Podcasts about reading prize

This is a very special instalment of the podcast, as we have not one, not two nor three, but four interviews with four award winners – the 2024 winners of the four categories of The Reading Prize. First presented in 2014, The Readings Prize supports new and outstanding Australian voices across three separate categories of fiction: Children's, Young Adult and New Australian Fiction. The Readings Prize is unique in the Australian literary landscape as it's the only prize currently run by an independent bookshop and supporting emerging Australian voices. Winners of each category are awarded $5000 and the winner of the Gab Williams Prize, which is judged by the Readings Teen Advisory Board, wins $1000. To celebrate The Readings Prize in 2024 we have brought together short interviews with each of the winners and the respective Chair of Judges for your listening pleasure.

Aparna Nancherla and Alvin Irby Visit friends and take a deep dive into the imposter syndrome and how funding for Black Organizations are held under a microscope.  Aparna Nancherla is a comedian and general silly billy. Her sense of humor is dry, existential, and absurd, with notes of uncalled-for whimsy. Think a wine you didn't order. Her forthcoming book, Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself and Impostor Syndrome (Viking), is currently available for pre-order via Penguin Random House and will be released on September 19, 2023. You can hear Aparna as the voice of Moon on Fox's The Great North, or have heard her as the voice of Hollyhock on Bojack Horseman. You can currently watch Aparna in The Drop on Hulu or as Dr. Pocha on Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC). You may have watched Aparna as Grace the belabored HR rep on the critically-acclaimed Comedy Central show, Corporate. She also has a half-hour special on the second season of The Standups on Netflix, as well as appearances on Late Night with Stephen Colbert on CBS and Two Dope Queens on HBO. Other acting credits include A Simple Favor, Modern Love, Bob's Burgers, Crashing, Master of None, and Inside Amy Schumer. She's written for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Late Night with Seth Meyers, as well as Mythic Quest on Apple+. Aparna was also named one of “The 50 Funniest People Right Now” by Rolling Stone. In 2019, she was in a Super Bowl commercial with Michael Bublé for sparkling water neé seltzer. In 2016, she released her debut album, Just Putting It Out There, on Tig Notaro's label, Bentzen Ball Records, and recorded a half hour special for Comedy Central. She was also chosen as one of Variety's “Top 10 Comics to Watch” that year. Aparna currently lives in Los Angeles if you can even imagine.  Watch the absurdist web series Womanhood Aparna made with bright light Jo Firestone for Refinery29. Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys' early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation's 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby's popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby's nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students. His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children's intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children's book, Gross Greg, combines Irby's passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC's 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby's comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Barber Shop Book's founder Alvin Irvy and Nonye Brown-West visit and discuss the importance of literacy in today's youth, personal stories of education placement and more with host Marina Franklin.  Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys' early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation's 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby's popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby's nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students. His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children's intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children's book, Gross Greg, combines Irby's passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC's 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby's comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play.   Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a national literacy organization that inspires young children  to read for fun. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys' early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby's popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times.His debut children's book, Gross Greg, combines Irby's passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense."https://www.alvinirby.com

Author of the bestselling mythically-inspired YA fantasy A Song Below Water series, Bethany C. Morrow also writes for adult audiences, in genres ranging from speculative literary to historical fiction. In addition to penning novels like Mem and A Chorus Rises, she is a contributor to the young adult anthology Take the Mic, which was the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award winner. A California native now living in north country New York, she hopes to “abolish winter but not in a climate emergency way,” and enjoys spending quality time with her pet lizard and dog.  Mia Jackson is a New York based comedian originally from Georgia. In 2017, Jackson was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Jackson has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 2019.  Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby’s popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby’s nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students.  