Westchester bookstore hosting series of events this month
The Book Jewel in Westchester is hosting several events this month that highlight the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in history, life and literature.
“Pride Month is always special here at The Book Jewel, and we’re excited to celebrate and provide a space for conversations that continue to nourish a love for learning about diverse people, cultures, and stories,” the bookstore said.
First, on June 18, the store invited a panel of three writers of LGBTQ+ Children’s & YA books, each of whom provided age-appropriate & life-affirming stories for young readers. These writers are Lee Wind, Andrea J. Loney, and Erica Silverman. Each of these authors shared a sneak peek of their work in addition to providing some fun Pride-themed crafts & activities for the audience to participate in.
This upcoming Saturday, June 25, at 3 p.m. meet a brand-new voice on the YA lit scene,Naz Kutub, author of his debut novel: The Loophole, which is about a gay Muslim boy who travels the world for a second chance at love after a magical heiress grants him three wishes.
Naz Kutub is a half-Indian, half-Malay immigrant from Singapore. His debut novel published by Bloomsbury was inspired by his personal experiences growing up as a gay Muslim, and as someone raised on a calorie-dense diet of Eastern lore.
One of Naz’s main inspirations for writing The Loophole was for his future readers who do not usually get to see themselves represented: “I never got to see myself in books when I was a kid, so now I write queer brown kids as main characters, to show them that I see them. And now, they can too,” said Kutub.
Returning on Thursday, June 30 is a monthly free social event for and led by LGBTQ+ teens in LA: Alphabet Soup. Join this group of welcoming and fun young people as they celebrate their one-year anniversary of meeting together. This club’s typical meeting is an ongoing epic Dungeons & Dragons campaign for some members, while others choose to socialize, shop among our unique collection of gifts and books, and play with Paiges The Bookstore Cat of course.
In addition, come by The Book Jewel any time during June and brose a curated display of LGBTQ+ books featuring a mixture of fiction and nonfiction titles.
The Book Jewel is located at 6259 W 87th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045. For more information, visit thebookjewel.com.
