
We decided we wanted to get as close to that magic as we possibly could. And after talking with our friends at the Harry Potter Alliance, we’re proud to present to you …. drumroll please … the BYOB Book Drive!
In honor of World Book Night 2015, Book Riot and the HPA invite you to support literacy, clear out your bookshelves, and maybe meet some fellow booknerds on April 23. While we can’t provide multiple copies of favorite books to givers, we figure that if you’re anything like us you’ve got mountains of beloved books at home that you’re more than willing to share with others. So set aside some to donate, swap favorites and stories with fellow participants, and help the HPA’s Accio Books campaign reach this year’s goal of 60,000 books collected. With our powers combined!
A Handy FAQ:
What’s BYOB stand for, anyway? Bring your own, outrageous, outstanding, overflowing books.
How can I participate? I’m so glad you asked! We’ve confirmed a few cities where Rioters will be organizing meet-ups and helping with book collection; check the list below to see if there’s one near you. And we’ll likely be adding a few more, so if you don’t see one nearby, check back for more information!
Whether or not you can make it to a meet-up, you can still clear out your bookshelves and donate. By sending books to Operation Breakthrough, you’ll be supporting one of the largest social support agencies in Missouri, serving 400 young people and their families each day. We’ll update you with more information on how/where to send your books soon!
Meet-Ups on April 23:
- Chicago, IL: Unabridged Bookstore (charity: Open Books) – RSVP
- Richmond VA: Fountain Books – RSVP
- Washington DC: Kramer’s Books – RSVP
- NYC:
What can/can’t I donate? Please do bring books that are in good condition! We’d like to give books that are in a condition we’d like to receive them in. Missing pages, covers, water damage, a sad encounter with coffee — these are all things that impact the reading experience (and not in a good way).