His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children’s intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines Irby’s passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC’s 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby’s comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical at FX on Hulu,  Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Judy Gold has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. She has written and starred in two critically acclaimed, Off-Broadway hit shows: The Judy Show – My Life as a Sitcom (Outer Critics Circle Nomination), and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (GLAAD Media Award – Outstanding NY Theater, Drama Desk Nomination – Actor). Judy received rave reviews as Gremio in The Public Theater’s all female production of The Taming of The Shrew for Shakespeare in the Park. She also co-starred in Off-Broadway’s Clinton! The Musical, and Disaster! The Musical. Judy plays the role of Chaya on FX’s Better Things. She guest starred on CBS’ Madame Secretary and on the Showtime series I’m Dying Up Here. She has had recurring roles Netflix’s Friends from College and TBS’ Search Party. Judy is the host of the hit podcast, Kill Me Now. She has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show. From 1999-2010, Judy was the host of HBO’s At the Multiplex with Judy Gold. Judy also won two Emmy awards for writing and producing The Rosie O’Donnell Show.  Judy has made numerous appearances on The View, The Today Show, The Wendy Williams Show, and The Steve Harvey Show. She often pops up on The Food Network, but please do not mention Chopped All Stars to her, or Rachel vs. Guy for that matter. Judy’s newest comedy album, Conduct Unbecoming, and her previous albums, Kill Me Now and Judith’s Roommate Had a Baby are available wherever you get your music. Judy Gold is the author of YES I CAN SAY THAT – When They Come for the Comedians We’re All in Trouble,  released this July from Dey Street Books.  Nika King’s talents as a comedian and actor are versatile and dynamic. King is best known for her comedic abilities but in her new breakout role playing Leslie, on the Emmy winning HBO series Euphoria opposite Zendaya and Storm Reid, King showcases a much more dramatic side of herself. In this role, King pulls from her early life in the projects of Liberty City watching her mother and uncles battle addiction and triumphantly overcoming. It is from that resolve and resilience that King offers a dramatic perspective and newfound depth in this role. Watching her mother work hard as a postal worker while battling and defeating addiction shaped King’s perseverance. Her passion for performance started at the early age of five years old. Armed with a silly sense of humor, King started reciting cheeky poems by Langston Hughes. After graduating from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with a degree in Theatre Performance, King went on to hone her comedy improv skills at the Groundlings Improv School. King’s comedy has landed her roles on Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black, 2 Broke Girls and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, Canada. She's also produced and wrote on the hilarious web series Funny Married Stuff and her podcast King Confessions.  Striving to be more than just an actor, King created Jeli, a technology company that reimagines Hollywood through diversity and inclusion. It’s a platform for people of color to navigate the entertainment industry in a supported way by connecting with industry leaders to develop their personal roadmap to success. For more information, visit www.jeli.life  Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby’s popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby’s nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students.  His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children’s intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines Irby’s passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC’s 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby’s comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

This week we present two stories from teachers dealing with wild experiences in the classroom. Part 1:  When his students keep having “accidents" during nap time, kindergarten teacher Alvin Irby investigates Part 2:  In Aida Rosenbaum’s first month as a high-school science teacher, a fight breaks out between her students. Alvin Irby received his M.S. in Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education and his MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University. He is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. As Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, Irby was awarded the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize. His TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader" has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby's clever social commentary and humorous observations earned him a coveted spot in the StandUp NBC national showcase. His fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his 2018 comedy album "Really Dense." Irby’s debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines his passion for early literacy and humor while capturing the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. Aida Rosenbaum is a high school Earth and Environmental Science teacher at the Bronx Latin School. She is also the science department team leader, a facilitator of the Youth Court, the Gardening Club teacher, a coach of new-teacher mentors, the school EDTech specialist, and a member of the Learning Partners Program working to share best practices between schools. Aida is a native New Yorker who earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Mount Holyoke College and her M.P.A. in Earth System Science, Policy, and Management from Columbia University. She has been teaching for 16 years at four different high schools and is currently in her second fellowship as an MƒA Master Teacher. She comes from an entire family of teachers including her grandmother, mother, sister, and husband. In addition to teaching, Aida is a mother of two, a wife, an avid listener of NPR, a bee-keeper, and an outdoor sports enthusiast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Kilmartin  is an Emmy-nominated writer for CONAN on TBS, and, as a stand-up comedian, has appeared on CONAN, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Comedy Central.  