On Sunday, February 18, Penguin Publishing Group partnered with BLK Book Swap, a grassroots organization amplifying Black literature, to lead a book swap event in celebration of Black History Month! The community book swap was held at Aunts et Uncles, a Black-owned vegan cafe and concept shop in Flatbush, Brooklyn. More than sixty book lovers poured in to trade books and discover their next reads.
The event celebrated Storytelling as Resistance, featuring books that educate about the historic and ongoing resistance of Black communities; celebrate rich, diverse perspectives; and challenge the status quo. Penguin Publishing Group donated copies of thirty titles, including classics like The Color Purple, Sister Outsider, and The Mis-Education of the Negro, as well as new releases like Ours, Legacy, and Come and Get It.
BLK Book Swap is the brainchild of Trae Higgs, a Bookstagrammer who launched the community-based initiative in 2020 out of a desire to share books that she already owned. Cost and accessibility were top of mind, and Higgs wanted to offer books for free to people in her community, especially titles by nonwhite and queer authors. She felt further motivated to invest in BLK Book Swap when the Black Lives Matter protests picked up in June 2020. Since then, she’s led community book swaps all over the city at small businesses, cafes, and indie bookstores. Books Are Magic, Cafe con Libros, Adanne Bookshop, Brooklyn Brewery, and the New Museum are among the sponsors and businesses that have hosted a book swap.
The event was featured on Pix 11, where you can learn more about the story behind BLK Book Swap.
This collaboration is part of Penguin Publishing Group’s multicultural marketing strategy of exploring new avenues to reach a diverse community of readers.
View this post on Instagram