TULSA, Okla. — Lit Fest, a festival for the city’s creative minds, is on the books this weekend.
In it’s sixth year, the literary celebration focuses on fostering community, diversity and inclusivity in the name of a great read.
Independent bookstore Whitty Books is one of the weekend’s sponsors, and co-owner Victoria Moore said the activities help bring like-minded people together in a fresh way.
“We really want it to feel, again, accessible and approachable, and open to Tulsans with a variety of different interests,” said Moore. “I think people having access to a variety of different stories and information is just invaluable. People getting to tell different kinds of stories, different kind of people getting to tell different kinds of stories is just something we all need.”
From open mics, writing workshops and even opportunities to meet a favorite author, Lit Fest offers activities for anyone’s interest.
A mission of inclusivity drives Moore.
From having a free book shelf so people of all means can enjoy a read, to having diverse platforms and authors, ensuring no one who wants to read is left out is important to Moore in all of her work.
“I do think sometimes if people don't have their nose buried in the book every free second, they don't think they're a reader, and that's not true,” she said. “Any amount that you're reading is reading, reading an essay on your phone is reading. There's no... there shouldn't be any barrier for entry in my opinion.”
That mission began when she first opened Whitty Books in 2018, and she noticed a trend when she asked people what they were reading. Moore said people seemed to feel embarrassed and shy away from talking about their books, even if they were enjoying them, if they felt that they weren’t reading a book of importance.
“I just want everybody to feel like they can be apart of the reading community,” said Moore. “Whether or not they're in an MFA program or they read three books a year because they’re busy and that’s all they can get to. That’s a space that everybody should be and feel welcome in. Whether you listen to audio books or read e-books or only read graphic novels or only read cute, fun romance novels, it all matters and it’s all a valid interest.”
The festival is sponsored by Oklahoma State University Tulsa’s Center for Poets and Writers, Fulton Street Books and Coffee, Tri City Collective, as well as Whitty Books.
English professor and director of the Center for Poets and Writers Lindsey Smith said this is just one way to fulfill the university’s mission of serving the community at all levels.
“Literature means a lot of things to a lot of people,” said Smith. “Part of our purpose is to have a broad and inclusive understanding about what literature can be and get people excited about self-expression, in whatever form that speaks to you.”
Lit Fest begins Thursday evening, and runs through Sunday. A full calendar of the weekend’s events can be found here.
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