Her first book, Shitty Mom, was a NY Times bestseller. Her Seeso special, 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016. Her new book "Dead People Suck" was released by Rodale Press in Feb 2018, and is available in bookstores, or online on Amazon. Nia Renee Hill is an actor/writer/producer/director who has been seen on Crashing on HBO, Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix and is a frequent guest on The Monday Morning Podcast.  Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, national speaker, and author. As Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, winner of the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize, Irby creates create child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops across America. For more than 9 years, Irby has hosted events and performed stand-up comedy at comedy clubs, colleges, and conferences. His clever social commentary and hilarious observations earned him one of nine coveted spots in the StandUp NBC national showcase held annually at the Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles, CA Always hosted by Marina Franklin - Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Leslie Jones is a comedian and actress who is a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live. Jones has been a featured performer at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2010, her one-hour comedy special, Problem Child, was broadcast on Showtime. In 2014, Jones appeared in Chris Rock's directing debut, Top Five, she also appeared in the Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer movie, Trainwreck; Jones starred in Ghostbusters (2016) as Patty Tolan. In 2018, Jones is nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. Tracee Loran is a Brooklyn-based TV host, writer, producer, and actress. Her knack for intrinsic characters and comedic timing lead to her first break when she hosted an Internet program called TV Quickie with Nikki. The popular online show generated thousands of hits and fan mail during its two-year run. Tracee has appeared in numerous national television ads for FedEx, HBO, AT&T, Arby’s, and Sony, to name a few.  She also worked for ESPNMobile where she fused her passion and keen knowledge of sports with her unconventional reporting style to secure interviews with notable sports figures. Her exciting ESPN position carried her to Wimbledon, the Super Bowl, the US Open, and the Major League Baseball playoffs. Tracee previously partnered with HBO to write critically acclaimed promos for HBOGo that featured Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) and Rutina Wesley (Queen Sugar, True Blood). A native of Chicago, Illinois, Tracee received her degree in Broadcast Journalism from the College of Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also a graduate of the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City. Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. He is founder and chief reading inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. He has a hilarious children's book called Gross Greg and his new comedy album comes out Friday, August 10th. Always hosted by Marina Franklin- Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Yamaneika Saunders is known for Last Comic Standing, ShowTimes “Nasty Show”, Comedy Central Presents: Half-hour, her podcast “Ranting and Raving w/ Yamaneika and Friends”, and will be on the upcoming season of Laffmob Laff Tracks on TruTV. She is the Co-host of Kandi Koated Nights on Bravo, and has a soon to come 30 minute Netflix special as part of Netflix’s “The Degenerates”. Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. He is founder and chief reading inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. He has a hilarious children's book called Gross Greg and his new comedy album comes out Friday, August 10th. Pat brown is a New York based comedian that can be seen on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Fuse’s Uproarious, Axis”s Gotham Live, NBC’s Comic’s Unleashed and BET ‘s ComicView for multiple appearances.In 2016, Pat released her critically acclaimed album THE PAT BROWN SEX-TAPE. Pat has won both the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and The She Devil Competition. She has been featured in Time Out Magazine, After-Ellen, Splitsider and Punchline Magazine. She can also be seen in TVOne’s made for TV movie, WHITE WATER, starring as“Ms Sophia”. Pat has also starred as wise-cracking “Aunt Agnes” in the independent film SOMEBODIES which received critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Afterwards, Pat reprised the same role, as a season regular for the TV version of SOMEBODIES on BET as its first scripted sitcom. Always hosted by Marina Franklin- Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Leslie Jones is a comedian and actress who is a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live. Jones has been a featured performer at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2010, her one-hour comedy special, Problem Child, was broadcast on Showtime. In 2014, Jones appeared in Chris Rock's directing debut, Top Five, she also appeared in the Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer movie, Trainwreck; Jones starred in Ghostbusters (2016) as Patty Tolan. In 2018, Jones is nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. Tracee Loran is a Brooklyn-based TV host, writer, producer, and actress. Her knack for intrinsic characters and comedic timing lead to her first break when she hosted an Internet program called TV Quickie with Nikki. The popular online show generated thousands of hits and fan mail during its two-year run.Tracee has appeared in numerous national television ads for FedEx, HBO, AT&T, Arby’s, and Sony, to name a few.  