Tim Crothers
FLORENCE– Author and journalist Tim Crothers will be a featured speaker
at the Reader Riot book festival in Florence on Saturday, April 29, 2017. He will talk about his
nonfiction book The Queen of Katwe, which has been adapted to film and distributed by the Walt
Disney Company. The movie stars Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o and is currently in
select theaters nationwide.
Debra Dombrowski
Debra Dombrowski, chair of the Reader Riot committee, says that inviting Crothers for the
festival was a direct response to feedback from the community. “The Reader Riot is a
community book festival, so earlier this year, we did a survey to find out what sort of events
people in the Shoals wanted. People overwhelmingly told us that they wanted a book-to-film
event. So when we found out that Mr. Crothers was available for the festival, it was the perfect
opportunity to give our community something they’ve asked for.”
Crothers’ book, The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s
Dream of Becom ing a Grandmaster, was published in 2012 and tells the real-life story of Phiona
Mutesi, a young Ugandan girl who rose from extreme poverty to become an international chess
champion. Crothers uses his background as a journalist–he was formerly a senior writer for
Sports Illustrated–to explore the seemingly impossible challenges Phiona faced in the slums of
Uganda, while also telling an emotional and uplifting story of perseverance. Disney’s film
adaptation is already generating awards buzz.
Nancy Sanford
“We’re excited to bring an author of Tim Crothers’ caliber to Florence and to our library,” says
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Executive Director Nancy Sanford. “The library is always
looking for opportunities to bring cultural experiences to our community–especially when
they’re related to great books. Crothers’ visit will not only provide a chance for our community
to hear the author of a great book, but also to discuss some really important global and human
issues.”
The Reader Riot will take place in Florence, AL on April 28-29, 2017. The festival committee
has also collected several more major authors for the line-up, including Alabama author Watt
Key, children’s author-illustrator Lori Nichols, speculative-fiction writer Tobias Buckell, and
Affrilachian poets Frank X Walker and Randall Horton. More featured guests will be added to
the festival and regular updates can be found at www.readerriot.com.
The Reader Riot, hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, is the Shoals’ first book festival
and is being planned by a committee of community volunteers and library staff. Businesses,
organizations, and individuals interested in sponsoring Crothers’ event or another author can
contact Nancy Sanford at FLPL.
Media Release/Reader Riot Book Festival/B.J. Keeton
