Saturday, November 8th was a big day for Writopia Lab’s virtual space. The Youth Advisory Board first discussed the current reading crisis, and then, in a separate event, we celebrated one of our own’s publishing success! (High school junior from Montana, Flynn Kier and proud member of Writopia Lab’s Creative Portfolio program, published their first book through Kindle Publishing, Three May Reign under the pseudonym F.K. Winters.)
At 3 PM, The Youth Advisory Board hosted another Think Tank for teens: Why Isn’t Anybody Reading Anymore?
Executive Officers Zoe Becker, Mason Bronner, Sofia Hernandez, and Annika Lamberti prepared a slide show full of topics for discussion. They tackled questions such as:
- To what degree is the education system more broadly responsible for the current reading crisis?
- Are we raising too much alarm over this issue? Are continuous changes in reading habits just a reflection of a technologically advancing society?
- How does reading factor into your writing? Why do you think writers aren’t reading anymore?
- Where does Book Tok fit into all of this? Are we facing an epidemic of parasocial relationships with literary figures?
- How do screens and social media affect reading motivation?
- In an age of such accessibility, why isn’t anybody accessing literary materials?
Their solution is to take inspiration from music sensation Laufey and create a Writopia Book Club on DISCORD. So stay tuned!
At 5:30 PM, we had a bevy of teens come and support the launch of Flynn’s novel Three May Reign with a reading and author Q&A.
When Trin, the leader of a criminal group called the Messengers, gets wind of a plot to eradicate crime in an alternate Victorian London, she enlists the help of two fellow crooks, Marion and Red. Marion is a shapeshifter who loves nothing more than chaos, manipulation, and a lacy pink dress. Red is the transgender son of a noble family, living a double life as the leader of the Scarlettes, the largest and cruelest gang in London. Despite mutual animosity, impossible-seeming obstacles, and an unknown force meddling in their affairs, the three uncover a secret that could grant them power beyond their wildest dreams.
Together, they attempt a daring heist to take it for themselves, and in the process realize that everything they thought they knew about the world they live in, and about one another, was wrong.