Congratulations! You’ve made it through the stress, exhaustion, and uncertainty of 2020 to this moment: the Epic Read-A-Thon.

As a reader, you’re helping the Desert Island Supply Co. to continue offering creative writing programs to Birmingham students. But you’re also contributing to a moment in time — a 12-hour window in 2020 when we drop everything else and focus on the page to celebrate family, literature, reading, and writing. A moment to celebrate our student-writers — 2nd-12th graders in Woodlawn-area schools in Birmingham, Alabama — who love to write and create. 

Here are the general Instructions for how to read during the Epic Read-A-Thon: 

  1. Join the read-a-thon as a panelist using the link/password emailed to you by Thank You Books. We recommend signing on at least 5 minutes before your assigned time. (If you can’t find the email from Thank You Books, email Brian Connell at brian@desertislandsupplyco.com.)

  2. Wait for the DISCO host to thank the previous reader and introduce you as the next reader. 

  3. When it’s your turn to read, briefly introduce yourself by name and city, and tell us what you’ll be reading. (For example, “Hi, I’m Brian Connell, in Birmingham, Alabama, and I’ll be reading an excerpt from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.”)

  4. Start reading! At the 20-minute mark, the DISCO host will kindly step in, thank you, and introduce the next reader. (Pro-tip: Have some extra family-themed reading material on deck just in case you finish your planned selection before your 20 minutes is up!)

  5. Note: If you’re reading a longer story or essay, you might not be able to complete it. This is ok! The fact that you’ve read something about family for 20 minutes is amazing and supports our community goal of reading literature about family for 12 hours straight.

  6. Want to watch the rest of the read-a-thon? Register as a general audience member here.