Great news! BookSwell has been selected by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division to produce the 2022 WeHo Reads season. BookSwell founder and managing editor Cody Sisco proposed a series of eight online events on the theme of creating joy in the midst of sorrow that will take the audience on a memorable journey throughout 2022.
Literary communities have continued to struggle through difficult times and yet many writers are not only confronting sources of pain and injustice but also creating paths toward healing, lightness, and joy. We aim to recognize the contribution of writers and lift up their voices.
Stay tuned for more info!
You can sign up to receive email updates here:
If you missed our events in 2020 and 2021, catch up on our YouTube channel or check out the highlights below:
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WeHo Reads: Feminism and Fearlessness During Women’s History Month
March 19, 2025 · 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. PT How do writers channel their imaginations to confront fear, champion equity, and reimagine the world? How can their fearless storytelling inspire advocacy and action?
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WeHo Reads: Power and Progress During Black History Month
February 26, 2025 · 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. PT Watch WeHo Reads: Power and Progress During Black History Month How do writers use their imaginations to empower themselves and their audiences? How do their stories shape the future?
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WeHo Reads: Through a Lens Queerly
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. PT What makes a memory? What makes an idol? Through what lens do we examine ourselves and our community? Join us for a discussion about queer lives, the stories we tell both in words and images, and how we see each other.
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WeHo Reads: Imagining and Building Restorative Communities
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. PT 2024 is a year of possibilities and perils, and it’s more important than ever for writers to share their thoughts on imagining and building restorative communities.
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WeHo Reads: Creating Queer Families and Communities
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. PT Let’s celebrate National Coming Out Day with an exploration of queer families by Meliza Bañales, Lane Igoudin, and Hazel Kight Witham!
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WeHo Reads: Asian Pacific Diaspora Talk Story
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PT Hear from a panel of poets and writers as they share their stories and discuss what it means to be Asian American during AAPI Heritage Month
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WeHo Reads: Poetry Spa 2024
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PT Celebrate National Poetry Month and lounge with a poet at the City’s 2nd annual Poetry Spa Day!
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WeHo Reads: Inspirations and Intersections
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. PT We explore authors’ creative inspirations and intersections during Black History Month.
