Wow! It’s been a little over a week since Read with Pride NW 2017, and we’re still feeling the book love! How was your time at RWP this year?

We’re excited to share a recording of the 2017 keynote chat with authors Tobi Hill-Meyer (Nerve Endings: The New Trans Erotic) and Rebekah Weatherspoon (Soul to Keep, Treasure) that explores a range of topics, including exploring barriers within queer romance publishing, the power of writing positive queer stories, and how to find books.

Find the full RWP opening remarks and keynote below or on our YouTube channel.

• 0:00 – 2:00 – Opening Remarks by Misha Stone (Seattle Public Library)
• 2:00 – 10:20 – Opening Remarks by Tracy Timmons-Gray (Read with Pride NW)
• 10:20 – 59:00 – Keynote Chat with Tobi Hill-Meyer and Rebekah Weatherspoon

Read with Pride 2017 Photos!

Read with Pride NW 2017 Attending Authors

We were running around, so didn’t take too many photos on our own, but we sure did appreciate the photos shared on twitter! Here is a small sampling from the day.

Talking about one of our themes for 2017… #RESIST

Awesome keynote chat with Tobi Hill-Meyer and Rebekah Weatherspoon

Character Type Love Match 2017!

We know you might be dying to know who won the 2017 bout of Character Type Love Match, the participatory reader game where a lot of character types enter, but only two leave to the ultimate Couple for 2017. 2014’s winner was Soldier & Tattoo Artist. 2015 was Mage & Cyborg. 2016 was Assassin & Recluse, and 2017….?

This year’s winner was Medieval Pastry Chef & Sweater-vest Curmudgeon!

And part of this year’s winning couple was even a suggested Character Type from Twitter! Thanks @gaybookgeek for submitting the (winning!) idea!

Book Hauls!

Not only could attendees buy books from the RWP Bookfest, but every year we give away free books at the beginning of the event. This year’s donations came from Bold Strokes Books, Less Than Three Press, Dreamspinner Press, author Joanna Chambers, and a selection of popular queer genre fiction donated by Old Growth Northwest.

NaNoWriMo Time!

On both Friday and Saturday, we opened up space at the Seattle Public Library for those working on NaNoWriMo projects (or who just wanted to write). It was great to see people each morning writing away!

Write with Pride

Speaking of writing, 2017 was also our first year to offer Write with Pride, a half-day workshop on Friday, November 3 that included a variety of sessions focusing on writing craft. Thanks to everyone who came out to join!

Thank you to everyone who joined us this year for Read with Pride NW 2017! It was a truly great weekend and we were grateful to spend the time with you celebrating the awesomeness of LGBTQIA romance and genre fiction.

Did you attend RWP this year? Share us your favorite memories in the comments!

We are two days away from Read with Pride Northwest 2017, our fifth annual conference at the Seattle Public Library!

We want to provide some up-front info for attendees wondering about the event, especially if it’s their first time. Below is some frequently asked questions (and also please feel free to share your own questions in the comments!)

Can I get tickets online still? Yes. Registeration ends at 12pm on Friday, but we also accept walk-ins a the door.

So I can get a pass at the door? Yep! Registration is free, and you’re welcome to come on the day of. We are limited by the number of seats we have, so there is an cut-off, and when we’re full, we’re full.

What about later sessions? Can I go to those without a pass? Our most crowded session will most likely be the opening session from 1pm – 2pm in the auditorium on the first floor. If you would like to attend the 2:15-3pm session or the 3:15-4pm session in the auditorium, that should be 100% fine. We don’t expect those sessions to be completely full. Just come on in.

When does the library open? The library opens at 10am. RWP registration will start at 12pm in the Microsoft Auditorium on the 1^st Floor. The RWP BookFest will start at 12pm also on the 4^th Floor, Room 1.

What is the dress code? Seattle is suuuuuuuuper casual, so it’s wear what you want. Most of the conference is in the Seattle Public Library, which is also a pretty casual place.

