Community Grants: Bookmarks

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THE WINSTON-SALEM FOUNDATION

COMMUNITY OUR CONNECTING

2015 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY | 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

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OOKMARKS IS KNOWN AMONG WRITERS AND READERS for its annual book festival and

the high-profile authors it brings to the city. But the nonprofit’s work goes much deeper, promoting literacy and the love of books throughout the year.

CO M M UN ITY GR A N TS

BOOKMARKS

“We love our Authors in Schools program. It is amazing to see these students respond to books and writers.”

Fueled by a cadre of dedicated volunteers, this nonprofit has presented the annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors since 2004. Hundreds of authors, including Julia Alvarez, Rita Mae Brown, Michael Chabon, Billy Collins, and Rachel Renee Russell, have come to Winston-Salem over the years for readings, booksignings, and discussions.

The Festival, which is now held across six venues in downtown Winston-Salem on the Saturday following Labor Day, has expanded to include ticketed special events with authors on Thursday and Friday. James Patterson and David Baldacci have been past keynote speakers kicking off the Festival.

In 2015, the 11th anniversary Festival featured 40 authors, attracted 15,000 attendees from 15 states, and sold more than 3,000 books.

“The people who come love it; our job is to continue to bring in really stellar authors,” said Ginger Hendricks, executive director.

Both the Festival and Winston-Salem are popular with the authors as a result of the attention to detail and hospitality they are shown.

“Plus, we allow time for authors to talk to each other — they don’t often get a chance to do that,” added Jamie Rogers Southern, operations director. “Authors really get a lot out of it.”

While the Festival itself remains front-and-center for Bookmarks, reaching young readers and writers is also a priority. It piloted its first summer reading program for K-12 students this past summer.

Through its Authors in Schools initiative, Bookmarks connects students with writers to promote reading, writing, and storytelling.

Each year the program reaches 5,500 students in more than 30 schools in Forsyth and surrounding counties.

“We love our Authors in Schools program. It is amazing to see these students respond to books and writers,” said Ginger. “We would love to expand our capacity further and see that grow.”

Left: Children’s book author Barbara Joosse reads to students at Brunson Elementary School

Bookmarks also holds Author Talks and other special events, many in collaboration with community organizations. Bookmarks has ventured into the bookselling business, too. It is the only book festival organizer in the country that directly manages book sales for its event. Bookmarks handles special orders for book clubs, community groups, individuals, and businesses year-round. Plus, anyone can shop the bookshelf at Coffee Park ARTS inside the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, where Bookmarks has an office.

Book sales — including creating an online store — have great potential to support Bookmarks’ overall mission in the long term, according to Ginger. “We’re able to order directly from publishers, so any money we earn with book sales can go right back into our programming.”

Bookmarks will continue to evolve as part of a vision to give the literary arts a bigger stage in the City of Arts and Innovation, Ginger continued.

“Literature is the third pillar of the arts, alongside performing and visual arts,” she said. “It is extremely important to give the literary arts a visible, valued place in our community.”

BOOKMARKS began as a project of the Junior League of Winston-Salem in 2000. The first Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors was held in 2004, and Bookmarks became an independent nonprofit in 2006. Bookmarks now presents the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas. The organization also creates energy and excitement around reading through author events, school visits, book donations and sales, and community engagement opportunities.

In 2013, the Foundation began three years of Community Grant funding totaling $62,000 to support the expansion of its executive director and operations director positions.

the winston-salem foundation annual report

OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTING

[20-21]

B

OOKMARKS IS KNOWN AMONG WRITERS AND READERS for its annual book festival and

the high-profile authors it brings to the city. But the nonprofit’s work goes much deeper, promoting literacy and the love of books throughout the year.

CO M M UN ITY GR A N TS

BOOKMARKS

“We love our Authors in Schools program. It is amazing to see these students respond to books and writers.”

Fueled by a cadre of dedicated volunteers, this nonprofit has presented the annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors since 2004. Hundreds of authors, including Julia Alvarez, Rita Mae Brown, Michael Chabon, Billy Collins, and Rachel Renee Russell, have come to Winston-Salem over the years for readings, booksignings, and discussions.

The Festival, which is now held across six venues in downtown Winston-Salem on the Saturday following Labor Day, has expanded to include ticketed special events with authors on Thursday and Friday. James Patterson and David Baldacci have been past keynote speakers kicking off the Festival.

In 2015, the 11th anniversary Festival featured 40 authors, attracted 15,000 attendees from 15 states, and sold more than 3,000 books.

“The people who come love it; our job is to continue to bring in really stellar authors,” said Ginger Hendricks, executive director.

Both the Festival and Winston-Salem are popular with the authors as a result of the attention to detail and hospitality they are shown.

“Plus, we allow time for authors to talk to each other — they don’t often get a chance to do that,” added Jamie Rogers Southern, operations director. “Authors really get a lot out of it.”

While the Festival itself remains front-and-center for Bookmarks, reaching young readers and writers is also a priority. It piloted its first summer reading program for K-12 students this past summer.

Through its Authors in Schools initiative, Bookmarks connects students with writers to promote reading, writing, and storytelling.

Each year the program reaches 5,500 students in more than 30 schools in Forsyth and surrounding counties.

“We love our Authors in Schools program. It is amazing to see these students respond to books and writers,” said Ginger. “We would love to expand our capacity further and see that grow.”

Left: Children’s book author Barbara Joosse reads to students at Brunson Elementary School

Bookmarks also holds Author Talks and other special events, many in collaboration with community organizations. Bookmarks has ventured into the bookselling business, too. It is the only book festival organizer in the country that directly manages book sales for its event. Bookmarks handles special orders for book clubs, community groups, individuals, and businesses year-round. Plus, anyone can shop the bookshelf at Coffee Park ARTS inside the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, where Bookmarks has an office.

Book sales — including creating an online store — have great potential to support Bookmarks’ overall mission in the long term, according to Ginger. “We’re able to order directly from publishers, so any money we earn with book sales can go right back into our programming.”

Bookmarks will continue to evolve as part of a vision to give the literary arts a bigger stage in the City of Arts and Innovation, Ginger continued.

“Literature is the third pillar of the arts, alongside performing and visual arts,” she said. “It is extremely important to give the literary arts a visible, valued place in our community.”

BOOKMARKS began as a project of the Junior League of Winston-Salem in 2000. The first Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors was held in 2004, and Bookmarks became an independent nonprofit in 2006. Bookmarks now presents the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas. The organization also creates energy and excitement around reading through author events, school visits, book donations and sales, and community engagement opportunities.

In 2013, the Foundation began three years of Community Grant funding totaling $62,000 to support the expansion of its executive director and operations director positions.

the winston-salem foundation annual report

OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTING

[20-21]