A festival that aims to give free books has won the support of highprofile writers and illustrators. Candice CartyWilliams, Bolu Babalola, Caleb Femi, and Dapo Adeola are all backing The Free Books Campaign's biggest free literature festival to date. The event will be held over three days from July 19 to July 21 at BSix sixth form in Hackney, with registration opening up on July 4 at 10am. Full results for the Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency. Started in 2020 with the goal of providing books by authors of colour to those who cannot afford them, The Free Books Campaign has distributed more than 8,000 new books across the UK and Ireland. The campaign has partnered with initiatives like Marcus Rashford s Book Club and has built up an online community of more than 7,500 supporters. Campaign founder Sofia Akel said: "We envision a world in which barriers to reading no longer exist, where it is not a privilege, but a powerful form of education that all people can access freely and equitably.". She added that this year's festival is expecting more than 3,000 attendees who will experience the "power of storytelling". The campaign aims to give books by authors of colour to those who cannot afford themImage: Free Books Campaign. The festival's focus ranges from visual arts to movement, literature to anime, and gaming to music. Through this, The Free Books Campaign aims to create more readers from all walks of life. Author Candice CartyWilliams said: "It s been amazing to witness both the rise and the scope of the Free Books Campaign. "Every single person deserves what the escape of reading brings, and it s an honour to be part of this movement in a small way.". The festival is currently working with organisations, publishers, book clubs and brands including the Hackney Empire, Tate, Netflix and Gymshark. However, founder Sofia Akel stressed that "without crucial funds and book donations, we won t be able to continue". With just three weeks until the festival, The Free Books Campaign is urgently calling on publishers for book donations, merchandise or sponsorship. They have also launched a fundraiser that is now live and accepting donations. For sponsorship and donations questions, contact Sofia via email at sofiafreebookscampaign.co.uk. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community  a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Please report any comments that break our rules. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then pleasecontact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you cancontact IPSO here. 20012024.Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW  01676637 . Data returned from the Piano 'meterActivemeterExpired' callbackevent. Those ads you do see are predominantly fromlocal businessespromotinglocal services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience thelocal community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.
High-profile writers and illustrators support The Free Books Campaign's upcoming literature festival aiming to provide books by authors of color to those in need. The event in July will feature various activities and storytelling, expecting over 3,000 attendees. The campaign relies on donations and sponsorships to continue its mission of making reading accessible to all.