She also worked for ESPNMobile where she fused her passion and keen knowledge of sports with her unconventional reporting style to secure interviews with notable sports figures. Her exciting ESPN position carried her to Wimbledon, the Super Bowl, the US Open, and the Major League Baseball playoffs.Tracee previously partnered with HBO to write critically acclaimed promos for HBOGo that featured Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) and Rutina Wesley (Queen Sugar, True Blood).A native of Chicago, Illinois, Tracee received her degree in Broadcast Journalism from the College of Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also a graduate of the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City. Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. He is founder and chief reading inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. He has a hilarious children's book called Gross Greg and his new comedy album comes out Friday, August 10th. Always hosted by Marina Franklin- Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Sep. 5, 2015. Alejandro Zambra discusses "My Documents" with Gwen Kirkpatrick at the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Alejandro Zambra is a Chilean novelist and poet. He is the author of the novels "Ways of Going Home," "The Private Lives of Trees" and "Bonsai." He has twice received the National Council on Books and Reading Prize for the best novel of the year and was named one of the best young Spanish-language novelists by Granta in 2010. His writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Tin House, Harper's and McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. His newest book is the short story collection "My Documents." He recently became a fellow at the Cullman Center for Writers and Scholars at the New York Public Library. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6973

Sep. 5, 2015. Four diverse authors from Chile and Mexico talk about how they deal with time in every sense of the word: in creating fictional characters, in shaping a plot, in making an argument, and in the actual writing of a book at the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Álvaro Enrigue is a celebrated Mexican author. He has written 10 fiction books, two of which are now available in English translations: "Perpendicular Lives" and "Hypothermia." Enrigue received the prestigious Joaquin Mortiz Prize for his first novel, "La muerte de un instalador," as well as the coveted Herralde Prize for his most recent book. His commentary in English has been published in The New York Times, the Believer and the London Review of Books. His most recent award-winning book, "Muerte súbita," will be available in the English translation "Sudden Death" in 2016. Enrigue lives in New York, where he alternates between teaching at Princeton and Columbia universities. Speaker Biography: Cristina Rivera Garza is an award-winning Mexican author as well as a professor and director of the MFA creative writing program at the University of California, San Diego. She has written six novels, three collections of short stories, five volumes of poetry and three nonfiction books. Her work has been translated from the original Spanish into various languages, including English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Korean. Garza is the only author who has received the International Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize twice, and her other awards include the Anna Seghers and the Roger Caillois Award. She is best known for her novel "Nadie me verá llorar," which is available in the English translation "No One Will See Me Cry" by Andrew Hurley. Another of her recent works is the novel "Lo anterior." Garza has also written extensively on the social history of mental illness in early 20th century Mexico and her work has been published in academic journals and edited volumes throughout the United States, England, Argentina and Mexico. Speaker Biography: María José Navia is a Chilean author with a degree in Hispanic literature and linguistics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a degree in humanities and social thought from New York University. Her scholarly research interests range from trauma and pop-modernism to critical theory and urban studies. Navia has written various short stories, articles and books, including the novel "SANT." She is also a regular volunteer at 826DC, where she helps lead storytelling and bookmaking field trips in Spanish. Her latest book, "Instrucciones para ser feliz," is available in the original Spanish and delivers contemplative reflection on the essence of modern human existence and some guidelines for happiness. Currently, Navia is pursuing a doctorate at Georgetown University's department of Spanish and Portuguese. Speaker Biography: Alejandro Zambra is a Chilean novelist and poet. He is the author of the novels "Ways of Going Home," "The Private Lives of Trees" and "Bonsai." He has twice received the National Council on Books and Reading Prize for the best novel of the year and was named one of the best young Spanish-language novelists by Granta in 2010. His writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Tin House, Harper's and McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. His newest book is the short story collection "My Documents." He recently became a fellow at the Cullman Center for Writers and Scholars at the New York Public Library. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6969

Best-selling author and literacy advocate James Patterson was a featured speaker at the 2013 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Speaker Biography: James Patterson is the Children's Choice Author of the Year Award winner (2010) and founder of ReadKiddoRead.com, the winner of the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize 2009. He is also a founding partner of the Children's Reading Fund (UK). For transcript, captions and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6146