Tiffany Jackson is Coming to Columbia! (Allegedly.)

One of the long-term goals of the festival is to expand our activities beyond the third weekend in April to a year-round series of literary events for the community. We’re delighted to announce that award-winning and best-selling author Tiffany Jackson will be our first “out-of-season” guest. Tiffany’s appearance is made possible by the participation of the Columbia Public Schools Foundation, and we are very grateful for their wonderful support.

One of the most exciting new voices in YA fiction, Tiffany will be making appearances at several local schools during her visit to Columbia, where she will be talking about her books and writing career. On Thursday, October 4, she will be making her only public appearance at Skylark Bookshop. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. - and like all Unbound events, it is open to all and is completely free to attend. We’re billing the event as a Family Book Club - we hope that both children and their parents will come having read her award-winning debut novel, Allegedly, and ready to discuss the book.

Daniel José Older called the novel a “riveting, gut-wrenching thriller and a stunning debut.” Jason Reynolds had this to say: “I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve been this rattled by a story. Tiffany D. Jackson chips at the world, then cracks it, then shatters it into shards of discomfort and complexity for the reader to grapple with it. Allegedly, undoubtedly, will linger long after it’s over.” This gritty, haunting novel will leave its mark on you.

Tiffany D. Jackson is the author of the critically acclaimed ALLEGEDLY and  MONDAY’S NOT COMING (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books). A TV professional by day, novelist by night, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School. A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves with her adorable Chihuahua, Oscar, most likely multitasking.

Here’s a selection of the stunning praise that her debut novel has garnered:

★ “With remarkable skill, Jackson offers an unflinching portrayal of the raw social outcomes when youth are entrapped in a vicious cycle of nonparenting and are sent spiraling down the prison-for-profit pipeline. This dark, suspenseful exploration of justice and perception raises important questions teens will want to discuss.” (School Library Journal (starred review))

★ “Searing and true. Effectively joins Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow (2010) to become another indictment of the penal system’s decimating power beyond its bars and, more subtly and refreshingly, a pro-reproductive-justice novel.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

★ “The characters are complex, the situation unsettling, and the line between right and wrong hopelessly blurred. It’s also intensely relevant, addressing race, age, and mental illness within the criminal justice system. Well conceived and executed, this is an absorbing and exceptional first novel.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

★ “Suspenseful without being emotionally manipulative, compelling without resorting to shock value, this is a tightly spun debut that wrestles with many intense ideas and ends with a knife twist that will send readers racing back to the beginning again.” (Booklist (starred review))

We can’t wait to welcome Tiffany to Columbia next month - we hope we’ll see you at Skylark Bookshop on October 5!