LITLIT: The Little Literary Fair

Literary production can feel like an insider's world, concentrated in and around New York’s publishing scene and largely dominated by a handful of ever-consolidating corporations. California’s thriving independent publishing houses have long offered more inclusive, diverse, and adventurous alternatives, but lack the interconnective network, outreach infrastructure, and financial resources wielded by larger firms. Independent literary arts organizations, driven by community rather than pure profit, serve communities often underrepresented in and misrepresented by big trade publishing. LITLIT offers local independent publishers and literary arts organizers the opportunity to forge and reinforce direct connections with their readers and fellow professionals. By bringing together California’s literary arts community and the reading public, LITLIT will foster a more diverse cultural landscape, increasing access to the arts for writers, publishers, readers, and curious passers-by alike.

Over the course of a weekend, LITLIT will gather together 30-40 local publishers and literary arts organizations and host 6–7 panel discussions and workshops. The free, outdoor book fair will run from 10AM–5PM on both days, with ample room for socially distanced and masked activity, should such precautions be necessary. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with booksellers, authors, publishers, and organizers from their communities, and to engage in printing workshops and other interactive craft projects. We will feature panels and discussions between literary artists and publishers on a range of topics. We will tailor programming to the groups and causes our exhibitors serve, inviting those interested to not only participate in panels, but also to cultivate these discussions with us. This year, we plan to feature conversations on topics such as Politics & Publishing, Art & Poetry Across Borders, Adaptations from Page to Screen, and more. This grant will facilitate participation from small presses and nonprofit publishers by helping us offer exhibitors booths free of charge, rather than at the often prohibitive standard rates of $350–950+ for comparable events and conferences. It will also support advertising and outreach efforts to communities all over Los Angeles and fund panel discussions, which will be recorded and uploaded onto LARB’s YouTube channel and website to maximize content accessibility and engagement, and for archival purposes.

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Cutting-edge and attuned to the needs of local communities, independent presses in California have done much to shape Los Angeles’s cultural identity. LITLIT will strengthen public and institutional support for their work and bring broader recognition of the vibrant literary community here in LA. It will also foster access to and engagement in the world of literary production, especially among readers and writers from underserved populations. By bringing together publishers and readers, LITLIT will help each of our exhibitors, which have included Tia Chucha, World Stage Press, Kaya Press, Red Hen, and others, to increase their audiences and better tailor their products to the communities they serve. LITLIT exposes the public to local literary communities, generating dozens of new library card enrollments each day and a long list of new volunteers for programs such as WordsUncaged. Our goal is to attract at least 6,000 members of the public in 2022.

In our inaugural (and as-yet, because of the pandemic, only) run, our exhibitors garnered between 25–150+ new email sign-ups, building their following and customer base. LITLIT 2019, co-hosted by LARB and Hauser & Wirth Publishers, welcomed over 5,000 visitors across two days, and our goal is to host over 6,000 this year. Exhibitors reported that they sold more books at LITLIT than at other book fairs and events, and some sold out on the first day. We have learned that regular in-person check-ins with exhibitors are essential during the event to create a welcoming and casual atmosphere conducive to a positive experience. After the event, we also provided exhibitors with emailed surveys for more extensive feedback about the quality and efficacy of the event, details regarding the number of products exhibitors sold and new contacts and collaborations made, and their willingness to participate in future events. (All of our respondents were eager to join us again.)