Meet Jeremiah and Kassan, our writers-in-residence!

Jeremiah (L) and Kassan (R), with Book Harvest Authors’ Circle member Mike Wiley

This past June, Jeremiah Springer and Kassan Jones graduated from Glenn Elementary School. Before they did, they and a group of friends wrote, illustrated, printed, and sold copies of their first book, “The Little Fish.” This summer, they’re working on their next book.

We first met this group of authors at Books on Break at Glenn. These students are “Mrs. Parker’s Professors,” students in Turquoise Parker’s English and Language Arts class, in which she focuses on authors of color in an effort to ensure all her students see themselves in the books they read and in the authors who write them. She encouraged her students to embrace their creativity and author their own books as well.

When we heard about these young authors, we reached out to their parents with an idea: could the boys join us this summer for our first-ever writers’ residency so we could help them write their next book? The rest, as they say, is history. Here are our writers-in-residence, introducing themselves and their project in their own words:

Throughout their residency this summer, Jeremiah and Kassan have had the opportunity to meet with our Authors’ Circle member, Mike Wiley, to talk about how he went from being a kid just like them to a professional playwright and actor; and our marketing and development committee member, Andrea Griffith Cash, a content strategist and creative director who advised them on their video. Next on their agenda is a meeting with freelance writer and editor Lauren Stephenson, who will help them take their work from draft to completion.

And then the launch party, hosted by Book Harvest sponsor Hendrick Subaru Southpoint, which will be free and open to the public. Join us for light refreshments and a reading by the authors as Jeremiah and Kassan share their completed book, “The Boy Who Couldn’t Make Friends,” with the world for the first time. Don’t miss it: August 21 at 5 p.m. at Hendrick Subaru Southpoint (200 Kentington Drive, Durham 27713).