MEET THE TEAM
Co-founders Allie Young (Diné), Kayla Gebeck Carroll (Ojibwe), and Abigail Jackson Smith (Oglala) have been friends since they met at Dartmouth College in 2008.
WELL-READ NATIVE INITIATIVES
The Well-Read Native Indigenous Book Club
Quarterly, Well-Read Native hosts a virtual Indigenous Book Club meeting. During a typical meeting, attendees get the chance to see an Indigenous artist perform, ask the guest author questions, and break out into small groups to meet other Well-Read Native members and discuss Indigenous literature.
Since launching in November of 2020, Well-Read Native is honored to have been joined by 11 Indigenous authors and academics, including David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Winter Counts), Terese Marie Mailhot (Heart Berries), David Treuer (The Hiawatha), Melissa Lucashenko (Too Much Lip), Waubgeshig Rice (Moon of the Crusted Snow), Tommy Orange (There There), Professor Nick Reo, Anton Treuer (The Language Warrior's Manifesto), Jesmyn Ward (Men We Reaped), Danielle Geller (Dog Flowers), Brenda Child (My Grandfather's Knocking Sticks), and Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians). In May, Well-Read Native will host Lisa Bird-Wilson for a discussion of her debut novel, Probably Ruby. RSVP here.
Well-Read Native's Indigenous Book Club programming is sponsored by Protect the Sacred, a program powered by the nonprofit Harness.
Well-Read Native held its first virtual Indigenous Book Club meeting on November 5, 2020.
Well-Read Native Youth
Empowering Native American, Alaska Native, and First Nations children to be readers and storytellers is core to our mission. In June of 2021, Well-Read Native launched its Well-Read Native Youth initiative for young readers of all ages—from picture book through young adult.
The Well-Read Native Youth initiative aims to broaden Indigenous families' and children's access to literature that reflects and celebrates the diverse cultures, experiences, and lives of young readers from our communities. To that end, Well-Read Native Youth's programming centers on children's and young adult books by Indigenous authors.
Well-Read Native Youth's goal is for every Indigenous child in every classroom throughout Indian Country and the United States to see themselves reflected in the books they read.
To learn more about Well-Read Native Youth, follow us on Instagram (@wellreadnativeyouth).
Well-Read Native launched its Well-Read Native Youth initiative this summer.