The auditorium can get chilly though. Past RWPers recommend wearing layers. 🙂

Are there activities before Saturday? Yes! As listed in our program schedule, we have several activities ahead of Saturday.

Friday, November 3, 2017

(At the Seattle Public Library)

• NaNoWriMo Writing Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm – 4F, Room 6
• Write with Pride Workshop: 12:00pm – 5:30pm
• RWP Author Reading Event: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

What times do things start on Saturday?

It depends on what you’re planning on doing:

NaNoWriMo: For those working on NaNoWriMo projects, we have space on the 4th Floor, Room 6 open for writers from 10am – 12pm.

Registration: This is from 12pm – 1pm, and is the best time to come, grab your name tag, swag bag, and look over the free book table to grab what you want. (First come, first serve at the free book table.)

Conference Programming: This will run from 1pm – 4pm. See schedule.

Book Festival: The bookfest runs from 12pm – 5:30pm, and is open to everyone. It is located on the 4th Floor, Room 1.

When will the authors be signing books? The author signing period will be from 4pm – 5:30pm in the bookfest room on the 4^th floor, Room 1.

Can I buy books at the BookFest? Yep! There will be a book sale table, hosted by the bookstore Another Read Through, from 12pm – 5:30pm. Several authors will also be selling their books during the signing period from 4pm – 5:30pm.

1^st Bus going to Gay City: 5:30pm in front of the library’s 5^th Ave Entrance.

2^nd Bus going to Gay City: 6:15pm in front of the library’s 5^th Ave Entrance.

Author Reading Event at Gay City: 7pm – 9pm

Come join us for the free public reading event Reading with Pride at Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center. This event will feature readings by seven RWP Attending Authors..

• Bus back to the library: 9:15pm

What should I expect at the book festival?

The book fest will feature:

• 24 LGBTQ romance authors to meet and chat with (See author list)
• Both the authors and the bookstore Another Read Through will have lots of LGBTQ romance books for sale.
• Loads of free author swag!

Where do I pick up my swag bag? You can pick it up at registration.

I hear there will be free books at the conference? Yep! We have loads of free books in the auditorium that you can just grab and take with you. Enjoy!

Is there still a book drive for Gay City going on? Yep! We are also gathering book donations for the Gay City LGBTQ library. Every book donated will get a raffle ticket, and a chance to win some prizes! Books can be donated at the Gay City table at the conference and book festival.

Where can I park? The Seattle Library has parking all day for $8, but it ends at 7pm. Downtown also has some nearby lots. Street parking becomes free after 8pm
What other questions could we answer? Let us know!

What other questions could we answer? Let us know!

We’re excited to share the full schedule for this Friday’s Write with Pride writer’s workshop that will be held at the Seattle Public Library.

Write with Pride is a one-day multi-session workshop focused on the craft of writing and led by a fantastic group of LGBTQIA romance and genre authors.

Registration is still open, and is on a sliding scale of $0-$25. Register for Write with Pride

View the full workshop schedule here or read the snapshot below.

Write with Pride Schedule Snapshot

Date: Friday, November 3, 2017
Location: Seattle Central Library (1000 4th, Ave)

10am – 11;30am: NaNoWriMo Writing Time (4F, Room 6)

12pm – 1pm: Write with Pride Registration

1pm – 2pm: Workshop Opening and Keynote Chat with Nisi Shawl

2pm – 2:15pm: Break

2:15pm – 3:45pm: Write with Pride Session Series 1

• May I Live In Your Bones: Harnessing the Power of Close Psychic Distance (4F, Room 1)
• Interwoven Plots – Romance Plus Danger (4F, Room 2)

3:45pm – 4pm: Break

4pm – 5pm: Write with Pride Session Series 2

• Do Your Book Justice (4F, Room 1)
• Line Editing Tips and Tricks (4F, Room 2)
• How to Connect Your Stories with Libraries and the Community (4F, Room 6)

5pm – 5:10pm: Break

5;10pm – 5:30pm: Workshop Share-Out and Wrap-Up

View the full Write with Pride schedule to reach session descriptions