A Party in Honor of a Book and the Girls of Gugulethu in South Africa

Tuesday, August 4, 2015, is a very important date for a group of young women in the township of Gugulethu near Cape Town, South Africa. On this date, the world will learn their stories about growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa. These remarkable young ladies collaborated with my friend Kimberly Burge to write the book The Born Frees. Kimberly created  this website to promote the book, which has already received rave reviews.

Born into post-apartheid South Africa, the young women...still face daunting challenges. Their families and communities have been ravaged by poverty, violence, sexual abuse, and AIDS. Yet, as Kimberly Burge discovered when she set up a writing group in the township of Gugulethu, the spirit of these girls outshines their circumstances.  -publisher W.W. Norton & Company

“Burge’s group provided a safe space for girls to gather without fear of judgement. Writing became an outlet for many involved, and the club itself grew into a platform to share thoughts about issues that matter the most to the girls… Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs in every library and on every bookshelf.” Library Journal (Starred Review)

Photo: Busboys and Poets

Release Party at Busboys and Poets in D.C.
The Born Frees will be officially released on Tuesday, August 4, 6:30 p.m., with an event at Busboys and Poets (14th and Vermont location) in Washington, D.C. 

More information coming to at Busboys and Poets' Politics and Prose site. 

Photo from Kimberly Burge's website

Pre-Order Now
Can't wait until August 4 to acquire your copy of The Born Frees? You can pre-order from hundreds of independent bookstores around the country. Here is a sampling of locations that offer you that opportunity: Bookworks in Albuquerque, Tattered Cover in Denver, Book People in Austin, Broadway Books in Portland, Sky Light Books in Los Angeles, the Book Cellar Cafe in Chicago, Rainy Day Books in Kansas City, Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati, Horizon Books in Cadillac (Michigan), Books & Books in Miami, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia, and Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn. Publisher W.W. Norton & Company also offers a link for pre-orders.