The birth of the Louisville Book Festival 2020

They say it “takes a village” when it comes to raising kids and I couldn’t agree more. I also think this philosophy rings true when it comes to promoting a love of literacy with the next generation.

Getting books into the hands of young readers is among the dozens of reasons why I founded The Louisville Book Festival. I was raised in Louisville and I am a proud product of Jefferson County Public Schools. As a child, I loved to read, but I never found books with characters who looked like me or had a story similar to mine. I went on to work with Child Protective Services and eventually, I became a therapist, attorney, and author. My work has led me to the goal of seeing that every child in Louisville has at least twenty books at home, and hopefully, they will be able to see themselves inside of these books. There are more diverse books than ever, but still nowhere near enough.

Louisville Book Festival

This idea of this festival was born in my mind around 2017 and I mulled it over for quite some time. Then it hit me; if you want to spark change and progress, the first step needs to be made. No matter how small- just start. I knew I could no longer wait around for someone else to take the initiative and run with it.

It all came down to NINE words: If it’s meant to be, it’s up to ME.

The Things I Wanted The Louisville Book Festival to Represent

  • The nurturing, learning, and growth in every attendee by providing a place where authors, illustrators, publishers, and readers can come together.
  • A way to bring books to life for the Louisville community.
  • An opportunity for readers of all ages and backgrounds to discover new stories and revisit old favorites.
  • A place to shine the spotlight on diverse books and authors.
  • An opportunity for community partners to help books come to life with hands-on activities like science experiments, cooking demonstrations, crafts, and more.
  • A place where the hard questions about equality, inclusion, peace, and love can get asked…and answered.

A Work in Progress

This project is still in its infancy, but I am happy to say we are dedicated and committed to bringing this epic literacy event to the Louisville community in the Fall of 2020. The Louisville Book Festival will help us accomplish our goal of bringing books into the lives of young readers while celebrating our city’s culture and vibrancy.

I believe literacy is a fundamental human right. There is no better place to freely explore and exchange information and ideas, as well as demonstrate for ourselves and for future generations the power of books and reading.

Louisville Book Festival

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About Deedee Cummings

As a therapist, attorney, author, and CEO of Make A Way Media, Deedee Cummings has a passion for making the world a better place. All 16 of Cummings’ diverse picture, poetry, and workbooks for kids reflect her professional knowledge and love of life. Colorful and vibrant, her children’s books are not only fun for kids and adults to read, they also work to teach coping skills, reinforce the universal message of love, encourage mindfulness, and facilitate inclusion for all. Cummings has spent more than two decades working within the family therapy and support field and much of her writing shares her experiences of working with kids in therapeutic foster care. As a result, her catalogs of published books for kids are filled with positive, hopeful messages. Using therapeutic techniques in her stories to teach coping skills, Cummings also strives to lessen the stigma that some people feel when it comes to receiving mental health assistance.
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