One Book, One Town 2021
A pandemic will not stop the Fairfield Public Library from running its beloved One Book, One Town program!
This year’s selection is Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam. The library describes the book as “the story of a tragic event leading to an unjust imprisonment and the impact it has on family and community, Punching the Air shows how strength can be found in the power of art and poetry.” Ibi Zoboi is a New York Times bestselling author; Dr. Yusef Salaam, of the Exonerated Five, is a poet, prison reform activist and inspirational speaker.
In addition to a virtual event with the authors on March 2 featuring interviews, commentary, and questions, the Fairfield Public Library proudly presents the 2021 One Book One Town Writing Contest.
The following includes the details about submissions and registration for the contest:
Submissions Due: Friday, March 12, 5:00 PM
Virtual Reception and Reading: Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 PM
In Punching the Air, Amal finds the freedom to express himself in his art and poetry, which brings him solace in unspeakably dark circumstances. What act of self-expression brings you solace in tough times? Is it writing or painting? Dancing or cooking? Or something else? Tell us about it in no more than 750 words or in the artistic medium of your choosing.
Please submit written works in PDF format. Artistic media should be submitted as a jpeg for still images or as a link for video format. Please one submission per entrant. This contest is for middle school and high school students and adults. Be sure to include the following with your submission:
-Name
-Age category (middle school, high school, or adult)
-Email address
-Phone number
Entries can be submitted to obot@fplct.org. Contest winners will be notified before the reception and will be invited to read and display their works. There will be a winner chosen for each age category among the writing submissions and a winner for each category among the artistic submissions.
“Celebrate the emerging authors and artists of the OBOT Writing Contest with this special virtual reception on March 12th!”
Everyone is invited to join us for an evening of story-telling and mixed media appreciation! Winners of the One Book One Town Writing and Mixed Media Contest will be asked to share their creations at this virtual reception. Registration is required. Prior to the program, registrants will be sent zoom login information. Visit www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org to register.
